Replacing Windows 10 with Windows 7.

[GreatScott]

I hated Windows 10 (64 bit Home) when it came installed on my new HP Pavilion laptop, so I went down to bare metal on the hard disk and replaced all software with Linux Mint and associated applications. It works great.

However, I am thinking of giving the machine to my brother, who fears Linux and wants Windows 7 (Home 64 bit) installed.

Accordingly, I need HP either to mail me a bootable Windows 7 disc (+key) or to send me a valid key for downloading an ISO image of windowns 7 from the relevant Microsoft website.

Unftunately I do not have the Windows 10 key.  I bought my machine directly from HP in January 2016, so you can check this is not a software fraud scheme.

[ichi730 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

If you purchased the machine directly from hp store with windows 10 on it (originally) and asking HP to give you a windows 7 product key or installation disk.. They wont do that. Instead, purchased an installer of windows 7 standalone from retail stores and install it manually.

Additional info for your brother:

End of life support per Operating System from Microsoft

https://support.microsoft.com/en-ph/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet

Regards,

ichi

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi, @GreatScott

I will add that the W10 product key is in your notebook's BIOS, and if you decide not to purchase W7, you can reinstall W10 for free at any time by using the W10 media creation tool at the link below.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You will have the option of creating a bootable W10 installation flash drive, or to save an ISO file which you can burn to a DVD using your DVD burner's burn ISO file option.

The W10 product key in the BIOS will automatically work with the W10 software.

Then go to your notebook's support and driver page to install the drivers and available software you need,

[GreatScott]

Paul: 

Thanks very much for your reply. 

I understand that Windows keys are encoded in the Registry. Is this not also the case with the key shown in the BIOS?

Disappointed that HP will not give me a key for Windows 7 in view of the fact that I bought the laptop directly from the HP Store.

In the quote good old days unquote when you bought a new computer you also got the full version of the OS on a disc.  I hate restore partitions, which take up hard drive space and usually also contain junk software. 

Best Regards, GreatScott

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

My understanding is the key isn't in the windows registry anymore, as it is in the BIOS.

And if it is in the registry, it would be the same key as the one in the BIOS.

Unless your PC came with W10 Pro, no one has downgrade rights to W7.

In other words, there are no downgrade rights from W10 Home to W7 Home.

It has always been that way.  Only Pro gets downgrade rights.

I have attached the downgrade rights info from Microsoft below.

If your PC came with W10 pro, perhaps you could ask HP to send you a set of W7 pro recovery disks for your PC.