Legal Download from DigitalRiver: Windows 7 SP1, 13 languages

If you did on computers with IDE drives, it's normal that you never ran into this problem. If you used the manufacturer's recovery discs, they were likely already where they needed to be to avoid issues for customers.

 

For USB 3.0, not all the controllers have ability to fall back to legacy 2.0 mode (or some portion of it, oddly enough) outside of an OS.
So your mileage may vary.

.....

Have you tried integrating the USB 3.0 drivers in your install media?

 

I think we can continue in his thread now..

It was never fixed in the SPs. Many computers had IDE, and almost all SATA computers could run in legacy mode.
However, if you used SATA native mode, a stock XP CD and didn't have a driver floppy (USB didn't work) you couldn't start the installation.

 

Hi Mats,
Thank you for this thread; very interesting & useful.
I have downloaded and burnt the ISO. I used DVD and the internal DVD drive to install it. I also tried external DVD drive connectet with the laptop via USB. In both cases soon after starting W7 installation I got message: '...
A required CD/DVD drive device is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD or USB flash drive, please insert it now...'; I have a DVD (bought it from ebay) 'Ultimate Drivers Pack for Windows XP/Vista/Win7, but I don't know where to find the required drivers. Can you provide some help with this, please?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...uired-cd-dvd-device-driver-missing-error.html

Read thru that thread and you have all the info needed to fix it.

 

If you're using a USB 3.0 port when installing Windows 7 you need to add drivers to the installer.
I still haven't succeeded in just loading the drivers when they're asked for.

Below are the instructions for adding AMD drivers, but it works the same way for other brands.
You need to pick the either 32 or 64 bit drivers, and integrate the .inf files using DISM.
The name of the .inf files depends on which brand you're using.

Here are most USB 3.0 drivers available (second row): Station-Drivers

I have no explanation for why this wouldn't work, sorry. My last post is only helpful if you're using a USB 3.0 port.

 

It's equally helpful. Bigger problem is the installers error message, it does not specify what is the missing driver

Chipset driver probably, what is the laptop make/model? Could hdd controller be on the raid setting?

 

Yes, you're right. It works for all drivers, and the issue here is probably a missing driver, it's just not a USB driver. Forgot about that.

 

I have a laptop that needs a repair installation. I am downloading the Pro ISO to make it a universal Win7 install disc. I am needing to do a repair install on a Home Premium 64 machine. Does it let you choose version when doing a repair install?

 

No, it's not possible, and not needed I guess. It just repairs the installed version.

 

Hi. There's something about this I don't understand.

If I'm reading the first several posts in this thread correctly (I admit haven't read all 213 of them), it seems that these are links to ISOs that are available for download by anyone, but that the downloads can only be used if you've got a valid product key (which I do in fact have.) Is that correct?

When I go to the link in the first post, it takes me to a page with a list of Windows 7 versions, and buttons for product keys and for downloading. When I click either of those it asks me to sign in. As it turns out, I have an account there, but after I sign in, the page now indicates that there are no subscriptions associated with my account, and I am offered a link to where I can add a subscription to the account.

That takes me to a page where I can "activate my subscription," where it asks for a Subscriber ID. And I have no idea what that is: When I put in the *user* ID I just used to sign into MS, it's not recognizing it.

It's possible that it is recognizing a more general Microsoft account that I have, that I use for forum support, though I believe at one time I had registered at MSDN for something or other.

Adding to my confusion is that the 32-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium that I already own was originally purchased through Digital River, who were handling a special Microsoft ISO download offer about 4 years ago (coincidentally this new years eve, to be exact) for people with a .edu address. So I downloaded a full retain version, and received a valid 25-digit key, for $29.95.

But although I have the order confirmation emails, there is no record of that transaction that I'm able to find through any of the links I'm finding at MSDN. But the two things -- my purchase back then, and the downloads this thread is about -- are probably two completely different things.

So I'm kind of lost here. What exactly do I need in order to download one of these ISOs. I'm hoping to download the 64-bit version, and use my existing product key... which might not be valid, but I thought it was worth a shot, since retail versions typically contain both 32 and 64 bit disks.

Can anyone clarify this for me?

Thanks!

 

Yes that is correct, the thread provides the ISO's only. No product keys or OEM information are added so you will need this information yourself to proceed with the installation and to fully activate the product.

The same product key can be used in either 32 bit or 64 bit of that particular version, so for example if you have a product key for the 32 bit version of Home Premium you can use the same key when you install the 64 bit version of Home Premium.

 

Thank you thank you thank you. That was exactly the clarification I was looking for... and the answer I was hoping for. I was only looking in that first link.

So now I've downloaded Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit, and used the the key from my 32 bit, and I'm now knee deep in setting up Windows the way I like it. There's something about that new Windows smell I've always liked. I was on the verge of buying it online, a download only version, for $63. So this was a real find.

Yay!. :smile:

 

I downloaded the Home Premium x64 version and burnt the ISO to a DVD disk. After 21% an error message came up "Windows cannot install required files. The file may be corrupt or missing. Error code 0x80070017"

So I tried installing x32 version but that was worse. It said "BOOTMGR Missing" so I could not even start the installation.

Anyone has similar problems or can advise please !

 

Use a USB flash drive instead (if your computer has USB 2.0 ports).

 

The files are back online. Don't hesitate, download now!

I'm getting 12 MB/s download speed which is my speed limit, did it use to be that fast?

 

No longer available. I'm upgrading my T440s Thinkpad to an SSD and would like to perform a clean install with an ISO (I have a COA key that came with my laptop). Anyone have a copy of the Win 7 Pro 64 bit ISO?

 

The links are working for now.

 

Thanks for the heads up... Downloading now...

 

Hi,

I'm at a loss as to why I cannot install the Windows 7 ISO Pro from a USB pen drive on my newly wiped desktop computer (used Active Killdisk for this purpose).

I have previously been having some trouble with another laptop (Toshiba) that was able to start the Windows 7 iso from the USB pen drive but for some odd reason was unable to finish the install because it seemed that it was one of those drives with some extra built-in functionality. (See also this post... http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows-os-software/604187-legal-download-digitalriver-windows-7-sp1-13-languages-17.html#post9401766).

I now have been trying to install the Windows 7 Pro iso downloaded from this forum post in vain by using up all the features described under the section "PREPARE".

Here is what I have tried..

1. Downloaded and ran the "Microsoft Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool" which wouldn't accept the downloaded iso (maybe because it is not genuine?).

2. Downloaded and ran "Unetbootin" and although it seemed to finish (no confirmation pop-up message nor any failure was shown), when booting from the USB pen drive the message after initiating the correct boot-up sequence in BIOS stated: "An operating system wasn't found. Try disconnecting any drives that don't contain an operating system. Press any key to restart (and then also something like "Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE to restart)." I was using NTFS first and did have VirtualCloneDrive installed on the machine I am using now but with the same error message as the outcome (I also tried with FAT32 just to be sure as well but without success).

3. Downloaded and ran the WinSetupFromUSB 1.0 beta 7. Then ticked the box for Vista/7/Server 2008 - Setup/PE/RecoveryISO, selected button on right to find the ISO. Couldn't select/nor see the ISO file during that step so just put the file in a new folder on the desktop and selected that folder. Hereafter I received the following error message: "Folder BOOT or SOURCES could not be found. RETRY to select another source or CANCEL to return to the main menu" with buttons retry and cancel.

I then searched a bit for the possible cause of the error message mentioned under step 2 and found this: http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/710380-tutorial-how-reformat-do-clean-install-windows-8-samsung-series-9-laptops-3.html#post9212172

I am aware of that there is a mention of Windows 8 but I assume that the issue described here is identical to the one I am having. In post #27 in this thread the poster states furthermore that the issue seemed the USB pen drive. I am having a suspicion that this could be the cause as previously when running into the trouble with the Toshiba laptop issue. The USB pen drive I am using now is very similar to this one (only that it has a blue color and holds about 7 GB but else the same design) 8GB Store 'n' Go® USB Drive: Everyday USB Drives - USB Drives | Verbatim and as can be seen under "Features & Benefits" also here is a mention of some extra USB functionality described as "Password security feature protects sensitive data with a privacy zone available for download".

I am thinking that it could be the extra features of the USB pen drive but I wanted to hear some advice from the good folks in here before I start looking for another ordinary pen drive.

Any input is highly appreciated and if there is need to run things through again or try different approaches I am more than willing to follow the advice and steps given to get there. It is possible that I have been overlooking something.

The desktop computer meets the requirements for running Windows 7 Pro by the way. Until the wipe of the drive it ran XP and the BIOS was flashed right before using the latest file for the motherboard (no problem whatsoever running XP after that!). The flashing of BIOS was done since the DVD-drive wasn't recognized but the effect is the same which means that the board is unable to recognize nor use the drive. That goes for the BIOS and Windows. Apart from that the three steps described above were all tried out on a machine running Windows 8 if this should be of any interest.

As a special note I can point out that - when googling the error message under step 2 - there was a mention in another forum that the term "Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE" indicates a Microsoft related problem since this only works with Windows. Maybe it's not the USB pen drive after all...?

Hoping to hear some solution to the error message under step 2 that is now consistently received when trying to boot the ISO.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

@safesite: If your computer was delivered with Win8, that means it is running in UEFI mode on a GPT-partitioned disk (as opposed to the good old Legacy BIOS mode running on an MBR-partitioned disk). UEFI can only boot from FAT32, not NTFS. Unless you change from UEFI mode back to Legacy BIOS mode (usually called CSM in BIOS settings) you will NOT be able to boot a USB flash drive created with the Microsoft ISO/USB creation tool, because it formats the flash drive as NTFS. The post here describes some alternatives.

If you DO switch from UEFI mode to Legacy BIOS (CSM) mode, note that you will have to convert your disk to MBR partition style, which will wipe all partitions on it.

The post here has more info on this subject, including links to some good articles from Microsoft.

The Samsung Series 9 tutorial you found, while technically correct, has caused quite a few headaches for members in the Samsung forum, because it ignores these considerations.

This Win7 install guide was written specifically to take into account those users who downgrade from Win8 and need to convert their disks and change their BIOS settings. It is still primarily targeting Samsung laptops, but the general principles apply broadly.

I apologize if you already knew all this; or if your computer was delivered with Win7 or WinXP, in which case these UEFI/GPT vs BIOS/MBR issues don't apply. I do note you said you ran WinXP before this, so maybe it's a completely different issue you are seeing

 

I've recently had good experience with Rufus.

Have you tried redownloading the ISO file, maybe it is corrupted? Can you mount/open it to see if it works in windows.

 

Hi Dannemand,

and thanks for your fast reply and the advice given.

Firstly I have to clarify a misunderstanding that probably arose due to me not expressing myself clear enough.

The above three approaches were tried out using a laptop running Windows 8 in order to prepare the USB pen drive for the install of Windows 7 Pro on the wiped desktop machine that previously ran XP. The laptop with Windows 8 thus runs UEFI. However the desktop machine runs an American Megatrend BIOS (the motherboard is called ASUS P5K).

My bad and apologies. I hope this clears up the misunderstanding. ;-)

Also there is a new development in relation to the third step using the WinSetupFromUSB 1.0 beta 7 tool. I went back to the drawing board and tried to approach/see the problem from different angle. I figured that I might have misunderstood the way that the ISO was mounted correctly since I assumed this was already the case/automatically done by VirtualCloneDrive when the file showed the icon for that program. However I then right-clicked and mounted the file "for real" and this time used the tool to add the files directly from the mounted virtual drive. THIS little change of plans was finally working out,

I can now insert the pen drive into the desktop computer, change the boot sequence with F8 to "USB Verbatim Store" and start the pen drive. However when doing so I am briefly entering the GRUB4DOS (green screen) for a few seconds after which the next screen shows the "Windows Boot Manager".

Then there is a message stating...


"Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.
2. Choose your language settings, and then click "Next".
3. Click "Repair your computer".

If you do not have this disc, contact your system administrator or computer manufacturer for assistance.

Status: 0x000000f

Info: The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible."

Enter=Continue Escape=Exit


Any thoughts on this one...?

 

@safesite: Thank you for the update. Indeed, if the computer you are installing on is an older XP machine without UEFI (or UEFI disabled) then you can disregard my last post.

I would definitely follow KLF's advice as the first thing: Make sure you have a good download of the ISO (otherwise there is no end to the number of problems you can experience). Then create the USB stick with Rufus (although Microsoft's ISO/USB tool should be OK for a non-UEFI installation).

Alternatively burn a DVD instead. It will eliminate a lot of potential booting and installation issues.

 

Microsoft's tool should work, I just wonder if it has some built in checksums to identify/create from only official ISO files. That could be the reason it refuses to create usb from the (corrupted?) ISO file and why the other usb sticks created from that same file fail.

I just like Rufus, since it's simple and it lets me create all other kinds of discs from iso images too (office, hiren's, recovery discs...).

 

If the MS tool refuses to install, that's your lead.

The ISO may be corrupt, as suggested. Install HashCheck, left click the ISO, go to Properties, then Checksums tab, and compare the value with the one at MS (second link). Choose the correct ISO at MS!

HashCheck Shell Extension

MSDN Subscriber Downloads

Only use USB ports at the back of the computer, and try different ones. Do not use those in the front of the computer, or in your monitor/keyboard/USB hub.

You can also try to boot the USB drive on some other computer just to make sure it's working.
(Just remember that W7 doesn't have USB 3.0 drivers included, so you can't install from a USB 3.0 port (usually blue). This is not a problem if you're only trying to boot it, of course.)

MSs tool recognizes modified ISOs, or rather modified WIMs. You can remove ei.cfg without it complaining, but once you start altering a WIM it won't copy to the USB drive.

Can Rufus store and use more than one Windows ISO like Easy2Boot?

 

Splendid! Outstanding! Absolutely excellent! :thumbsup:

It works! Your advice was spot on!

I am just about finished with the install.

First I used Rufus with the previously downloaded iso file but it failed at start up. Then after a new download of the iso and using Rufus it worked first time.

You did it Dannemand!

Thanks so much for your help, time and effort. So appreciated! :thumbsup:

Seems like that it wasn't the fault of the USB pen drive after all. Just either a bad download and/or the different choice of tool to create the bootable USB.

So grateful! Hope this helps others if they should be running into the very same issue.

And that Windows 7 Pro looks soooooooooo great on a 23" flat screen.


By the way..., the DVD-drive of the desktop machine didn't work. It hasn't done so for a long time. Neither does it now with Windows 7 Pro. It's probably due to a junk design of the ASUS motherboard. So there was only the USB option left anyhow. But never mind that now. The story had a "happy ending" after all!

 

Good to hear!

If neither the MS tool nor Rufus worked then it was most likely a corrupt file.

 

@Mats
Yep, I too think that this was the most likely cause.

Thanks to you too Mats for putting all the time and effort into this post.

You guys rock...! :thumbsup:

Thanks!

 

Is there anything like this for Windows 8/8.l1???

 

HERE

10char

 

Thanks and + rep

 

Apologies in advance, this is a really big thread and I could not manage to read too many posts.

I have a Thinkpad with COA attached however I cannot find Windows 7 Professional ISO. The links provided are dead and show me Office 2013 download page. I am sure many people might have posted this question however, can someone help me with Windows 7 Pro ISO where I could use the OEM Keys?

 

It is now done on a one for one basis at;

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

 

That doesn't accept OEM keys. @Marcopolo111 I suggest you Google for alternate sources and make sure you do a hash check on the ISO.

 

With the TOS we can not here discuss obtaining the media or ISO other than by methods allowed by the OEM of the software or hardware distributor.

 

If your ThinkPad is under warranty, you can contact Lenovo and have them sell you a set of recovery disks - this works if you're in U.S. or Canada. For other locations, you can contact Lenovo and they'll provide the recovery media through a third-party channel.

You can also post a WTB ad on TPF and I'm certain that someone could help you out with obtaining a recovery disk set.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewforum.php?f=11

Good luck.