4 ms·

The only problem is that now you have to find a way to download the iso's from microsofts' servers to do it now because most laptop manufacturers only give reco

by wewyor 16y ago

The only problem is that now you have to find a way to download the iso's from microsofts' servers to do it now because most laptop manufacturers only give recovery media that gives you all the crapware when you reinstall. It wasn't that long ago that you got actual windows install media when you bought a computer.

Silhouette 16y ago
> It wasn't that long ago that you got actual windows install media when you bought a computer. Oh, I'm afraid that was actually quite a long time ago. However, the last time I checked, Microsoft did impose a condition that mostly affected laptop manufacturers, such that they were required to provide any genuine Windows customer with real Windows media on request, rather than just some not-quite-real-Windows recovery media. Is this no longer the case? If that is still a requirement for installing OEM Windows on laptops for sale, maybe a campaign where a significant fraction of Samsung laptop customers suddenly started demanding real media would attract the attention of whatever fool thought this was a good idea. This is not mutually exclusive with an expensive class action lawsuit, of course. }:-)
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- pavel_lishin 16y ago
  Ah, excellent - next time my parents by a laptop, I'll have them ask for the disk. My dad's laptop crashed awhile back, and he had nothing to reinstall on it. :/
- pasbesoin 16y ago
  Back in... 2006?, when purchasing a Dell I put down $10 to receive a plain Jane XP Pro installation disk, in addition to the crapware-infested restore disk that came with it by default. More recently, helping a friend with a Dell purchase, I could no longer find that option in the online order flow. Maybe if you call them and ask... (I'm not a regular Dell purchaser.)
  - lancefisher 16y ago
    I've reinstalled Windows on Dell computers for friends that didn't have the discs. I just called Dell, and they mailed me a plain Windows install disc for free. Awesome! I'm not sure if they still do that. With HP, I wasn't even able to pay for an install disc of any sort, and since the recovery portion of the HD was gone I had to buy a copy of Windows. I'll never buy an HP computer for this reason.
    - pasbesoin 16y ago
      I'll add that that disk was actually stolen in a burglary. When I subsequently needed to reinstall, a friend burned a copy of his XP Pro disk and mailed it. In combination with the code on the license sticker on the machine, this worked fine. (I'm hesitant to download an image from an unknown source.) I don't know about Windows 7 -- I seem to recall reading that installation disks for it work somewhat differently, but I don't recall the details.
      - wewyor 16y ago
        If you look you can get the windows 7 isos from microsofts' servers (or in this case their distribution network through digital river). These have worked for my OEM licenses, XP though I remember you needed to use the disk with the correct service pack to install with your software key. (A sp1 key wouldn't work with a sp2 disk and vica versa.)
        calloc 16y ago
        Links? I'd definitely be interested in this seeing as how I just bought a Lenovo and want to wipe it.
        wewyor 16y ago
        google: windows 7 iso (first result) (mydigitallife) The links that say msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent are the same as when you buy online (at least when I bought my win 7 professional license for my desktop the iso linked is the same as the one I downloaded). Those are probably the only ones I would trust, make sure you are indeed going to digitalrivercontent website, download appropriate language and version/arch (prof, home prem 64 or 32)
kmfrk 16y ago
CS and engineering students should be able to obtain this for free through MSDNAA.
nikcub 16y ago
If you request an original copy from your retailer they have to (are supposed to) give it to you and can only charge you a fee for the media, which is usually $10-25. This applies for the first few months, thereafter you can call Microsoft and within a few prompts they will send it out to you, often for free. Should work in most countries, and is a bit of a backdoor way of getting original install disks. There is also a way in the EU to get a free linux distro disk if you request it, which was part of the EU antitrust settlement but I can't remember what that was (all of these consumer rights features were part of one settlement or another)

by wewyor 16y ago

Silhouette 16y ago

> It wasn't that long ago that you got actual windows install media when you bought a computer. Oh, I'm afraid that was actually quite a long time ago. However, the last time I checked, Microsoft did impose a condition that mostly affected laptop manufacturers, such that they were required to provide any genuine Windows customer with real Windows media on request, rather than just some not-quite-real-Windows recovery media. Is this no longer the case? If that is still a requirement for installing OEM Windows on laptops for sale, maybe a campaign where a significant fraction of Samsung laptop customers suddenly started demanding real media would attract the attention of whatever fool thought this was a good idea. This is not mutually exclusive with an expensive class action lawsuit, of course. }:-)

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
pavel_lishin 16y ago
Ah, excellent - next time my parents by a laptop, I'll have them ask for the disk. My dad's laptop crashed awhile back, and he had nothing to reinstall on it. :/
pasbesoin 16y ago
Back in... 2006?, when purchasing a Dell I put down $10 to receive a plain Jane XP Pro installation disk, in addition to the crapware-infested restore disk that came with it by default. More recently, helping a friend with a Dell purchase, I could no longer find that option in the online order flow. Maybe if you call them and ask... (I'm not a regular Dell purchaser.)
- lancefisher 16y ago
  I've reinstalled Windows on Dell computers for friends that didn't have the discs. I just called Dell, and they mailed me a plain Windows install disc for free. Awesome! I'm not sure if they still do that. With HP, I wasn't even able to pay for an install disc of any sort, and since the recovery portion of the HD was gone I had to buy a copy of Windows. I'll never buy an HP computer for this reason.
  - pasbesoin 16y ago
    I'll add that that disk was actually stolen in a burglary. When I subsequently needed to reinstall, a friend burned a copy of his XP Pro disk and mailed it. In combination with the code on the license sticker on the machine, this worked fine. (I'm hesitant to download an image from an unknown source.) I don't know about Windows 7 -- I seem to recall reading that installation disks for it work somewhat differently, but I don't recall the details.
    - wewyor 16y ago
      If you look you can get the windows 7 isos from microsofts' servers (or in this case their distribution network through digital river). These have worked for my OEM licenses, XP though I remember you needed to use the disk with the correct service pack to install with your software key. (A sp1 key wouldn't work with a sp2 disk and vica versa.)
      - calloc 16y ago
        Links? I'd definitely be interested in this seeing as how I just bought a Lenovo and want to wipe it.
        wewyor 16y ago
        google: windows 7 iso (first result) (mydigitallife) The links that say msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent are the same as when you buy online (at least when I bought my win 7 professional license for my desktop the iso linked is the same as the one I downloaded). Those are probably the only ones I would trust, make sure you are indeed going to digitalrivercontent website, download appropriate language and version/arch (prof, home prem 64 or 32)

kmfrk 16y ago

CS and engineering students should be able to obtain this for free through MSDNAA.

nikcub 16y ago

If you request an original copy from your retailer they have to (are supposed to) give it to you and can only charge you a fee for the media, which is usually $10-25. This applies for the first few months, thereafter you can call Microsoft and within a few prompts they will send it out to you, often for free. Should work in most countries, and is a bit of a backdoor way of getting original install disks. There is also a way in the EU to get a free linux distro disk if you request it, which was part of the EU antitrust settlement but I can't remember what that was (all of these consumer rights features were part of one settlement or another)