How do I get an OS (Windows 7 Home Premium) and related files to replace the failed hard drive?

[John254]

Hard drive died. Ordered a new one (it's in the mail). Need to get the OS and drivers for a HP Pavilion dv6-6110us. HP seems not to have them. When I entered the Serial Code from the battery compartment, HP comes up with a completely different model. (Trust me, I checked it three times!)

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

HP no longer sells recovery media for that model series.

You can still order recovery media from this non-HP vendor.

http://www.computersurgeons.com/p-21282-windows-7-64b-recovery-kit-656000-002-for-hp-pavilion-entert...

You can also try making your own plain W7 installation media if you can still read all 25 characters of the W7 product key on your PC's case.

Click on the Windows ISO Downloader.exe link to download the tool to create the W7 ISO file download.

Select the W7 COEM ISO file download version for the product key the OS is good for, which is the OEM operating system ISO file.

https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-downl...

I have zipped up and attached the Microsoft utility below, that will allow you to either put the file on a USB flash drive or burn it to a DVD.

Then you can install the drivers and available software you need from your PC's support page.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-Pavilion-dv6-Entertainment-Notebook-PC-series/5082212/model/...

If the Microsoft tool doesn't work, use this free DVD burning software to burn the ISO file to a DVD.

 Select the "Burn ISO file option."

https://download.cdburnerxp.se/minimal/7b1d3f1c92da1744ad23a5b4a7c8c811/5bf4ab4b/cdbxp_setup_4.5.8.7...

Burn it at the slowest speed you can.

[John254]

First, let me thank you for your help. It is very greatly appreciated.

To this point I believe that I have (following your directions) created a Windows 7 Installation Disk on DVD. The only problem encountered was with the link to the "burner" program...which seems to not be there as I got a "404" error message. In lieu of that, I used the CD burner on the computer I was using. I had the program successfully "verify" the disk after it had been burned.

Until the new SSD hard drive arrives early next week, I cannot be certain that it will actually work. My hope is that it will, and that this time Microsoft will allow my Certificate of Autorization code to be applied. (Microsoft declined to allow me to burn the Windows 7 Installation Disk and directed me to check with HP because the software had apparently been installed on my laptop by the manufacturer...HP.  Which is how we wound up here.)

By the way, I did happen to find a site which claims to have all of the drivers for the dv6-6110us available for free download.

https://www.getdriver.com/notebook/1862/hp-pavilion-dv6-6110us-drivers-windows-7-32-bit-64-bit.html

Hopefully these will work, too.

If all goes well, the next problem(s) could be recovering some files from the dead hard drive. But, we will deal with that issue later should it become necessary.

Thank you, again.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

Sorry the link was bad.

You could test booting from the dvd you made and see what happens, or test it on a working PC and cancel out of the installation. 

You'd have to go a couple of steps into the process before W7 would install.

Even if the hard drive is bad, the PC should boot from the DVD.

That way at least you will know that the disk you made will work.

As long as the product key was never used on another PC, windows 7 should activate using the key on your PC's case.

Microsoft used to allow the direct downloading of the W7 ISO files without even entering a product key, but for some reason they quit.

I think that is because of so many folks using the OEM product key on other PC's to install W7 for free, which is a violation of the OEM software licensing rules.

For example...I have a PC that came with W7 and it died, and I had another model PC with Windows Vista.

I install W7 on the Vista PC using the W7 product key from my dead PC's case.  This is not allowed.