Re-installing win 7 from iso. Will my product key work or not?

[dcdc]

My pc came pre-installed with windows 7 home prem OA. I want to wipe my whole computer including the OS using DBAN. I have the correct windows 7 iso ready on a disk but before i wipe the computer i want to ensure that I wont get the following error message once i have entered my product key.

The error message would be something along the lines of.. 'The product key you entered appears to be for software pre-installed by the device manufacturer. Please contact the device manufacturer for software recovery options.'

Is there another way to get back to windows 7 from win 10?

I have a feeling i did the right thing by not jumping straight into the DBAN.. i understand how to use it correctly but i dont want to be stuck without an OS.

please help,

thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

If you have a legible OEM product key that hasn't been used on another PC, then the product key should activate the same version of W7 you install from the ISO file.

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

> before i wipe the computer ...

Do you have a "spare" disk-drive that you can use for "testing" ?

If not, many small "owner/operator" computer-stores will sell you a used disk-drive (40GB to 200GB) for $20 USA.

However, depending on the "age" and "warranty-status" of your current disk-drive, it might be good to purchase a newer/faster/larger-capacity disk-drive, if you think that your plan will be successful.

Disconnect your "good" disk-drive, connect the "test" disk-drive.

Disconnect from the Internet -- disconnect the Ethernet cable, and turn off your wireless router (or the cable-modem-router).

Reinstall Windows.

When it asks for the Product Key, enter it.

Windows can verify that the key is valid for the media that you used, *WITHOUT* connecting to the Internet.

Or, it will IMMEDIATELY generate that error-message, and you will have your answer.

If your product-key "passes" this test, establish an Internet connection, and "activate".

If the Online Activation succeeds, you have your answer.

If it fails, you have your answer.

Note that there should not be a problem "re-activating" after connecting/wiping your current disk-drive, because the "activation" and the "re-activation" will recognize that there is only one "slight" difference -- the size/model of the "current" and "test" disk-drives.  Don't worry.

[dcdc]

Thankyou for your suggestion, I will give it a try.

Just out of curiosity.. what would happen if I were to wipe the computer, re-activate the product key whilst offline but without changing the disk drive?

On this desktop itself I have no need of upgrading the disk drive. I only use this for a bit of browsing whilst at home.

Thanks for the help!

[mdklassen]

> what would happen if I were to wipe the computer, re-activate the product key whilst offline but without changing the disk drive?

You cannot fully "activate" while offline, except by using Microsoft's toll-free telephone-number.

Anyway, there are two outcomes from online activation:

* successful

* fail to activate

In the latter case, your "wallpaper" will change, and you will get "nagging" pop-up windows, telling you to "Get Genuine Windows", and the functionality of Windows might be "crippled".

Also, in the latter case, you had a "genuine" copy of Windows that you wiped-out, to be replaced by a "non-genuine" copy.