Share: How to Install Windows 7 Without the Disc

1a) Here is very useful article from PCWorld.com. The article is entitled "How to Install Windows 7 Without the Disc" and means just what it says. The article also has links to Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder and legitimate Windows 7 ISOs from Digital River, a licensed distributor of Microsoft software. The article lists "Step 1" as; 

"Find your Windows 7 product key: Typically this 25-character alphanumeric string is printed on a sticker affixed to your PC or on documentation included with your PC. Alternatively, you can use a keyfinder program such as Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to pull your product key from the Registry. You need your product key to reinstall Windows." 

1b) Using a key finder, however, is only useful if the Windows 7 product key was printed on a sticker (Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity) affixed to your PC, on documentation included with your PC, or sent via email by Microsoft. Assuming your computer came from one of the big brand computer manufacturers... HP, Sony, Dell, Gateway, etc... as most do, it uses a generic "mass activation" OEM SLP key. Trying to use this key by itself isn't going to work. This OEM SLP key needs to be mated with an OEM SLP certificate and an appropriate OEM BIOS with a proper SLIC table. 

1c) Here is where ABR Beta With Windows 7 Support comes to the rescue. Follow the "How to use it" section of ABR for Windows Vista for information and instructions on how to use ABR. The steps listed for Vista apply to Windows 7 as well. Perform the "activation backup" to "backup" and save the OEM SLP key and OEM SLP certificate. Save the entire ABR folder to an external location for later use. This will allow you to pre-activate your "clean" Windows 7 install on the computer you pulled the key and certificate from. 

1d) Now install Windows 7 from your new "Windows 7" disc or USB stick, following all prompts as needed. Don't enter a Windows 7 product key if request. Also, don't allow Windows to try to auto-activate. Once Windows is fully installed, run ABR "activation restore" to "restore" the previously backed up product key and certificate to the new Windows 7 install. Verify that Windows is activated, repeat "activation restore" if needed. 

2) Here is another useful article, this time from SevenForums.com. This arcticle is entitled "Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7" and provides detailed steps required to backup your computer, audit current hardware and software, locate software and drivers, install and activate Windows 7, and create a Windows 7 Backup Image of your fresh install. 

More Reading. 

Links to additional Windows 7 SP1 "Editions" and "Languages" can be found HERE and HERE. 

Link to "ei.cfg Removal Utility". The "ei.cfg Removal Utility" is a simple tool that will remove the ei.cfg from any Windows ISO disc image, thereby converting the image into a "universal disc" that will prompt the user to select an edition during setup instead of being forced to use different discs for different versions of Windows 7. 

Direct link to Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool. 

From: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Operating-Systems-Software-Recovery/How-to-Install-Windows-7-Without-the-Disc/td-p/2598505