Need Help! I own retail Windows 7, but want to clean install it on a new hd.

[maxxjulie]

How exactly do I do that?  I've spent like 20 minutes searching for this info and can't find an answer.  My understanding is if you buy the retail box of Windows 7, then you can install multiple times as long as it's only on one pc at a time.  I bought a new hard drive for my pc and want to do a clean install, but there is no way to uninstall windows 7.  so what do I do?  

[Tiffanys]

Take out your old hard drive.
Put in your new hard drive.
Put in your Windows 7 CD.
Profit?

[HiddenJumper]

My understanding of windows is that even if he installs it on the new HDD, he will still need to deactivate it on the old one because of the current activation system in W7. I remember I tried it once and it wouldn't let me activate my copy on the other system because of that fact.

I could be wrong *shrugs*

[maxxjulie]

hey you just helped me by using the word deactivate.  i searched using that word and it looks like i'll have to call microsoft to deactivate it on my old hd so i can install it on the new one.  minor pain in the ass, but at least i know a solution now.

[Lonewolf5460]

Do you have the cd key? If so download the matching retail iso off of the pirate bay. (if it is home premium download a retail copy of home premium) I do clean reformat on peoples computers all the time and I avoid the recovery discs. I just take my burned retail disc and use their legit key and it is all good and legal. Best bet since you want a clean install.

If it is a laptop and the sticker is worn off I have a piece of software to read the legit key off of the original install, then I reformat and tuck a piece of paper with the key in the hard drive bay. I can email it to you if you need it.

If you want to never have to do a clean install again use a back up software after you get everything the way you like it make a back up, and in 20 minutes you can be back with a clean install with all you programs and settings the way you like it.

This one is completely free and will do the job
http://redobackup.org/


You dont need to deactivate anything the EULA basically states that an install can only be running on one machine as long as there is one machine broadcasting that key your all good,  never had to deactivate a copy in the hundreds of computers I have fixed and some multiple times a year because well they are that stupid.

[rostheferret]

Wow. See, all I did was crack it. Then again, I never actually bought it in the first place...

*whistles*

[Lonewolf5460]

Lol me neither that is just for my customers.
*whistles*

[Slasha]

I installed a W7 version I got with my old laptop on my desktop PC. I didn't deactivate the old version or something like that, but I had to activate the new installation by phone. Normal activation with just the key wasn't possible, don't ask me why.

[rkruger]

My understanding of windows is that even if he installs it on the new HDD, he will still need to deactivate it on the old one because of the current activation system in W7. I remember I tried it once and it wouldn't let me activate my copy on the other system because of that fact.

I recently re-installed an OEM edition of W7, and no deactivation was required.
Come to think of it, I have never heard/read that explicit deactivation was ever required, do you have a source to confirm this claim?

Normal activation with just the key wasn't possible, don't ask me why.

I think I read somewhere that only 3 activations are possible over the Internet, after that you have to resort to the phone.

[HiddenJumper]

My understanding of windows is that even if he installs it on the new HDD, he will still need to deactivate it on the old one because of the current activation system in W7. I remember I tried it once and it wouldn't let me activate my copy on the other system because of that fact.

Never meant to say it was required, just for my circumstance it wanted me to. I typically crack my W7 except for the one on my main system only because I like to have one legit copy. However when I went to run W7 in bootcamp on my Macbook Air (yes let the jokes out now, Air is a p.o.s, 1st gen model), it ran fine but then I went to install it on my g/fs other laptop and wanted a deactivation.

I was told by my friend's dad, who works for Dell now, that Win7 was installable on 2 machines, one laptop and one desktop (just not two laptops or two desktops) and that is true, just have to do the phone activation with the second computer. When I went to run it on the third machine it wanted the deactivation (obviously), so I just cracked the one on the Mac to get rid of the brodcast code there and installed it on the third one.

[Freedom Kira]

Wait, wait. Tiffanys is right.

The Windows installation is linked to your motherboard, not your hard drive. If you want to install on a new hard drive, you don't need to deactivate it, unless you are changing your motherboard too. Don't waste your time.

[HiddenJumper]

IIRC, Tiffany is half right. OEM versions put a SLIC, or something to that affect, into the motherboard. For example, you buy a HP computer, so when you install the Win7 OEM you got with the computer, if its not being installed on the HP motherboard it won't let you finish the install. I don't believe that full retail copies do this only because they're built for multiple installations on different computers that have different motherboards, just need to deactivate, or somehow, turn off that brodcast signal. Not sure if the brodcast signal is the same coming off the motherboard.

I could easily be wrong as well and would love indepth explanation (or I'll probably just go look it up myself).

[Freedom Kira]

They indeed are (built for multiple installations on different computers), but if you are installing back onto the same mobo, there's no need to deactivate.

When you activate Windows, Microsoft stores your mobo's serial number (don't quote me on that, but it's something like that) into their database, linked to the key. That is the gist of it.

[Lonewolf5460]

Them tying the key to the motherboard is true but I believe they allow 3 or 5  major hardware changes before you have to activate over the phone. Do not quote me on that but I have been through 3 motherboards and activating online has worked.

[NaRu]

there are 2 kinds of windows CDs, upgrade and full install. If you have an upgrade cd then you need your old windows CD to install it on a new HDD. If you have a full install then all you need to do is boot from the CD rom drive and follow the steps.