Restoring the x100e

So I wiped the drive clean on my x100e, recovery partition and all, and I installed Linux. It works great. My plan was that I could reinstall Windows 7 with the DVD and the Win7 key on the laptop if I should ever decide to sell it. But I just noticed that there is no Win7 key on the laptop.

Why is there no key and how can I reinstall Win7 without it?

 

You can re-install it, but it'll be on a 30 day trial. Did it have COA when you got it?

 

is the win 7 authenticity sticker under the battery bay?

Only Lenovo windows 7 recovery media will negate the serial no. requirement for activating the OS.

 

What's a COA? Is that the little sticker on the laptop that has the product key? Because as I said, there is no key.

 

Yes, it's under the battery bay. Haha. Thanks.

 

yeah,the x100e uses a pretty unique sticker for its size (its smaller than most other stickers) and placement (havent seen another laptop with a COA under the battery)

 

Most of the new Thinkpads line have moved their COA sticker into the battery bay to protect it from the elements, as they lack the protective plastic covers found on the older XP stickers.

 

I can see why. On my y460 the lettering on the COA sticker is unreadable due to the bottom of the laptop getting so hot that it has melted most of it..