Unusual request!! Need to "Borrow" a "FULL" Windows 7 Pro KEY to download Win 7 from Microsoft

[OverblownMargin]

Hi community. Have strange request which has been forced on me by Microsofts rules/servers

I want to do fresh install of WIN 7 Pro 64 bit on SAME computer and have only a OEM Key for that computer. 

Problem is, Microsoft's download page only allows you to download 7 if you type in a "full" key of what you are asking for. A Valid working OEM key , replies back "contact your administrator" for repair ect

So i spent a hour on the phone with a real Microsoft person and explained they ARE still supporting win 7 by offering the Win 7 program but wont accept a oem key and also she said the servers shouldnt be updating win 7 computers now, (updates)  but they are for mine??

Also she said A OEM key can only be activated ONCE on same machine?motherboard, but i told her i reinstalled lots of oem computers and the servers accept and ok the keys and you are running again. So does Microsoft know what their servers are doing still supporting Win 7??

Anyway i told them you are forcing me to "borrow"a full key  to download the Win 7 program and then i will install and activate using MY OEM key as normal. She sort of mumbled and said "we dont support 7" again and i gave up and hung up.

So i need to Borrow a Win 7 PRO 64 bit FULL key to ONLY download legally from Microsofts own download site and then i destroy the key . You can email/mesg me provately so no one else sees it.

I have used my own win 7 home 32 bit FULL key to do this before but i need a Pro 64 bit this time and i only have tons of oem keys for pro.

Sorry for weird request but its their policies and ignorance" and i told them this is not helping making the paid customer feel good. She didnt have a reply except dont ask me anymore about win 7, we dont support it!! ??????  hmm happy customer!! 

The downoload link is below if you want to check it out for yourself.  The key is only used to for download and is unaffected.and i dont need it after. The key is unnaffected, they just need see you have valid FULL key before download. 

Thanks for anyone who can help out as i only need to get copy of the updated win 7 program to keep for next time too and Many here should get it before they really "stop supporting Win7"!! haha  You can still get the program and service pack from their sites but the program need a valid full key, so why not the SP1 too FOR the program??  strange logic..

Hers the download link and it asks for a valid full key 

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

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Here is the link to the W7 Pro 64 bit English US ISO file.   The link will be good for 24 hours from the time of this reply.

This is the updated W7 Pro ISO file which is too large to fit on a standard DVD.  You would need a dual layer writable DVD if you need to use a disk.

https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/6/3/06365375-C346-4D65-87C7-EE41F55F736B/7601.24214.180801...

You can use the tool that I zipped up and attached below 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.

The OEM key should work with this file.

[OverblownMargin]

Thanks Paul, i dont know where you got that link, but i am downloading it now and its big 5.5 GB?. Yeah i wasnt putting it to disk anyway as thats as old as floppies now and these downloads are to big to fit on a single disk side.  i like using  Rufus to make up a bootable USB stick and all good.  Many thanks as my Key idea was as good as i could come up with lateral thinking to get around this silliness! haha

"not supported anymore" well they certainly have a weird way of showing that with updated downloads and SP1's and other stuff to keep Win 7 going???  although they say OEM Keys wont reinstall same machine, but the servers see the keys and accept as the MB is already registered from before, so whatever, as long as i can keep 7 going a bit longer and i using 10 now as they keep pushing that hard even with free upgrades with a valid 7 key or 8.

Thanks again

Tim.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Tim.

Microsoft used to allow anyone to download the various W7 ISO files, and discontinued the program when two inside factions within the organization went back and forth regarding OEM and Retail.

The 'wrong' side won the argument.  Their premise being that OEM keys were being illegally used on other PC's, and by discontinuing the open downloads of the ISO files would greatly reduce that illegal practice.

I have lots of Windows operating systems but no full retail versions of W7 Pro.

I have retail W7 Pro upgrades and once tried to enter one of the keys in the link you posted and it wouldn't take it.

Fortunately, with the advent of W8 and Activation 3.0, product keys are now in the BIOS which prevents the OEM keys from being used on other PC's, and you can freely download W8.1 and W10 ISO files from Microsoft to your heart's content.

W8 is not available for download, but I have a process where you can install W8.1 by using the W8 product key in the PC's BIOS.

[OverblownMargin]

Yes, i thought it be something like that of making sure you have a "full" key. my only counter crgument to their think is NOW, they dont support win 7 and thus revenues not consideration? so why dont they just allow free simple download for past customers to keep them (me) happy even if a few pirates use them but they already have all the stuff they need to do what they do generally so small compared to the big picture. 

you know Linus offers so much flavours including Windows look alikes (mint?) , so they should try to keep their customers happy and HELP when we bother to ring them and waste a hour going in circles! hmm

Anyway have one more question which you would be able to answer but may be required to be shifted to another forum if not.

I am only user and admin on my computer BUT over time, i see a few users (variations of me) under "users" in C drive

It shows 30GB under that folder. Do multiple users even sharing all the same info as its only me on this computer ever, use up space with duplications?  as i would like to have everything under me only but permissions and security and "full control" ect gets a bit messy . Can i do a bulk change one command to keep every file but get rid of all other users and save some HD space and simplify. this may require a complex messy answer too, so maybe not be too simple to fix

Thanks

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Unfortunately, that I wouldn't know.

I only have one user.

Once in a blue moon, I see a second user profile with a ~ after it and I delete that user profile.

But I have never seen more than one user of me and the occasional one with the ~.

[OverblownMargin]

So, how can i be sure of deleting the corrects ones and not me as only user (admin? can i right click ect to work out which ones to delete?

Tim

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to help you with that.

I have one user account, and anytime that second one would show up, I deleted it, since I knew which one was safe to delete.

[OverblownMargin]

Thats ok, i will do backups then tackle it . Thanks for all the other stuff and its always a learning things on these forums even 

after doing so many  installs and changes, theres so many helpful programs and tweaks to learn. as windows changes.

see you around.

Tim.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Anytime.

Glad to have been of assistance.