How to Download Windows 7 Professional: Clicking download button would let you download Windows 7 Professional Offline DVD ISO bootable image file for 32 bit x86 and for 64 bit x64, just in a single click.
If you have a valid Windows product key, you can download full legal copies of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 from Microsoft and use them to reformat your computer or to setup a new computer.
What’s even better is that you can now use a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 product key to install Windows 10 on a machine too. So if you have a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC and you want to perform a clean install, you can now download the Windows 10 ISO image and use your current product key to activate Windows 10 after it is installed.
The only restriction that Microsoft is still maintaining is that you must install Windows 10 on the same PC where Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 were installed. However, even with this restriction, it’s a big change for Microsoft and great for consumers.
In this article, I’ll talk about how you can download a legal ISO image from Microsoft for the latest versions of Windows and create a bootable USB flash drive so that you can install the OS on your PC.
Previously, you used to be able to download ISO image files for Windows from a partner company called DigitalRiver, but Microsoft removed that option about a year or so back.
Now in order to download any of the latest operating systems, you have to visit the software download page here:
Across the top, you’ll see Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. For Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, you can download the ISO images without needing a product key. You have to enter that once you start the setup process.
For Windows 7, however, you actually need to enter a product key before you can even download the ISO image file.
Once you type in a valid product key, you’ll choose the language and whether you want to download the 32-bit or 64-bit version. Note that the version of Windows 7 you get to download will depend on your product key. So if you are using a Windows 7 Home key, you’ll only be able to download Windows 7 Home.
For Windows 8.1, you have to download the media creation tool. What’s nice about the media creation tool is that you can use it to download Windows 8.1 and install it directly to a USB flash drive or burn it to a DVD.
Once you download the tool and run it, you’ll be asked the language, edition and architecture you want to download.
Click Next and you’ll have the option to save the file directly to a USB flash drive or download the ISO and burn it to a DVD.
If you pick USB flash drive, you’ll be asked to insert one before you can start the download. After that, the download will begin when you click Next.
Once the download is complete, the tool will begin installing the OS onto the USB drive or downloading the ISO file.
For Windows 10, you’ll see a button at the top called Upgrade now, which will try to upgrade your Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 install to Windows 10. Keep scrolling down and you’ll see a Download tool now button.
Windows 10 also comes with a media creation tool, which does the same thing as the Windows 8.1 tool, but has an extra option at the very beginning.
First, you choose whether you want to upgrade the current PC or create installation media for another PC. In our case, we want to choose the latter option.
The Windows 10 media creation tool will also try to determine the best options for you based on the current PC hardware. You can uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC box if you want to pick something different.
You can choose from USB flash drive or ISO file using this tool. As with the Windows 8 tool, you’ll have to burn the ISO image yourself to a DVD if you pick that option.
If you pick flash drive, you’ll just need to make sure you have one already connected to your computer before you click Next.
If you’re downloading Windows 8 or Windows 10 as an ISO file, you probably want to burn them to a DVD. For Windows 7, you only get the option to download the ISO file (no media creation tool), so you might want to burn it to a DVD or make a bootable USB flash drive.
Luckily, Microsoft has another free tool called the USB/DVD Download Tool that will take the ISO and install it onto a USB flash drive or burn it to a DVD. Note that this tool is called Windows 7 USB/DVD tool, but it works with the Windows 10 and Windows 8 ISO image files also.
Once you download and install it, you’ll simply go through a four step process. First, you pick your Windows ISO image file like shown below.
Next, you choose whether you want to use a USB device or a DVD for your Windows installation media.
Make sure to insert your USB device or DVD and then click the Begin copying or Begin burning button to start the process.
You’ll get a popup message stating that the USB device must be erased in order to continue. Go ahead and click Erase USB Device. The program will format the USB device and then begin the installation.
Once completed, you will have a bootable Windows USB device or DVD disc. Once you have created your media, you simply need to plug it into your computer and restart.
Most computers will try to boot from DVD or USB first, so the installation should come up automatically. However, if not, you will have to enter the BIOS and change the boot order manually. If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment. Enjoy!
There are many reasons you might want to download Windows 7. For example, if you need to install Windows 7 but you've lost your original setup disc, or it's damaged, downloading Windows 7 would get you out of that bind.
Computer makers also often don't include a Windows 7 DVD with new computers, complicating the process of a Windows 7 clean install and even some advanced troubleshooting that typically requires a Windows 7 disc.
You might also want a Windows 7 download just to try out the operating system or to put it on a second computer at home. Windows can be expensive, so finding a place to download Windows 7 for free is an enticing thought. Pretty much everything is available on the internet for free, right?
There are several places to download Windows 7 online but most of them are somewhere between 'maybe okay' and 'completely illegal.' Windows 7 has been legitimately distributed online in the past, but it was never free.
Windows 10 is the most recent version of Windows and can be upgraded to from Windows 7. See Where Can I Download Windows 10? for help on what to do next if you're interested.
It's important to realize that in many ways, what you actually pay for when you legally purchase a copy of Windows 7 is the product key, sometimes referred to as a CD key or key code, or incorrectly as the serial number. This unique number is required to be able to fully use Windows 7.
So, even if you did download Windows 7 without paying for it, you would still need a valid Windows 7 product key in order to use it fully.
Without question, the best way to download Windows 7 is via Microsoft's Download Windows 7 Disc Images (ISO Files) page. This is the official way to get your Windows 7 ISO image. Here's how to do it:
This process will only work if you have a retail license of Windows 7. This will probably be the case if you bought Windows 7 yourself, or a smaller computer company installed it for you as part of your custom PC purchase. If Windows 7 came preinstalled with your major-brand PC, you probably have an OEM license and you'll need to try some of the ideas below this one.
Visit Microsoft's Download Windows 7 Disc Images (ISO Files) page.
Enter your valid Windows 7 product key and verify it with Microsoft.
Don't have your product key anymore? So long as Windows 7 is still installed somewhere, you may be able to extract it. See How to Find Your Windows 7 Product Key for some help.
Not sure which one to choose? See How to Tell If You Have Windows 64-bit or 32-bit for more information.
Download the Windows 7 ISO image to your computer.
The download link is valid for 24 hours only, so if you don't download Windows 7 within that amount of time, you'll have to repeat the above steps.
You should now have a fully working legal Windows 7 ISO file.
What you do with that Windows 7 ISO file next depends on how you plan on installing Windows 7:
Now, you can install Windows 7, use this flash drive or disc for diagnostics, or whatever you were after the Windows 7 download for in the first place.
If this Microsoft resource doesn't work out for you, you may need to request a replacement in a different way. Keep reading for that and several more ideas.
There's one way to download Windows 7 legally, without ever having to have purchased a copy or have a valid product key, but it has a caveat that you're probably not going to like.
You can download Windows 7 for 'free' as part of your paid Visual Studio Subscription (previously known as MSDN). This professional subscription by Microsoft grants you access to Windows 7 downloads and product keys, as well as downloads and keys for most of the software Microsoft produces. Unless you're a software programmer or IT professional, this very expensive subscription program is almost certainly not worth the money.
Prior to late 2012, Windows 7 was available for individuals to purchase and download directly from the Microsoft Store. While this is still an option for Windows 10, it is, unfortunately, no longer possible for Windows 7. A 90-day trial version of Windows 7 Enterprise used to be an option until 2015 but that's also no longer available, replaced with the Windows 10 equivalent.
Of course, if downloading Windows 7 isn't necessary for your situation, your other option is to purchase a copy of Window 7 on DVD. Microsoft no longer sells Windows 7 directly, but you might still find copies of Windows 7 available at Amazon or from an electronic retailer like Newegg, so shopping around for the best price is a good idea.
If you have a Windows 7 disc, and are only trying to download Windows 7 because you need to install it on your computer which does not have an optical drive, there is a way to get the installation files from your DVD onto a flash drive. See How to Install Windows 7 From USB for instructions.
Back when Windows 7 was available for purchase and download through the Microsoft Store, Microsoft used a company by the name of Digital River to provide the Windows 7 ISO images.
For a very long time, those Windows 7 ISO files were on a public, unsecured server and could be downloaded without showing any proof of purchase. This might have been a long-running mistake on the part of Digital River, or perhaps Microsoft simply didn't mind considering the fact that you need a valid product key to use Windows 7 for more than 30 days anyway.
Regardless of how or why they existed so long, they've all been removed as of February 2015. If you have a valid Windows 7 product key, visit the link in Step 1 above. If you don't, you'll need to purchase an MSDN subscription, or, most likely, just purchase Windows 7 outright.
A popular Digital River alternative is to use the HeiDoc.net Windows ISO Downloader tool to get the Windows 7 ISO. It downloads the official ISO for Windows 7 directly from Microsoft's website (software-download.microsoft.com). This method, of course, doesn't come with a free product key, so Windows 7 won't run normally until you purchase one.
Any other 'free' Windows 7 download you come across online is most certainly illegal, including Windows 7 ISO files obtained via torrents or directly from other websites or servers. Aside from legal issues, these Windows 7 downloads, unlike the official replacement ISO image from Microsoft, run the risk of being something other than advertised.
For example, many Windows 7 images available on torrent sites and from other unofficial sources are 'cracked' versions of Windows 7, meaning they've been modified for various reasons...and may also include built-in malware. You'd be wise to avoid a situation like that.
Another Windows 7 download to avoid is software related to cracking Windows 7. You might have a legitimate copy of Windows 7 but not a real product key, in which case you might try a key generator tool to get yourself one without having to pay for it.
While a Windows 7 product key generator might sound like a good idea, it is very much illegal and probably won't even work to activate Windows.
A final option for those of you with broken or lost Windows 7 discs that don't want to download an official ISO image is to try to get a replacement Windows 7 disc instead.
If Windows 7 came preinstalled on your computer (i.e., you have an OEM — not retail — license), and you did have a disc but it's now lost or damaged, contact your computer maker for a replacement. Depending on your computer maker's policy, the replacement Windows 7 media may be free or you may be charged a small fee.
If you're in a similar situation with a Windows 7 disc but you purchased a retail copy of Windows 7 on DVD, you can contact the Microsoft Supplemental Parts team and request a replacement.
Finally, while not a replacement for Windows 7, you should know that it's possible to create a system repair disc for Windows 7 from any other Windows 7 computer, including a friend's, for just the cost of a blank CD. That disc can be used to perform all the diagnostic and repair functions that a full Windows 7 setup DVD can. See How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc for instructions.
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