Recovery after hard disk crash

[RayPooley999]

Hard disk crashed and I used the recovery disks that I made when I bought the machine to install a new HDD.

The problem is that the Windows files on the recovery disk are ancient. 10 years old.

The Win 7 system on the crashed HDD was up to date with Windows Updates.

This is causing problems. For example, I can no longer run Windows Updates from the machine.

I am getting errors associated with the Kernel.ddl files which have 2010 date.

I have the Windows product key from the machine but MS Support won't help because it's assigned to HP.

To add to the problem MS no longer officially supports Win7.

Is there any way I can get an updated Win7 in the form of a recovery disk from HP using my product key?

Or do I need to buy the latest version of Win 7, abeit unsupported by MS, with a new product key?

Is a Win10 upgrade an option?

Has anyone had a similar experience?

Thanks in advance

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

HP no longer has any W7 recovery media for sale.

Here is the link to the W7 Home Premium 64 bit English (US) ISO file (its the only one I have access to). 

The download link will be good for 24 hours from the time of this reply.  Hopefully your PC's OEM product key will work with this retail file.

https://download.microsoft.com/download/E/A/8/EA804D86-C3DF-4719-9966-6A66C9306598/7601.24214.180801...

You will either need to use an 8 GB USB flash drive or a dual layer DVD because this file is the 2018 update, and should solve most of the issues you are having.

You can use the Microsoft tool that I zipped up and attached below that you will need to transfer the ISO file to a USB flash drive so that it is bootable, or you can use a different free utility such as Rufus.

[RayPooley999]

Hello Paul

I read your response when you posted it but for some bizarre reason the system wouldn't let me reply.

Anyway, your respose was great. Got me out of my fix.

Very grateful.

Regards

Ray

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Ray.