Hi all,
I want to buy a Windows 7 OS disk for installation on my wife’s computer, which currently has Windows XP installed. I see plenty of Windows 7 for sale on Kijiji, in varies forms; but am not sure how good they are. (I hear that some will stop running after a certain time.) What questions should I ask to feel confident that I’m getting a working OS that will not crap out over time?
Thanks,
… john
P.S. I don’t know what full market value is for this OS, but would like to keep the price down to $50, or less.
the only legitimate way is to buy a new retail version from a reputable seller like newegg (though since you appear to be in Canada, a place such as NCIX.) Unfortunately the cheapest Windows 7 license is $99 USD.
buying things like this on eBay or through Craigslist or Kijiji carries a huge risk of getting something that is counterfeit or cracked, and can stop working. Or worse, be bundled with hidden malware.
You can download the Windows 7 disc image directly from Microsoft but in order to do so, you need to enter a product key. You might try the Windows XP product key to see if it works. If not, remember that any system still running Windows XP (or really even Windows 7) is incredibly out of date, and it might be better just to purchase a new machine running Windows 10.
This is a long shot, but computers that shipped with Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 can be downgraded to Windows 7. All you need to do is install Windows 7 from the disk image you download from Microsoft, and put in your Windows 8 product key.
Might be worth a try if you have access to any computers that shipped with Windows 8 or 8.1 before you plonk down the money.
I think those would be OEM licenses. Which means the Windows license is only valid for the computer it was shipped with, and cannot be transferred to another computer.
Perhaps if one could get an unused Windows-7 upgrade license, that could be used to upgrade from XP to 7? But I’m not sure where to get one that is guaranteed not to be pirated or fraudulent.
I put an add on Kijiji for a windows 7 computer with installation disk, and received two answers.
One of them said “I do not have the back up disks, but you can create them after the one existing in the computer”
Is it possible to create a backup disk from a windows 7 computer?
Would that be as good as having an ‘installation disk’?
Thanks,
… john
I thought you were shopping for a Windows-7 license on a computer you already own. Are you now shopping for a computer with Windows-7? You know you can’t move a license from one that had it pre-installed to another computer, right?
So were you not able to download the OS from Microsoft?
Hi,
scr4 - Yes, I was shopping for a Windows 7 disk; but there seems to be a sense that getting one on Kijiji is not a good idea. So I thought I could upgrade my hardware and buy a computer that already has Windows 7 installed.
Dewey - I’ve heard that Windows 7 downloaded from Microsoft has a limited shelf life?
… john
Where did you hear that it has a “limited shelf life”? As long as you activate it using a legitimate product key, it will continue to function indefinitely.
Hi Dewey,
I’m not sure where I heard it. On one of the other forums, I believe.
So, where do I get a product key, and how much will it cost me?
… john
As I said earlier, try entering the Windows XP product key on the screen to download Windows 7. It might accept it.
Also, checking Newegg.com, they have 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium OEM for a hundred bucks. That’s more than you wanted to spend, but not by much.
On the other hand, I’m not sure it’s worth it to spend a hundred bucks (or even fifty bucks) on a computer old enough that it’s still running Windows XP. You’d be better off buying a new or a used newer system.
There’s no difference at all between the contents of a Windows 7 disk you’d buy from Microsoft, and the Windows 7 copy you download from Microsoft. They’re identical.
The “product” you buy when you buy Windows 7 is the activation code. With an activation code, the Windows 7 install (regardless of how it was installed-- download or disk) will expire after a short time. With an application code, Windows 7 (again regardless of how it was installed) will work indefinitely.
Note that Windows 7 extended support ends January 14, 2020. It would be unwise to have Windows 7 on your computer after that date.
Minor correction on the highlighted portion: I’m sure you meant “Without an activation code…”
If the Windows installation can’t phone home to Microsoft’s activation server, it disables itself after a few days or weeks. Hence, the validity of the product license key is critical.
The last time I bought Windows 7, I did in fact buy one of those $99 Win 7 Home OEM installers at Newegg. But it’s been the better part of a year since then.
Personally, I would not trust a Windows 7 key from anybody less reputable than a big retailer like that.
Oh yah, sorry. Just a brain fart. Thanks for the correction.
Two caveats:
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I have to agree and stress with what was already said about buying from a reputable source to avoid counterfeits. You need a sealed package, whether a shrink-wrapped box or an OEM package, with a certificate of authenticity.
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Prices seem to be all over the map, so shop carefully.
Here’s a retail copy of Windows 7 Pro for $399.99: :eek:
(if you’re seeing something different, copy and paste the link directly – for me, the stupid Viglink malware is redirecting it somewhere else when linked on the SDMB!)
If you’re in Canada as someone I think mentioned, Newegg Canada has an OEM package (Windows 7 Pro 64-bit) for CDN $180, which is a lot, but at least it’s not $399.99:
Back in the US, the best price I found in a quick search was $59.95, sold by a third party, but fulfilled by Amazon and described as a “sealed package”:
The funny thing about the more insane prices being asked by some sellers is that you can buy a complete refurbished computer with Windows 7 Professional for similar prices, for example, off-lease refurbished desktops or laptops from Dell Financial. Dell has both US and Canadian websites. I just bought a mini tower Dell Optiplex system with a 3.4 Ghz Intel Core i7 and Windows 7 Pro for a couple of hundred bucks, after my old XP system blew up its proprietary and hence non-replaceable power supply. It’s actually a really nice system with a lot of future for non-gaming desktop use and in the large scheme of things was practically free. I just put a Samsung 850 Pro SSD in it last night and it’s so fast that everything is essentially instantaneous! With my lethargic old XP system, I would start Firefox and then go downstairs and make coffee while it got itself running. 
Thank you all for your help. I saw a real cheap ($5) Windows 7 disk for sale on Kijiji. The guy says that Microsoft’s site says it’s good for Windows 7 ultimate retail. He says that he doubts the key will work with the CD (I don’t know why) but it should work with the downloaded iso. I may give that I try … for $5. What are your thoughts?
The other question, that I would like you to consider is … If I buy a used (working) windows 7 machine (I can get one for $75). Can I then create a backup disk and virtually have the same thing as buying a key would give me?
… john
I wouldn’t buy the $5 key. It’s not the $5 that is at risk, it’s all the time and trouble if the key doesn’t work or activate correctly or worse, stops working at some point in the future (Windows 7 periodically re-validates, I believe).
What you can create with a working version of Windows 7 is called an emergency restore disk, which cannot install Windows or do much else in the event of a total failure, but it does have some of the repair capabilities of a Windows disk, namely, it can try to fix boot problems if the system won’t boot because of a corrupted MBR and the like, and I believe it can run Windows Backup if you’ve done a backup with it (I personally dislike Windows Backup and never use it). You can achieve the same thing by downloading the Windows 7 ISO from Microsoft and burning it, plus you can also use it to do a reinstall if you have the right key for it.
Yes. Thanks Wolfpup.
I’ll try the $5 option first.
Should that install over her current Windows xp?
… john