How do I re-install windows 7?

Forums › Microsoft Windows › How do I re-install windows 7?

dafman

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#141166 3-Mar-2014 13:25

I have a windows 7 Asus Eee box pc and I want to do a fresh install of windows 7. The Asus machine did come with a recovery partition on the hard drive but I think I accidently deleted this some months back when playing around with partition sizes. So, without the manufacturer's recovery option, how do I go about re-installing windows? Thanks in advance

Demeter

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#998146 3-Mar-2014 13:28

Do you have a physical copy of the media and the license key you need to install it? It's pretty straightforward (easier than older Windows installs). You stick the DVD in, and follow the prompts, pretty much.

dafman

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#998156 3-Mar-2014 13:45

Demeter: Do you have a physical copy of the media and the license key you need to install it? It's pretty straightforward (easier than older Windows installs). You stick the DVD in, and follow the prompts, pretty much.

I have the licence key printed on the windows sticker on the PC, but I don't have a copy of W7 on media as this was not supplied with the PC. Is this downloadable?

Demeter

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#998159 3-Mar-2014 13:53

I don't think so, not as a regular user. You kind of need a a Microsoft TechNet or MSDN subscription to get that sort of thing I think. This article may help: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;326246

Otherwise, you may be able to borrow a disk from someone - as long as you still have your unique license key, it doesn't matter whose disk you use, as long as you use the exact same version as what was installed to begin with, eg. I don't think regular Windows 7 Home licenses will work with Windows 7 Home Premium edition disks.

Sideface

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#998176 3-Mar-2014 14:05

dafman: I have a windows 7 Asus Eee box pc and I want to do a fresh install of windows 7. The Asus machine did come with a recovery partition on the hard drive but I think I accidently deleted this some months back when playing around with partition sizes. So, without the manufacturer's recovery option, how do I go about re-installing windows? Thanks in advance

I have an Asus EEE box running Windows XP (there is no CD drive built in, so I had to install Windows using an external CD/DVD drive.)
The XP version used was a special cut-down version - and I suspect that the Win 7 version that you are running is a cut-down version of Windows 7 Starter, or Windows 7 Home Premium.
So a fresh install could be very tricky.
If you are going to attempt a fresh install, be sure to save all the drivers first!

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dafman

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#998177 3-Mar-2014 14:06

Ok, thanks, appreciated. I'll check what edition I am using and then go on the hunt for a disk.

Sideface

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#998182 3-Mar-2014 14:10

dafman: Ok, thanks, appreciated. I'll check what edition I am using and then go on the hunt for a disk.

What model of EEE Box are you using?
Does it have a CD drive?

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sittingduckz

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#998184 3-Mar-2014 14:11

Try here:

http://technetwindows.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/windows-7-iso-download-free.html

I'm not a complete idiot, I still have some parts missing.

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hellonearthisman

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#998229 3-Mar-2014 15:25

What is the licence version of the netbook. You could then download the iso you need via torrents if you have wasted your windows PE partition without having a backup.

robjg63

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#998230 3-Mar-2014 15:28

I would expect your key will be an OEM key.
The media you use would have to recognise the key - so I would expect you might download and install and find the key wont work.

But you wont know until you try.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler