Planning on putting a new HD in..Trouble is I don't have any Win 7 install disks and can't nderstand all the various offerings for Win 7 home premimum..Amazon has a lot of OEM versions and their regular versions are out of my price range,,,Is OEM a viable option?? Also have seen full versions on Ebay at a fair price new from retailers..I just need advice as the best way to procede,,,Not interested in Win 10 tried it when it eas free and didn't like it..I don't want to clone my drive as my plan is just have a drive with a clean OS on it ..I have a second drive with my games/sims on it I just need to get a good running C: drive on it,,I'm getting SMART errors on mine now and it's only a matter of time,,,thanks for any advice

Here's a source of reasonably priced W7 that I have used. Need a copy of W7 (i.e. old W7 disks or other source) to use this.

Source

Free W7 download from Microsoft site.

Windows 7 iso

Worked for me on W7, W8, and W10. But, I can't guarantee it for anyone else.

EDIT: This is obvious, but I did not mention it. If you have Windows 7 already installed and are not changing the Motherboard, then you have a valid license. Simply use your existing valid license to download the W7 iso at the above Microsoft site. Install it. Give your existing license when asked. I've done that one many many times.

Allen ,,This is where I get confused,,If I download the image from MS it asks for a license key,,My problem is the guy who repaired my machine used a OEM key although I still have the origional key sticker on the case..i've decided to just put in a drive on my own and have a stable setup with the O.S on one drive and games/sims on another ..The shop kind of buggered my setup with his sloppy work and I'm better off doing it myself..There's only one shop here in New Concord and won't go back there...I can't figure out if I should buy another OEM version with a key or grab a full version I've found on E Bay..What I'm running now is the origional hard drive which has SMART errors and want to grab a new drive and O.S.but trying to keep the cost under $100,,Retired and money is tight here....Thanks for the reply..

I build a lot of PCs for fun. But, I'm not a technician who does it every day. However, here's how my experience has gone.

You need a key that works with your hardware. By that, I mean motherboard and, maybe, CPU (other parts don't matter). So far, I've found its the motherboard that Windows looks for when being activated. So, if your motherboard has not changed since you bought the PC, then the Key on the case and the Key used by the repair person should both be acceptable.

If you have both keys written down, then either one should allow you to download W7 from the Microsoft site. You just need one to work and get the download -- you can use a different key for install.

You could also borrow a friend's W7 disc and install from that using your keys.

Then, clean install W7 in your old system using your new HD. You will be asked during W7 installation for a key. I'd try the one that came with the machine first. However, because the repair person used a new key, it may be that he changed the motherboard -- that would require you use the key he used.

If neither key worked to activate W7, I believe W7 works 30 days anyway -- it should not be an instant fail. So, if neither key worked for activation, you could go to the site I noted and buy a key (that's what I do when none of my many existing keys work). That key should work. I noted one time that the key I bought did not work the first time. The next day it worked. Don't know why -- but it turned out okay. Other keys worked the first time.

Or you can follow your original idea and buy a copy of W7 with key. That should work -- but be more expensive. Starting from the top of my above list of things to try, the first two keys are free. The third is relatively cheap.

That's how I do it. Last spring I had occasion to experiment with installing W7, W8, W10 on a new, up to date PC. I found that the latest 2018 motherboards and CPUs do not like W7 or W8 by design. New stuff only works well with W10. However, if you have an older system and W7 should work fine.

In brief: One of your existing keys should work for the W7 download and install (the download key does not have to be the install key). If not, you can buy a new key which should work with the download. Buying a W7 installation disk from a reliable source (or borrowing one to use with your existing keys) should work but be more expensive. OEM vs non-OEM should not matter. Being a clean install, you don't lose anything but time if an install fails. You could always make a system image of your current working system and move it to the new HD. You should make the system image anyway as a backup plan -- if you have a place to store it -- if not, keep your old HD handy as a back up plan untill your sure your new install works on the new HD..

Normally, after a clean W7 install, you will have a long time of W7 updates coming down from Microsoft and being installed to bring W7 up to date -- regardless of the W7 iso source.

I am naturally verbose. All of what little I know, FWIW.

EDIT: Actually, I do know one other thing. With W7 if neither of your two existing keys works, the Microsoft site used to have a number to call. A robot voice answers. You give it some information and it makes your original key work. However, I've not done that for several years -- so, I don't remember how it goes. Google it if needed.

Thank you Allen..I have both keys ,,the origional one on the sticker on the case and the OEM key from the computer guy,,going to try today to download the OS from MS..It stinks as usually I built my own PC's but went with this machine from HP all my other builds were XP or earlier and got tired of doing RMA's to New Egg so bought a factory rolled machine I did try the the MS call and the robo setup didn't work and got a guy who seemed to talk swahili or something and have bad hearing and took like two days to get a gut i could understand,In fact the bad English person got a bit insulting when I kept asking him to repeat things like "Are you pulling mty leg ??"..I'll let you know how it goes and thanks for the help

Allen does this look respectable ?? If it is what it says in the future I'll be covered

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Windows-7-Home-Premium-32-64-Bit-Full-Version-Product-Key/223201612804?_trkparms=aid%3D888007%26algo%3DDISC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131227121020%26meid%3D2f02c08b3358417f9673b84823a365d2%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26sd%3D292821498688%26itm%3D223201612804&_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982

I linked it. I would buy it myself if I was unsure of other approaches. Heck, if you can "be done with it" for under $25, why not?

Edit: Reading the fine print, the seller seems to have taken one of the above approaches. He downloaded/obtained the key code and w7 software separately. He's selling a copy DVD and the key -- along with a broken hard drive to make it legal. He seems to say, you won't get the hard drive if you don't pay shipping. I wouldn't pay shipping. I assume EBay is a reliable source because I've not had problems with purchases there.

Thanks Allen I think i'll poke around EBay a bit and today going to try the windows download.....Hey M8 have a good Thanksgiving and watch our Bucs spank
"That team Up North" Saturday ..

With that record score (62), they "buried deep below" -- down there where its always hot. Or to put it another way, the team from the north was sent far south. We enjoyed the outcome with family.

Great game Allen Glad to see they stopped playing like a high school team and settled down and got down to business