Want to clean install Windows 7, I lost my product key.

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Myusername468

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I am planning on wiping my computer, and installing windows on my SSD, is there any way for me to do this without my product key? I currently have windows 10.
 
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Dark Lord of Tech

Dark Lord of Tech

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If you upgraded to ten you don't need to use the 7 key and it's no longer valid.

You reinstall 10 as per below:

Setup a Microsoft Account and link your current PC to it , then backup whatever you want to save and perform a clean install on your new setup and activate it with your Microsoft account from within windows. Skip the key entry during setup and activate it from within windows with the registered Microsoft Account.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10/
Create a USB installer here ^
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4sAhmH_Oo"][/video]
[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ROoOkPWIM"][/video]
 
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atljsf

atljsf

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produkey should give you the same serial key and is free

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html

but yes, when you reinstall win 10, all you have to do is connect to internet and it will be activated if already has digital rights

you don't need the serail key to reinstall if already it has activated after upgrading from windows 10 or installing from clean and using the win 7 serial key the first time
 
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Myusername468

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Myusername468

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Ok, I'm really confused, how do I chose which drive to set up windows on? And don't I need to wipe everything? I have 2 drives a HDD (where windows is installed currently, and my SSD, where I want windows to be.)
 
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SkyNetRising

SkyNetRising

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You can do clean reinstall of windows 10 without a product key.
To reinstall windows 7, you'll need a product key. But since you upgraded to windows 10, windows 7 product key is no longer retrievable from your system.
So ... I guess you'll have to stay with windows 10.
 
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atljsf

atljsf

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if you want windows on the ssd, then install it there but first save whatever you want to save from the old hard disk into an external hard disk and then format the old hard disk when you are installing windows 10

be sure to use any of those tools mentioned to retrieve your serial key if you want to keep it before formatting the old hard disk

the installation process will ask you where to install, select the ssd and install there, be sure to select it, otherwhise you could end up reinstalling win 10 on the old one, it happened to me twice last month :D

the old key and the new one with the digital rights should be together unless he already reinstalled from clean on the old hard disk, if this is a upgrade from 7 to 10, it must be there

but yes, you can't install windows 7 anymore, the license is already only valid for windows 10, won't let you activate windows 7 anymore
 
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SkyNetRising

SkyNetRising

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Disconnect all the other drives and leave only SSD.

 
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Myusername468

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Since I upgraded from Windows 7, I don't have a product key, so what do I do?
 
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atljsf

atljsf

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as mentioned previously, you don't need it if already upgraded to windows 10 via the upgrade program last or this year and you have digital rights already

the mention to recover the serial key is if you really want to have that number with you, you can't do anything with it now but if you want to keep it, keep it with those tools

if it is reporting a generic serial key in windows and internet explorer that ends in 3V66T, you have the digital rights serial key, should be fine then to install, if still shows the old win 7, copy it

there is a paranoic step to force a activation that is download the windows 10 iso creator

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=691209

once you created the iso with that tool, or a usb with the files, inside you will find a tool called gatherosstate.exe in sources folder i think and copy it to your desktop and doubleclick on it, it will create a xml or a html file called genuineticket, don't remember which one, it contains the details of the license you have now for windows 10

copy it somewhere outside that hard disk, then install with that same iso or usb device

at the end of the install, when you have windows 10 and already logged in, if it is not activated, that file created by gatherosstate, the genuineticket can be copied to force windows to understand that it already had a valid license activated

this step is not necesary, possibly not usefull anymore or aleast i haven't needed to use it since last year in september or october but is there as a plan c for those of us that are paranoic and like to have plan b or c or d or whatever, also waste time, mostly the waste of time
 
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JackNaylorPE

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1. Unplug the data cable on all the others when you do install. Can't fudge up w/ isn't connected.

2. Format before installing


Since I upgraded from Windows 7, I don't have a product key, so what do I do?
Click to expand...

As above, Windows Activation should recognize you.

You can retrieve your product key before you wipe the drive using the methods previously referenced.

Recommend this installation procedure (after BIOS Update if not latest):

1. Prepare for Windows installation with USB tool
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool

2. Connect boot drive data cable to lowest numbered SATA port .... but don't connect:
-Ethernet cable
-SATA Data Cable for any other drives

3. Install Windows to boot drive

4. Turn off Windows ability to install Hardware drivers
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/8013-windows-update-
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/82137-drivers-turn-off-automatic-driver-installation.html

5. Install all hardware drivers from original media in boxes See Item 7 below

6. Connect ethernet cable and run Windows Update till it stops doing anything

7. Install latest drivers for ALL hardware from manufacturers web sites. The reason we didn't do this in step 5 is 3 fold:
-Sometimes MoBo CD comes with licensed utilities with product key embedded and these are not on web site versions
-Its advisable to establish a working out of box conditions
-Sometimes newer drivers require latest Windows Updates

If you have a 2nd drive ....

8. Shut down and connect HD data cable to 2nd lowest numbered SATA port.

9. Boot to BIOS and make sure that SSD is the 1st boot device, if not fix it

10. Boot to Windows

 
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M

Myusername468

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Too late, it's okay though, I simply wiped both drives in the windows setup and selected my SSD as the install location and it boots from there.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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You should have disconnected the HDD before you did this install on the SSD.
 
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M

Myusername468

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Well, I didn't, and I'm fine, lucky I guess.
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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As a test...
Power off
Disconnect all drives except the SSD
Power up
Does it boot properly?
 
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