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The notebook came with a hardware recover DVD. Booting this DVD brings the harddisk to the factory state. That is, it erases all data and installs Windows 7.

But, I need to install Windows 7 into a particular partition, leaving the rest of the harddisk untouched. Obviously I can't do that with the hardware recover DVD provided.

However, since I have a valid Windows 7 Prem Home OA license I was wondering if Microsoft provides installation medium for download. Does Microsoft provide Windows 7 installation medium for download?

If they don't, what options are there to install Windows 7 into a separate partition?

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  • Which version of windows 7 does factory setting install? (That is home basic, home premium, ....)
    – Siva Charan
    Jan 28, 2012 at 12:40
  • Windows 7 Prem Home OA
    – ritter
    Jan 28, 2012 at 12:57

2 Answers 2

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For your first questions: Does Microsoft provide Windows 7 installation medium for download?

From Microsoft's website: How to replace Microsoft software or hardware, order service packs, and replace product manuals

For your second question; it sounds like you're attempting to use the recorvery disks to reinstall Windows into a specific partiation on a hard drive.

Usually those OEM restore partiations were setup with a sepecific type of partition mapping and will by default go back to those settings. Probably not what you want. If you can get a replacement windows disk, you can use the partiation tools located in the setup to create a new partition for your installation and target the setup there. You can also use a third party partition tool to do custom partitioning of your hard drive and then install your operating system there. Once you start partitioning out your drive you then have the ability to do dual booting and seperating your data (documents, photos, etc) from the actual operating system.

Good luck, and hope this helps some.

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You can't use an oem licence with retails DVDs, you can only download retail copies which won't work with your key, the only way is to buy another copy of windows or use the manufacturers dvd

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  • This was true for Windows XP but I don't know if this still holds for windows Vista/7. It's certainly worth a try.
    – ZippyV
    Jan 28, 2012 at 13:32
  • Microsoft seems to only offer to purchase Windows. No option to download any retail disks.
    – ritter
    Jan 28, 2012 at 14:33
  • Why the downvotes ? :-S , You can get a 90 day evaluation of windows 7 iso off the Microsoft website, this is the retail version minus the retail key, if you have a retail key put it in and job done, Digital River also offer legal iso downloads also. I think you should do some research yourself before downvoting other people !.
    – Iain Simpson
    Feb 1, 2012 at 9:24
  • Also I know for a FACT that retail dvd's dont work with oem keys on Windows 7.
    – Iain Simpson
    Feb 1, 2012 at 10:02

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