You Can Now Download Windows 7 ISOs Directly from Microsoft

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
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What’s the deal with Microsoft lately? The company is softening its stance on many of its prior hard line policies. The latest is now you can easily download Windows 7 ISOs directly from Microsoft. The only stipulation to the download is you are still going to have to pony up your product key. There always has to be a downside to a good thing. :D

If Windows is working you can find out the key by using NirSoft’s ProduKey. Just run it and the details will be displayed in the program window (along with keys for Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office if installed). Right-click the entry to copy the key.
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pxc said:
That's a fair compromise.
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no it isn't, the old way was easier using Digital Rivers download site, you'd just grab whatever ISO's you needed and you were done. No need to plug in any info, just click and download.
 
Isn't the need for a product key to just check you are requesting the correct and valid version?

I've used the Windows 8.1 version of this service and it still asked for my product key on install.
 
Zepher said:
no it isn't, the old way was easier using Digital Rivers download site, you'd just grab whatever ISO's you needed and you were done. No need to plug in any info, just click and download.
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This. Especially if you are trying to help someone else reinstall or repair.
 
daglesj said:
Isn't the need for a product key to just check you are requesting the correct and valid version?

I've used the Windows 8.1 version of this service and it still asked for my product key on install.
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I don't think that has anything to do with it. There is a trick to modifying the Windows 8 ISO to bypass the key requirement allowing you install whatever version you want. I think it's for more product control.
 
That and there are still problems verifying perfectly legitimate keys.
 
I've entered keys from 3 legit pc's and still cannot download. WTF leave it to MS to screw simple shit up.
 
Chas said:
That and there are still problems verifying perfectly legitimate keys.
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Yeah anyone who makes significant hardware changes, or uses virtual machines, should be really sick of this process.

I've given up getting a perfectly legit Office key to work. MS solution is for me to switch to Office 365.
 
Does this only work for Retail keys and not for OEM keys? That's what I was told when I first found this existed.
 
brentsg said:
Yeah anyone who makes significant hardware changes, or uses virtual machines, should be really sick of this process.
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Preach Brother Brentsg. Amen!

For crying out loud how about MS gives a window for hardware changes. Actually they don't need to do that either since Windows detects when it's in VM, which means it already knows the environment is going to change (adding a processor to a VM is bound to happen over time).
 
Arct1c0n said:
Correct, retail only.
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That's dumb, who buys retail? Most people buy a PC with Windows already on it and those of us that build mainly buy vanilla OEM copies.

I always liked being able to download an updated version from digital river with any service packs included, my original OEM copy of XP didn't even have sp1 on it.
 
Don't worry, the pirates will make it much easier and will have a much easier time with this. :D
 
Ebernanut said:
That's dumb, who buys retail? Most people buy a PC with Windows already on it and those of us that build mainly buy vanilla OEM copies.

I always liked being able to download an updated version from digital river with any service packs included, my original OEM copy of XP didn't even have sp1 on it.
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I don't remember with 7, but 8/8.1 retail was cheap. For 7, I've still got a shitload of licenses from technet.
 
Glad I grabbed all copies of 7 ISO's from digitalriver and store them on a raid array just in case.
I also have a few pressed copies.
 
This is great news for me. No more searching for legit copies to use my legit keys with.
 
Ebernanut said:
That's dumb, who buys retail? Most people buy a PC with Windows already on it and those of us that build mainly buy vanilla OEM copies.

I always liked being able to download an updated version from digital river with any service packs included, my original OEM copy of XP didn't even have sp1 on it.
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People who want to install windows on their computer and don't want to have to call up india every time they make major hardware changes. Plus windows 8 was like 20 bucks i ponied up and got 3 full pro retail copies.
 
Why not Windows 8 as well?

This is stupid stone age BS, all that matters is that you have the product key or an account. Windows is the only software I use on any OS that makes me jump through these kinds of hoops.
 
Semantics said:
People who want to install windows on their computer and don't want to have to call up india every time they make major hardware changes. Plus windows 8 was like 20 bucks i ponied up and got 3 full pro retail copies.
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I've never had to call up after changing hardware on my own PCs, I did have to once when I was working on a computer for a friend but it only took a five minute call.

I was talking about win 7 which I thought was implied due to the title of the thread, for 7 and xp retail would have cost me about double with no substantial difference.
 
Ebernanut said:
I've never had to call up after changing hardware on my own PCs, I did have to once when I was working on a computer for a friend but it only took a five minute call.

I was talking about win 7 which I thought was implied due to the title of the thread, for 7 and xp retail would have cost me about double with no substantial difference.
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Well the difference is just that, it's microsoft support and key activations between OEM and retail. OEM your key is tied to the computer retail the key is tied to the OS so making major hardware revisions like motherboard changes can mess up attempts at activation.
 
I don't see the huge deal of requiring a product key. Download it once with a legit key, and have it on your home server or whatever place you store ISOs for any time you need it.

As far as installing into VMs and such if it's just for testing and stuff you don't even need to enter a product key and it will still install and run. I forget how long you get, like 180 days I think.
 
I had a nice long talk with a gentleman from India trying to explain to him that I rebuilt my PC from ground up and I'm out of keys.. He tried so hard to get me to move to 8. I'll move when 10 is functional.
 
Semantics said:
Well the difference is just that, it's microsoft support and key activations between OEM and retail. OEM your key is tied to the computer retail the key is tied to the OS so making major hardware revisions like motherboard changes can mess up attempts at activation.
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I get all the support I need and I've never had any problems with activation after changing hardware, even motherboards. I wouldn't try to change much hardware with a branded OEM license but it's never been a problem for me with a vanilla OEM license.
 
Red Squirrel said:
I don't see the huge deal of requiring a product key. Download it once with a legit key, and have it on your home server or whatever place you store ISOs for any time you need it.

As far as installing into VMs and such if it's just for testing and stuff you don't even need to enter a product key and it will still install and run. I forget how long you get, like 180 days I think.
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I did that on a sort of back up computer. There's a consequence however, after a number of months, you get reminders to activate your copy of Windows every 15 minutes that interrupt your games and videos. :eek:
 
^^ Thanks for reminding me of my small color blindness to blue's and purples....I can't read that blue text for shit!

I do like that tablets and noetbooks have the keys burned in to the hardware. Makes it much nicer to reinstall the OS.
 
timta2 said:
Don't worry, the pirates will make it much easier and will have a much easier time with this. :D
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No, not really.....MSDN isos have been on "alternative" sites for years, and about 30 seconds on google can confirm this.
 
sc0tty8 said:
No, not really.....MSDN isos have been on "alternative" sites for years, and about 30 seconds on google can confirm this.
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Ionno why this is an issue any system builder should already rip their dvd copy and store it somewhere safe, not terribly difficult to rip and backup hell they come now of days preset to rip to a jump drive if you want it.
 
Does not work with OEM key even though it tells you the key is ok.

Informs you that you have to call Gateway/Acer/Dell etc to get a copy of the same damn ISO which is rediculous.
 
westrock2000 said:
^^ Thanks for reminding me of my small color blindness to blue's and purples....I can't read that blue text for shit!
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Thank you I thought I was alone in that.

westrock2000 said:
I do like that tablets and noetbooks have the keys burned in to the hardware. Makes it much nicer to reinstall the OS.
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Not unless you have the special backup disk, which they no longer include, or the special key which you have to create ahead of time. MS has made it needlessly difficult to reinstall an OS. It's easier to just image it, which only seems doable if you disable "SecureBoot".
 
magicaljellybean keyfinder and digital river downloads have been around for years.
but in today's news nirsoft keyfinder and microsoft finally hosting its own images makes beta news. meh...
 
gdonovan said:
Does not work with OEM key even though it tells you the key is ok.

Informs you that you have to call Gateway/Acer/Dell etc to get a copy of the same damn ISO which is ridiculous.
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This is totally normal.
Your running an OEM key against a Retail Key checking system.
OEM activation keys are not unique and are tied to specific system builder images\isos.
You'll need the Product Recovery DVD\ISO from the OEM the machine was purchased from if you want to use the key that came with the device.
In other words System Recovery DVD's do not use a single unique key to reactive windows.

It is totally possible to capture the OEM system activation key in advance with ABR Beta Version 1.7 Beta 1 if all you have is a Retail DVD\ISO to rebuild the OS.
It can also be taken from any other similar machine that is currently activated with the same OEM key.
magicaljellybean can help... the whole Product ID thing is a can of worms good luck.
 
erexx said:
You'll need the Product Recovery DVD\ISO from the OEM the machine was purchased from if you want to use the key that came with the device.
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Not available.

It was on a hidden partition which someone before me removed.

I have reloaded OEM machines with a generic disc, just do not have a Win7-64 disc floating about and they took the digital river ISO down.
 
coolpurplefan said:
I did that on a sort of back up computer. There's a consequence however, after a number of months, you get reminders to activate your copy of Windows every 15 minutes that interrupt your games and videos. :eek:
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You test your gaming rig for more than 6 months?
 
Semantics said:
Ionno why this is an issue any system builder should already rip their dvd copy and store it somewhere safe, not terribly difficult to rip and backup hell they come now of days preset to rip to a jump drive if you want it.
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Not sure why you are quoting me, I commented about pirates and you are commenting about system builders:confused:
 
nilepez said:
You test your gaming rig for more than 6 months?
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No, I waited for months to complete a build. I did say in my post it was sort of a back up computer. I never claimed it was my main rig.

The computer I'm using now was bought with money from two x-mases and one birthday. Last x-mas I got the CPU with a copy of Win7 Pro to finish the build.
 
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