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For years, Microsoft allowed us to download Windows 7 ISOs through their content delivery partner, Digital River. On February 2015, the company decided to take those links down. Thankfully, there are a couple of ways to download Windows 7 ISOs, legally and for free, either by using Torrents or a free app that provides links straight from Microsoft.
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Table of Contents
Why do we need to download Windows 7
Many of us bought our copy of Windows 7 pre-installed with a new desktop or laptop PC. More often than not, though, the box didn't contain a full Windows 7 DVD.
Usually, we would get a 'recovery disk' or a recovery partition, to reinstate the operating system to its default settings. But this would also restore all the third-party bloatware and crapware the manufacturers include. Remember Superfish?
The ability to download Windows 7 ISOs is essential for anyone who wants a clean Windows installation for their PC. It is also handy if we misplaced, lost, or destroyed our original disk.
How is it legal to download a Windows 7 ISO?
When we buy a copy of Windows 7, we don't get a special installation DVD. Every DVD of a particular version - e.g. Windows 7 Home Premium x864 or Windows 7 Professional x64 - is identical to all the others.
What we buy is the unique 25-character product key. We will find it as a sticker on the retail Windows 7 DVD case. Or, with pre-installed Windows, stuck underneath our laptop and on the side of the PC tower.
With this product key, we can install Windows 7 using any disk of the corresponding version. No matter where we got the Installation DVD, we will end up with legally activated Windows 7 on our PC.
We can even download Windows 7 as an ISO from the shadiest torrent site. As long as we are using our genuine product key, the Windows installation will be 100% legal.
Where can I find the Windows 7 product key?
If our Windows 7 PC didn't have Windows preinstalled and doesn't have a sticker, we can use special applications to get the Windows 7 product key.
Some apps will even work in cases where we can't boot into Windows, as long as the hard drive is functional.
Just check out our guide on how to find the Windows product key.
Microsoft giveth, Microsoft taketh away
Even though it would work, downloading Windows 7 from questionable sources is never a good idea. For all we know, the ISO could contain a host of malware: rootkits, trojans, keyloggers; you name it.
That's why it was a big deal that Microsoft allowed us to download Windows 7 as an ISO through Digital River. We could download Windows 7 and be sure that the ISO was clean and untampered.
And then, in early February 2015, Microsoft decided to take down the Digital River ISOs, for good. Sure, they have set up the Microsoft Software Recovery website, the 'official' way to download Windows 7.
However, to download Windows 7 through this site, we need the product key of a store-bought, retail version of Windows.
In case we have a desktop or laptop computer with pre-installed Windows 7, we own an OEM Windows 7 License. And Microsoft's website, for reasons unknown, won't let us download Windows 7 ISOs with a valid OEM product key.
So, as OEM owners, what are we supposed to do? Steal a disk? Beg friends and strangers for a Windows 7 DVD?
According to Microsoft, we should order a physical replacement disk, wait a couple of weeks for the delivery, and pay the shipping and handling fees. Not exactly an ideal solution.
The clean ways to download a Windows 7 ISO
The good news is that whatever goes up on the Internet, never really goes away - for better or for worse.
The German mirror http://mirror.corenoc.de/ has done an exceptional job gathering the Digital River ISOs and uploading them as torrent files. They have all the different English versions and even a few in other languages.
Download Windows 7 Torrent
To download Windows 7 using a torrent file, we will need a torrent client. In the example, we will be using the popular torrent client qBittorrent.
Any torrent client will work, though, such as uTorrent / μTorrent or BitComet. So, if you already have a torrent client, you don't need to install qBittorrent.
With a torrent client installed, we only need to download our preferred version's torrent file:
The torrent file is just a few kilobytes in size, and it will download immediately.
Please note that the MD5 Checksums and SHA-1 Hashes refer to the Windows 7 ISO, not the torrent file.
How to use the torrent file
With a correctly installed Torrent client, we just need to double-click on the torrent file, which will start the application and will ask us where to download the ISO file.
Depending on our internet speed, and the available seeders, the ISO file should download in a few minutes.
How can I trust that the Windows 7 ISO is clean?
As we mentioned earlier, downloading Windows 7 from questionable sources is never a good idea. So, since a random German mirror site isn't exactly a reputable source, how can we be 100% confident that these ISOs are clean and safe?
Fortunately, Microsoft can help with that. You see, these ISOs are the same ISOs we could download if we had an MSDN subscription. And Microsoft provides the SHA-1 checksum for the ISOs downloaded by MSDN subscribers.
We just need to visit this page, where we will find the relevant information for all the Windows 7 ISOs.
We just need to look for the version we downloaded using the torrent file, and click on 'Details'. For the example, we will be using Windows 7 Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (x64).
- Ignore the Product Keys and Download buttons; they won't work without a 1000$+ MSDN subscription -
We know that we have the correct version from the ISO filename.
To confirm that the ISO we downloaded is 100% clean, we just need to compare Microsoft's SHA-1 checksum with the ISO file's checksum.
For this, we will use the free MD5 & SHA Checksum Utility.
This app requires the .NET Framework 3.5, and Windows will prompt to install it if we don't have it already.
Apart from the .NET framework, the app is portable, and it doesn't require an installation. We just run it, click on browse, and select the Windows 7 ISO.
Make sure to select the Windows 7 ISO and not the torrent you used to download the ISO.
Depending on our CPU speed, calculating the checksums will take a couple of minutes.
On the MSDN page, we select the SHA1 checksum and copy it.
We paste it on the Verify Hash with Generated Hash field on the app and click on Verify.
The 'SHA-1 Hash matched' message means that these Windows 7 ISOs are 100% identical to Microsoft's ISOs, and not a single byte is different.
How to download Windows 7 straight from Microsoft
Torrents are an excellent way to download large files, but they are not for everyone. If you don't have a torrent client and are not keen on installing one, there is an alternative way to download Windows 7 straight from Microsoft.
What's best, this way will allow us not only to download Windows 7, but also Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and several versions of Microsoft Office.
The Windows ISO Downloader from Heidoc.net
Firstly, we need to download the latest version of the Windows ISO Downloader from Heidoc.net. As of this writing, the version is 4.36, updated on May 12th, 2017.
The app is about 1MB and it will download instantly.
VirusTotal gives the app a 100% clean bill of health. But feel free to test the latest version yourselves on VirusTotal.com or with the antivirus app you use on your PC.
How to use the Windows ISO downloader
The Windows ISO Downloader is a portable app, that does not require an installation. We just open the app, and we are good to go.
The app is particularly easy to use, even for completely novice users. Firstly, we select the version of Windows or Office on the upper right-hand corner...
Then, from the main window, we select the edition that matches our product key. For most users with preinstalled Windows 7, the correct version is Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 COEM, or Windows 7 Professional SP1 COEM.
After we hit the 'Confirm' button, we get to choose the Windows 7 language. Our product key will work on any language available.
Once we confirm the language, we get the option of downloading either the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of Windows.
These buttons and the subsequent links will only work for 24 hours from the time of creation.
You should note that the download happens straight from Microsoft's servers.
On a fast ADSL or VDSL connection, the download will take approximately 20 minutes.
If we want to use a different browser or a download accelerator, we can get the download links from the 'Copy link' buttons on the right.
We can then paste the link to the browser or app of our choice.
What's next: Creating a Windows 7 DVD / USB and Installing Windows 7
On our next guide, you can see how to write the Windows 7 ISO on a DVD or a USB, to use it for a Windows installation or reinstallation.
Also, if you need help installing Windows 7, check out our detailed guide:
Install Windows 7 from USB or DVD as a beginner. Are you interested in downloading other versions of Windows?
Windows 7 is a fairly old operating system. If you are interested in downloading a later version of Windows, check out our guides:
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Windows 7 Download Microsoft Iso
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Windows 7 is definitely the most famous OS in the World right now, so it’s not a surprise if people want to get their hands on it. There can be many reasons why you may wish to download a Windows 7 copy for free (legally). May be you lost the DVD that came with your PC or damaged it, and now you don’t want to spend money on a new copy (it’s not that cheap either).
You can easily download Windows 7 ISO image for free and legally right from the Microsoft website. However, you will need to provide the Product key of the Windows that came with your PC or your purchased.
If you are looking to get Windows 7 and its Product key for FREE, then we are sorry to say, it is impossible to get it Legally. Although, we do have a tiny trick that should help fulfill your appetite temporarily (will discuss later in the article).
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Method #1: Download Windows 7 Legally from Microsoft Software Recovery
You can find Windows 7 for free everywhere on the internet and it can be downloaded without any hassle or special requirements. However, these sources are completely illegal and not reliable. There can be many issues with these copies of Windows 7, they might even have malware built right inside!
When you purchase Windows, you don’t actually pay for the Windows itself. You are actually paying for the Product Key which is used to activate the Windows. If you don’t activate your copy of Windows then after the trial period it will not work properly, making it almost impossible to benefit from it. This is why Microsoft doesn’t mind people downloading its Windows 7 operating system for free, as it is almost useless after the trial period without the product key.
So, if you still have the product key, then downloading Windows 7 for free is not really an issue. You can download your Windows 7 ISO image from the Microsoft Software Recovery site by providing your valid product key.
Just visit the Microsoft Software Recovery website and follow three simple instructions to download the Windows 7 ISO image. You will have to provide the Product key that came with your original Windows 7. If you have lost your Product key, then don’t worry, there are still many ways to recover it.
Once the ISO image is downloaded, you will need to burn it to an external drive, such as CD, DVD or USB drive. You will also require an ISO Burning software to burn the ISO image to an external drive.
Here is a Video as well, showing how you can Burn a ISO image to a DVD:
Now, you can just use the external drive on which you burned the ISO image and boot your PC with it to install Windows 7.
Get a Replacement Disc
If for some reason the above mentioned method didn’t work for you, then you can also get a replacement disc (in most cases for Free). This is another legal way of getting your hands on Windows 7, but it might not be as simple as the above process.
If your Windows 7 came with your PC, then you will have to contact the Manufacturer of your PC to send the replacement disc. They might charge a tiny fee for the replacement, but it is definitely worth it instead of getting into illegal methods or buying a new one.
If you bought Windows 7 separately, then you will have to contact Microsoft Supplemental Parts team to get the replacement disc. The customer representative will let you know if there are any fees or charges in the process of replacement.
Extend the Free Trial for 360 days
If you have never purchased Windows 7 and are looking to get your hands on Windows 7 and its product key for free and legally, then you can’t do that. However, as we promised above, we do know a trick that should help you use Windows 7 for almost a year without paying a penny.
When you install Windows 7 by any means, you are prompted to provide a valid product key to activate the Windows. But you also have the option to skip the prompt and access Windows 7 30 day Trial version.
The trial version will come with all the features, but when it will expire your Windows will not work properly (although it will still turn on). However, there is a way to extend the trial period by 30 more days using slmgr -rearm command, which has been added by Microsoft to extend the trial period. You can use the slmgr -rearm command up to 3 times, which means you effectively get total 120 days out of your Windows 7 trial.
Now, you can also make another tweak that will let you use the slmgr -rearm command up to 8 times. This means you get to use Windows 7 Trial for up to 240 more days and 240+120 = 360 days, that is almost a year. If you are okay with using slmgr -rearm command after every 30 days, then you can easily use Windows 7 for free with all the features for almost a year.
Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t offer a Windows 7 trial anymore, so you will have to get Windows 7 by any other mean, such as from a friend’s DVD.
How to Use slmgr -rearm Command
Just press Windows+R buttons to open “Run”, you can also open it from the Start menu. In the “Run” window type “cmd” and click on “OK”.
This will open “Command Prompt”, just type slmgr -rearm or copy paste it in the Command Prompt (Ctrl+V shortcut for “Paste” will not work in Command prompt, you will have to right click and select “Paste” from the context menu).
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Now press enter and after a short delay you will be prompted to restart your computer (nothing will happen during the delay, so don’t be disappointed). Once restarted the trial period will reset to 30 days.
Note: To take full advantage, make sure you go through the process when there is only 1 day left before the trial expires. If you do it before, the trial period will reset and you will not receive the remaining days of previous 30 day trial period.
Windows 7 Iso For MacUse slmgr -rearm Command up to 8 times
For this Trick, you will have to tweak the Windows registry. Press Windows+R button to open “Run” just like we did above. This time type “regedit” in the blank field and click on “OK”.
Windows 7 Iso File Download Free
This will open Windows Registry Editor, in there you will have to reach this directory:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > SoftwareProtectionPlatform
In “SoftwareProtectionPlatform”, you will see an option of “SkipRearm”, double click on it.
Another window will pop up where the value will be set to “0”. Set it to “1” and hit “OK”.
Now, you will be able to use the slmgr -rearm command for up to 8 times.
Note: Use this trick when you have used all the three attempts of slmgr -rearm command i.e. used Windows 7 trial for 120 days.
If you have any questions or would like to add more information, let us know in the comments below.
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