Want to re-install windows 7 but don't have disc

[Treld]

I bought a computer off of craigslist about 2 years ago. It works great but I want to re-install the OS but whenever I bought the computer the guy either didn't have the disks or he just didn't want to give them to me. What I want to know is if there's any way for me to re-install my OS without the disks, it's a custom built computer so I don't know if the key code or whatever would be inside the case or not. I'm pretty computer illiterate I would do a system restore but I wasn't aware that it's automatically set to delete save points every week so I'm pretty screwed there too

The OS is windows 7 ultimate if that's of any importance.

[Howard Moon]

I think there is some program that lets you find out the key of the Windows that you have currently installed. Give it a google.

[Blazefury5]

Yes, there are a few programs that will find your product key. Once you have the key you can make a recovery disk, or if you don't want to bother with that you can contact Microsoft and they will mail you a Windows disk (Was $25 USD. Last time I checked.)

[chazus]

Use Magic Jelly Bean Keyfinder to find your license key, then download the Win 7 Ultimate ISO, burn it to a DVD or USB Flash drive, and reinstall!

The tool is safe and legal, and the iso download is legal as well.

If the guy you bought it from used a cracked install or something though, you'll be up a creek.

[Treld]

Use Magic Jelly Bean Keyfinder to find your license key, then download the Win 7 Ultimate ISO, burn it to a DVD or USB Flash drive, and reinstall!

The tool is safe and legal, and the iso download is legal as well.

If the guy you bought it from used a cracked install or something though, you'll be up a creek.

Thanks guys and when I re-install the OS is that pretty simple? I've never done it myself so I want to be sure I don't do anything wrong and have a useless computer =3 Like, say I download the ISO to a flash drive I can just re-install it and go about setting up everything the way I want it from there? Pretty sure he installed it legit too, it was the dudes son's computer who built it a while before he left for Afghanistan =3

[Blazefury5]

Windows Installation is very straightforward. You shouldn't have a problem, just make sure you set the BIOS boot priority to w.e you are going to use.

[chazus]

You'll have to configure the flash drive to boot, so if you're not sure how to do that, I'd recommend just burning the ISO to a DVD. I'm assuming you want to wipe the entire drive clean (and have backed up your data?). If that's the case, just pop in the DVD, boot from it, click install, wipe the partition, and let the installer handle the rest.

[Treld]

You'll have to configure the flash drive to boot, so if you're not sure how to do that, I'd recommend just burning the ISO to a DVD. I'm assuming you want to wipe the entire drive clean (and have backed up your data?). If that's the case, just pop in the DVD, boot from it, click install, wipe the partition, and let the installer handle the rest.

I don't think the disk drive can burn DVDs so I'll just read up on how to configure the flash drive and back up everything. When doing anything like this I'm always pretty cautious so I should be fine.

Thanks again everyone

[Somebodyelse]

Windows 7 ultimate is already a cracked version. You'll have to buy a new windows 7 cd. <Snip>

Don't advocate piracy.

[glo]

Windows 7 ultimate is already a cracked version. You'll have to buy a new windows 7 cd. <Snip>

Nope... It's official software.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116718

[n0cturnal]

Windows 7 ultimate is already a cracked version. You'll have to buy a new windows 7 cd. <Snip>

This post makes absolutely no sense.

[Treld]

Okay I think I've figured out everything I need to do this. I'm going to use Imgburn to make the ISO and the windows 7 USB download tool to put the OS onto the USB. Does this all sound about right so far?

Also, I need the windows 7 ultimate x86 for 32 bit right? The OS I've been using is 32 bit.

[chazus]

You should be able to use the Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool to drop the Win7 ISO from that website onto the USB drive. Keep in mind this will wipe the USB drive, and also make it inoperable (temporarily) on some systems (I believe it formats as NTFS, which XBox 360s and the like cannot see). You can fix this by formatting it as FAT32 after you're done. Put the ISO on the USB drive at that time, and you should just be able to plug it into the system, reboot, and it should be able to boot from the USB. You shouldn't need to use IMGBurn.

And yes, x86 = 32bit

Windows 7 ultimate is already a cracked version.

Ignore him. Derpy info is derpy. Win7 is legit, obviously.

[Treld]

You should be able to use the Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool to drop the Win7 ISO from that website onto the USB drive. Keep in mind this will wipe the USB drive, and also make it inoperable (temporarily) on some systems (I believe it formats as NTFS, which XBox 360s and the like cannot see). You can fix this by formatting it as FAT32 after you're done. Put the ISO on the USB drive at that time, and you should just be able to plug it into the system, reboot, and it should be able to boot from the USB. You shouldn't need to use IMGBurn.

And yes, x86 = 32bit


Ignore him. Derpy info is derpy. Win7 is legit, obviously.

Thanks for all the help I actually just called Microsoft to see what they could do and they sent me the ISO itself. Already have it on the USB. One question though, there were two folders of the same thing, but one was 2.00gb while another was 2.38gb. I put the bigger one on the USB and it ended up coming out to 4.98gb or something like that, does it matter which one of them I use? It has the 8 items it's supposed to have, so I'm not sure if it makes any difference.

[chazus]

There were two folders of the same thing, but one was 2.00gb while another was 2.38gb.

I honestly don't know what you're referring to. The ISO is just one file (Like.. "Win_7_Ult_x86.iso" )that you use the USB DVD Tool with to mount onto your flash drive. There aren't any folders or anything (well, on the flash drive there will be after you're done, but you shouldn't be looking at those or worrying about them)

[Treld]

I honestly don't know what you're referring to. The ISO is just one file (Like.. "Win_7_Ult_x86.iso" )that you use the USB DVD Tool with to mount onto your flash drive. There aren't any folders or anything (well, on the flash drive there will be after you're done, but you shouldn't be looking at those or worrying about them)

Whenever he sent the download link and I downloaded it it opened up a program that would only let me burn it to a disk but like I said the guy who put the PC together used a cheap disk drive so it can't burn DVDs. I found the file on my computer but there was a second copy of it for some reason so I used the slightly larger one. Put it onto the USB and tried to boot it from there but it didn't work. I'll try the other file later and if that doesn't work I'll see if I can't just use my girlfriend's computer to burn it onto a DVD, if hers even has a burner =3 if not I'll just hit up Geek Squad I guess.

[chazus]

Oh. I don't know what it is the guy provided, but if you just follow the instructions I posted earlier, you can put the ISO on the usb drive. No DVD or DVD drive needed.