Cannot find my Vista disc for old system, can I use new Win 7 disc, or other options?

Stevarian

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Messages
499
I have been posting on the general forum and elsewhere recently, about my new system that I got the parts for just last week. My plan was to build a new system as my current system was built 4 years ago, and it has Vista 64 bit home edition.

I work for a large company, and we have the ability to purchase programs from Microsoft at a good price. I remember I purchased my Vista from them directly, via work, and then I think I had to order the 64 bit disc separately.

Anyway, that was what I used to install Vista.

This last week, I got the parts for my new system, which included the OEM Windows7 64 with SP1 disc, and used an SSD for the first time. I loved the performance of the SSD booting and shutting down, so decided to buy a 128 gb SSD for the old system, as it was getting sluggish.

In preparation for this new SSD, I went to find my Vista disc and the product key. Now this has been 4 years since I last used it...you would think I would put it somewhere safe, wouldn't you? Well, I can not find it to save my life.

I will go to the employee purchase website from work tomorrow and see if there is a way to email MS from my work email, to see if they have a record of my purchase. I don't know if they would replace it even if they find verification of my purchase.

I assume the OEM Win 7 disc I bought from newegg allows for only one license, or one PC, correct?

Another option, I assume, and I am not very knowledgeable about this, but would there be an easy way to move just my Vista from the old hard drive to my new SSD when it comes? And then somehow make the SSD bootable? This would kind of defeat the purpose of a fresh install I know...but at least it would boot faster....

Or any other ideas? If MS has a record of my purchase, will they replace my disc? Or am I screwed?

Thanks in advance
 
I have been posting on the general forum and elsewhere recently, about my new system that I got the parts for just last week. My plan was to build a new system as my current system was built 4 years ago, and it has Vista 64 bit home edition.

I work for a large company, and we have the ability to purchase programs from Microsoft at a good price. I remember I purchased my Vista from them directly, via work, and then I think I had to order the 64 bit disc separately.

Anyway, that was what I used to install Vista.

This last week, I got the parts for my new system, which included the OEM Windows7 64 with SP1 disc, and used an SSD for the first time. I loved the performance of the SSD booting and shutting down, so decided to buy a 128 gb SSD for the old system, as it was getting sluggish.

In preparation for this new SSD, I went to find my Vista disc and the product key. Now this has been 4 years since I last used it...you would think I would put it somewhere safe, wouldn't you? Well, I can not find it to save my life.

I will go to the employee purchase website from work tomorrow and see if there is a way to email MS from my work email, to see if they have a record of my purchase. I don't know if they would replace it even if they find verification of my purchase.

I assume the OEM Win 7 disc I bought from newegg allows for only one license, or one PC, correct?

Another option, I assume, and I am not very knowledgeable about this, but would there be an easy way to move just my Vista from the old hard drive to my new SSD when it comes? And then somehow make the SSD bootable? This would kind of defeat the purpose of a fresh install I know...but at least it would boot faster....

Or any other ideas? If MS has a record of my purchase, will they replace my disc? Or am I screwed?

Thanks in advance

Hi, Stevarian,

The easiest way to clone the old drive to the SSD is to use use this APRICORN SATA Adapter with the included software. It clones the old drive to the new drive in minutes, swap the drives and you're up and running.

Another option would be to recover the original Vista Key using Magicjellybean and then get an ISO that is the same version as your original Vista disc and go from there.

The Win7 OEM license is one license for one machine.

Hope this helps.

Chuklr
 
Thank you Chuklr! I wouldn't be able to clone the entire boot drive, as it is a 640 gb, and is about 3/4 filled. I would only want Windows and the ability to boot. Would Apricorn allow me to do that?
Thanks again!
 
Thank you Chuklr! I wouldn't be able to clone the entire boot drive, as it is a 640 gb, and is about 3/4 filled. I would only want Windows and the ability to boot. Would Apricorn allow me to do that?
Thanks again!

Hi, Stevarian,

I've only gone from a smaller drive to a larger drive, but the software does allow you to deselect folders so it should be "doable". Check the link I provided and scroll down to where it states:

EZ GIG ENABLES YOU TO CLONE YOUR HARD DRIVE IN JUST THREE SIMPLE STEPS

Apricorn's EZ Gig Cloning Software with Data Select, allows you to clone your entire hard drive or deselect data folders from the cloning process to save space. This gives you the option to clone your OS and applications to a smaller hard drive or SSD, while keeping your documents and media files on your original hard drive. The intuitive EZ Gig wizard walks you through the process in three easy steps. Simply choose the Source and Destination drives, click "Start Clone" and EZ Gig will take care of the rest.

...

OPTIONAL - DATA SELECT TOOL

Select files you wish to exclude from the clone, such as photos, videos, music or documents. This is helpful when migrating from a large HDD to a smaller SSD or when creating a Boot Disk.

...

Hope this helps.

Chuklr
 
Another option would be to recover the original Vista Key using Magicjellybean and then get an ISO that is the same version as your original Vista disc and go from there.

Chuklr
i was getting super excited because i was about to post this. Beat me to it, bastard :D
 
Thanks guys!
I only glanced at the Apricorn page this morning, so I apologize for making you quote it to me...That is actually a pretty cool product!

.I did quickly download magicaljellybean though, very cool! it gave me the product code and cd code, for both Vista and Office...and I think Steam too...have to check again tonight.

I checked out my employee purchase site today, and now we only have the Home Use program with MS, which allows purchase of Office only. It is done thru Digitalriver though, which I thought was pretty cool. I am pretty sure 4 years ago it was direct from MS through my work website. I did some more searching, and found digitalriver's forum, and also from a dell site, a page with links to Vista iso files at digitalriver. I don't see where there is a specific one for a specific product or cd code though. So will have to check that out more tonight. That would be ideal, being able to recreate my Vista disc, so I don't have to go thru this again....;)
 
Thanks guys!
I only glanced at the Apricorn page this morning, so I apologize for making you quote it to me...That is actually a pretty cool product!

.I did quickly download magicaljellybean though, very cool! it gave me the product code and cd code, for both Vista and Office...and I think Steam too...have to check again tonight.

I checked out my employee purchase site today, and now we only have the Home Use program with MS, which allows purchase of Office only. It is done thru Digitalriver though, which I thought was pretty cool. I am pretty sure 4 years ago it was direct from MS through my work website. I did some more searching, and found digitalriver's forum, and also from a dell site, a page with links to Vista iso files at digitalriver. I don't see where there is a specific one for a specific product or cd code though. So will have to check that out more tonight. That would be ideal, being able to recreate my Vista disc, so I don't have to go thru this again....;)

Hi, Stevarian,

Not a problem and no need for apologies. Magicjellybean is a cool little tool. :D

If your original Vista media didn't contain a Service Pack (SP) roll-up then you need to get the ISO that doesn't contain a SP and if you got a retail version grab the retail version or if was OEM get that version.

Hope this helps.

Chuklr
 
Thanks guys!
I only glanced at the Apricorn page this morning, so I apologize for making you quote it to me...That is actually a pretty cool product!

.I did quickly download magicaljellybean though, very cool! it gave me the product code and cd code, for both Vista and Office...and I think Steam too...have to check again tonight.

I checked out my employee purchase site today, and now we only have the Home Use program with MS, which allows purchase of Office only. It is done thru Digitalriver though, which I thought was pretty cool. I am pretty sure 4 years ago it was direct from MS through my work website. I did some more searching, and found digitalriver's forum, and also from a dell site, a page with links to Vista iso files at digitalriver. I don't see where there is a specific one for a specific product or cd code though. So will have to check that out more tonight. That would be ideal, being able to recreate my Vista disc, so I don't have to go thru this again....;)

There is likely only the one ISO because it decides which version of Vista to install based on your product key, I remember having an OEM disk like that through my old work. I believe you can use a Retail Vista key with an OEM System Builder's disk and have everything activate fine. It has been a few years since I've had to install Vista though.

And a neat trick for Magical Jellybean, is if you go to Tools > Load Hive you can point it to the Windows directory on another drive and get the keycode from that. Like, say, the hard drive from your mother's dead laptop. ;)
 
Very cool!

I remember buying a "full" version, of Vista, though I think it came in just a small package or hard envelope. Now the rub is, I think what I first got was a 32 bit disc, and then had to request or order the 64 bit after I got that...seems to me that 64bit wasn't that common?? I am 52, so memory not what it used to be....:D

I don't remember if it had SP1 or not either...It would have been 2008, and I think early summer when I bought it...Since I installed the 64 bit disc, and did not do an upgrade, I am going to assume the key code I have is for the 64 bit version. I will give it a shot...and let you know what happens. Thanks again!!!!
 
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