# Windows 7 Downloads \[Legal Only\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 10, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300 "2012-09-10T16:35:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/1 "2012-09-10T16:35:49Z")
My friend’s shop has a volume license for Windows 7. My friend needs to do an install of Windows 7 on a system located at her house. Is there any way to do a Windows 7 download from Microsoft? We have a valid key, just no media handy. Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/2 "2012-09-10T17:13:53Z")
You can download the Windows ISO with an MSDN subscription, if anybody at your company has one. Other than that I’d contact [microsoftstore.com](http://microsoftstore.com) and see if they can give you access to their download. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/3 "2012-09-10T17:19:15Z")
You have to make sure whatever ISO you download matches the exact Windows version of the license key; there’s a whole bunch of different versions (Ultimate/Pro/Volume/International/OEM/etc etc). For that reason, I’d look at the documentation that came with the volume license - it’ll probably tell you where to get the correct ISO. You don’t want to go through all the trouble of installing Windows 7 and _then_ find out you installed the 32-bit International Home version and your license is for the 64-bit US OEM Volume license, because you’ll have to start over with the right ISO. At least, that’s how it used to be. I guess there’s a small chance they’ve changed it with Windows 7, but I wouldn’t bet on it. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/4 "2012-09-10T17:39:01Z")
I’m pretty sure this is legal: [http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/](http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/) ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/5 "2012-09-10T19:42:47Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I’m pretty sure this is legal: > > [http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/](http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/) some-who i do nut thing so, ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/6 "2012-09-10T20:09:48Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > some-who i do nut thing so, Those are from Digital River, which provides download services for lots of software purchases. When I buy products from VMWare directly, for example, it’s really through Digital River. Those ISOs come with 30 day trial license keys. You have to enter a valid license key to use them past 30 days. From what I understand, those ISOs are Microsoft’s recommended method for getting Windows 7 install disks which have Service Pack 1 integrated. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/7 "2012-09-10T21:12:08Z")
> [@Mr. Slant](#): > > My friend’s shop has a volume license for Windows 7. > My friend needs to do an install of Windows 7 on a system located at her house. > Is there any way to do a Windows 7 download from Microsoft? We have a valid key, just no media handy. > > Thanks in advance! If your friend did not charge you for an activation either he is paying for it out of his own pocket or he has a pirated copy, “volume licence” is the word often the term bandied about by techs pirating OS’s. A volume licence charges the owner based on the number of activations allowed, its not a free method to do as many installs as you want. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/8 "2012-09-10T23:18:43Z")
The computer in question is a company computer; the code in question is associated with their volume license. ---
**Author:** ![busterpickle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@busterpickle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/busterpickle)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/9 "2012-09-11T00:33:18Z")
You are good to go then. I’ve used those exact download links before when I had to do a reinstall, just entered in the key from the bottom of my laptop. Also, those are actually valid links to valid software. You could, in theory, download the software/ISO from anywhere so long as you have a valid (as in its legally yours) key code. BUT, “other places” which you can download Win7, etc. from can have compromised copies of the OS. ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/10 "2012-09-11T01:10:35Z")
I do not know about Windows 7, but previous versions of Windows had different media for VLV installs. The keys would not work with standard retail distributions. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/11 "2012-09-11T02:10:38Z")
Okay. Digital River link worked, the corporate license keys went right in with no muss, no fuss. Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2018, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-7-downloads-legal-only/634300/13 "2018-11-20T06:12:06Z")
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