Installing OEM Windows on new SSD, with recovery discs

I want to install Windows 7 on my new SSD. I made the recovery partitions just now.

Now my question is how do I install the HP OEM Windows 7 on my new SSD. Do I just use the recovery discs and install like normal Windows. Or do I need to download the legal version of Windows 7 and use the program to back up activation?

Which do you think is easier?

 

All you need to do is put the restore disks in at boot and go from there.

 

Ahh, so it's that easy? Is there anything to do with activation apart from entering Windows key?

 

Nope, nothing else... Just enter the Key and your off.

 

If you're wondering, joelkrause57 means the key from the bottom of your laptop

 

Oh, yes That's the one. Though if it's OEM it may not even ask for a Product Key. I know when installing XP on my Latitude, it doesn't ask, just does.

 

Yeh, I know its there

Thanks for the replies. I want to install from the recovery discs, which would be easier for the start. I hope all the bloatware (which I intend to remove anyway) will not spoil the fun of using a SSD.

I also have a SwSetup folder with all HP software installed in my C: drive. Should I back that up also, or will that restore itself on the SSD automatically?

 

You don't enter a key with OEM recovery discs - it reads the key from the BIOS - and as far as I am aware you might not even need to activate the OS - at least my Vaio's Vista Discs result in an activated install.

 

If the bloatware is too much, look into the Windows 7 legal ISO download thread on how to install a clean version of Windows 7 on your machine.

 

There is many different kinds of OEM methods.

One that you can buy from a shop and activate with a key. That key is similar to the one on the bottom of your laptop, so that key works with plain OEM disc too, and that disc is downloadable from the before mentioned link. Retail and Upgrade work like this also.

Then is manufacturer-specific OEM discs, otherwise similar to plain OEM disc but they have embedded manufacturer specific install key and certificate. To automatically activate, that installation requires matching marker in the computer bios. This type of disc will also work on other brand machines but it will not activate, you have to enter key from the sticker. This type of disc is often accompanied by separate Driver/Application disc and it allows clean install. Business computers often come with these.

Recovery partition / OEM recovery disc is basically an image from working system. Those are model-specific obviously. Possibly work on another computer of similar tech platform but no guarantee. Activation-wise it is similar to branded OEM disc: key+cert+marker. Most usual for home computers.

I sound like a wikipedia :S