Welcome!
Thank you
Thank you for your interest in the Windows 7 Repository. Its purpose is to make the whole process of downloading, installing and activating Windows 7 easy and simple for everyone.
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Before posting anything, please take just one minute to read the frequently asked questions (section 5).
1. Download Windows 7
A. How to download Windows 7?
The fastest way to download Windows 7 is using BitTorrent, which is a P2P protocol that allows file sharing. To download files using BitTorrent you need an application that supports BitTorrent protocol. You might use µTorrent (Direct download) or any other BitTorrent client will do.
B. Okay I have a BitTorrent application, what’s now?
Download the tiny “.torrent” file bellow that belong to the version that you want (32 bits or 64 bits). This file will be opened with your BitTorrent application and the download will starts.
2. Check the authenticity of your download
A. Why check the authenticity?
It is important to check the authenticity of the ISO image that you have downloaded. It will assure you that the ISO image hasn’t been modified by anyone, that it’s clean from spyware and viruses, and that it is free from corruption or any transfer error.
B. How to check the authenticity?
We can know that two files are identical by matching their HASHES. The HASH of a file is the result of its “calculation”. A file has a specific HASH, if this file is modified then its HASH will be completely different.
Microsoft has published on its official website the HASHES of the two ISO images available in this Repository. Please check the HASH of the ISO image that you have downloaded using HashCalc (Direct download) or any other application, and verify that it is the same as the ones released by Microsoft :
| Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (English, Retail, 32 Bits) MD5: D0B8B407E8A3D4B75EE9C10147266B89 |
| Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (English, Retail, 64 Bits) MD5: F43D22E4FB07BF617D573ACD8785C028 |
3. Install Windows 7
A. Burn it
To install Windows 7, the simplest way is to burn the ISO image that you’ve downloaded to a DVD using any burning software (you can use InfraRecorder, it’s free and easy to use). You must open the ISO image with your burning software to have a bootable DVD. Do not create a “data” DVD and import the “.iso” file, it won’t work. — You can also install Windows 7 from a USB Key, it’s easy and even faster. To do so follow this tutorial or this more complex one from Microsoft.
B. Boot on it
Boot (start) on the DVD that you’ve burned. If after inserting the DVD into your drive and restarting your computer it still doesn’t work, you might need to go into your BIOS to setup the boot priority and set “CD/DVD drive” first instead of the hard drive (which will be second then).
C. Follow installation instructions
During the installation, you do not need to enter any key, just bypass the step when it asks for one. You might uncheck the box “activate online”.
4. Activate Windows 7
A. Activate Windows 7 by using an act¡vator
Use one of the act¡vators listed bellow to activate your Windows. They work with Windows 7 Ultimate RTM 32 and 64 bits, Retail and OEM, on almost any computer (homemade or branded) and even on Mac. Nothing special is required before using them.
| 7Loader by Orbit30 and Hazar Authors: Hazar and Orbit30 Features:
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| WoW7.0.1a — Improvement of Yen’s original version Author: acerola Features:
|
| 7emulation Author: Cyclope & Hui Features:
|
| You might find other available act¡vators in this thread. |
B. Activate Windows 7 by modifying your BIOS!
If the activation doesn’t work using an act¡vator, you may try that. This method involves flashing your BIOS, if it fails then your computer might stop working and you will have to take it to a professional to repair it. Look at the stickied threads for your BIOS type. If you’re lucky, there is already a modified BIOS for your specific computer available to download. If not, you can request that a volunteer makes one for you. Once you’ve got a modified version of your BIOS, you may flash (update) your BIOS with it. Once done, install the appropriate certificate and key using OpaTool (Download), or do it manually (see section 6-F).
C. Check activation status
Check the activation status using OpaTool (Download), or do it manually (see section 6-E).
5. Frequently asked questions
A. Which builds of Windows 7 are in the Repository: the previous leaked RTMs or the new ones from Technet/MSDN?
Both. The previous leaked builds of Windows 7 Ultimate RTM and the new ones available from Technet/MSDN are completely the same. We have compared the hashes, they are identical.
B. Did Microsoft blacklisted the key that we use for activation?
No. Microsoft hasn’t blacklisted anything. Please read this complete article from My Digital Life’s official news.
C. What is the difference between Retail and OEM version of Windows 7?
There is none. The builds are exactly the same. Only the “Channel” heading in the file “source/ei.cfg” specifies either “Retail” or “OEM”. You can convert Retail to OEM by simply using an OEM product key (and vice-versa).
D. Which edition of Windows 7 works with the act¡vators and BIOS-mod?
Right now we only have a key for the Ultimate edition. But as soon as we have keys for the other editions like Enterprise and Home Premium, the act¡vators and the Repository will be updated. Please note that all E editions will not get keys for activation since Microsoft has canceled the release of all E editions.
E. Can I upgrade from Windows 7 Beta or RC to the final Windows 7 RTM?
Not officially. However, you can bypass the limitation by editing the numbers (for example put 6000) in the file sources/cversion.ini which is in the ISO image of Windows 7, before burning it. — Couple of people have reported an issue with the activation using this method.
F. Where can I download other languages of Windows 7?
Since we’re talking about the Ultimate edition, you will be able to switch the language of your system as easy as a click (without even restarting Windows), as soon as the language packs are available.
G. Should I install the 32 bits or the 64 bits version?
If you have 3 GB of RAM or more, install the 64 bits version. If you have 2 GB of RAM or less, install the 32 bits version. If you have between 2 GB and 3 GB of RAM, both versions are OK, and it’s up to you to decide. — Before taking any decision, make sure that your processor supports 64 bits instructions. Find your processor on Intel’s website or AMD’s website and check if it supports either “EM64T” or “AMD64″.
6. Stuff for advanced users
A. How act¡vators work?
Act¡vators, also known as loaders, add a script on the boot partition (Linux Grub boot loader (GRLDR)) which will put OEM information (SLIC 2.1) into memory before Windows starts. This way Windows thinks that the SLIC 2.1 come from the BIOS (which is false). Act¡vators also install a certificate and a key to activate Windows.
B. What about the other method: modifying the BIOS?
To get activated with an OEM certificate and an appropriate OEM key, Windows 7 checks if the computer is OEM branded. To do so, it checks if there is OEM information (SLIC 2.1) coming from the BIOS. Modifying the BIOS imply that we add OEM information (SLIC 2.1) to the BIOS for real.
C. OEM Kit (certificates, BIOS tools, etc.)
You might be interested by this complete OEM Kit assembled by maorosh.
D. Extend the initial 30 days trial period up to 120 days
You can renew the initial 30 days period 3 times for a total of 120 days. Here’s a tutorial to renew the activation grace period to 120 days.
E. How to manually check the activation status?
| Check the activation status of your Windows
|
F. How to manually install certificate and key?
| Manually install certificate and key
Note: Change C by the letter of your Windows 7′s partition. |
G. How to deactivate Windows 7 and go back to the trial period?
You can use OpaTool (Download) or do it manually:
| Manually deactivate Windows 7 and go back to the trial period
|
7. Pre-versions and unreliable stuff
A. Integrate other languages into Windows 7′s DVD
If you strongly want to switch Windows 7 to your native language before the release of the official language packs, then BubuXP has created this guide to slipstream language packs into Windows 7′s DVD.
8. Troubleshooting
To get support from this thread, please add this tiny form to your message:
| Information about your Windows 7′s ISO - Edition: - Language: - HASH (MD5): Information about your computer |
9. Updating & Spreading the word!
A. Updating often is the secret for reliable information
Please help me keeping this post up-to-date by posting any new information that you’ve got. Also, please let me know if you’ve seen any mistake so I can correct it as soon as possible.
B. Spread the word!