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The Official Windows 7 Repository

TABLE OF CONTENTS - ACCESS LATEST ONLINE VERSION OF THIS GUIDE - REPORT DEAD LINK

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.

Microsoft Windows 7 RTM 32 Bits — Link is broken? Try Mirror 1, Mirror 2, Mirror 3, Mirror 4, Mirror 5, Mirror 6, Mirror 7.
Microsoft Windows 7 RTM 64 Bits — Link is broken? Try Mirror 1, Mirror 2, Mirror 3, Mirror 4, Mirror 5, Mirror 6, Mirror 7.

Quote:

The two ISOs above allow you to have any language you want (35 languages available).
› Take a look at section 5-F to select your language.

These ISOs also allow you to install any edition you want (Ultimate, Professional, Home Premium, Home Basic, Starter).
› Take a look at section 5-G to unlock other editions.

Note: By default it will install the Ultimate edition.

Note: Multi-language is available only if you install the Ultimate edition.

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 HashCheck (direct download — instructions) or
any other HASH calculator, and verify that it is the same as the ones released by Microsoft :

Microsoft Windows 7 RTM 32 Bits

MD5: D0B8B407E8A3D4B75EE9C10147266B89
SHA-1: 5395DC4B38F7BDB1E005FF414DEEDFDB16DBF610

Microsoft Windows 7 RTM 64 Bits

MD5: F43D22E4FB07BF617D573ACD8785C028
SHA-1: 326327CC2FF9F05379F5058C41BE6BC5E004BAA7

3. Install Windows 7
A. Burn it
Burn the ISO that you downloaded to a DVD. Google: How to burn an ISO to a DVD .
Note: You can also use a USB flash drive instead of a DVD. Here's a quick tutorial to install Windows 7 from a USB
flash drive.

B. Boot on it
Insert the Windows 7 DVD into your drive and start your computer. Press any key when asked to launch the
installation. Google: How to boot from a DVD .

C. Proceed to the installation

During the installation, you do not need to enter a product 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 RTM 32 and 64 bits on
almost any computer (homemade or branded) and even on Mac. Nothing special is required before using them.

NOTICE: If you're not able to start Windows after installing an act¡vator, then just remove it (see section 6-H for
instructions) and try another one (or another option of the same act¡vator).

Quote:

Act¡vators
From Daz:
Windows 7 Loader

From Hazar:
7Loader
WoW7

From nononsence:
Open Source Windows 7 act¡vator

B. Activate Windows 7 by modifying your BIOS

If the activation doesn't work using an act¡vator, you may try that.

WARNING: This method involves flashing your BIOS. If the flash fails or the modified BIOS is corrupted, your
computer will stop working.

a. Modify your BIOS:

1. Type dxdiag in Start menu, press ENTER and look for your BIOS type.
2. Go to the thread that belong to your type of BIOS in the Bios Mods > Bios Mod Requests sub-forum.
3. If you're lucky, there is already a modified BIOS for your specific computer available to download (use the
search function with your computer model or motherboard reference). If not, you can request that a volunteer makes
one for you!
4. Once you've got a modified version of your BIOS, update (flash) your motherboard with it.

b. Activate Windows 7:
1. Install a certificate that matches the SLIC's brand of your new BIOS.
2. Install an OEM SLP key that matches your edition of Windows.

For these last two steps you can use OpaTool, or do it manually (see section 6-F).

Note: The certificate must match your SLIC's brand, while the key doesn't. However the key has to match
your edition of Windows.
C. Check activation status
Check the activation status using OpaTool, 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 RTM and the new ones available from Technet/MSDN are completely
the same. We have compared their HASHES, they are identical.

B. Did or will Microsoft blacklist the keys we use for activation?

No. Microsoft technically cannot block OEM SLP keys, first because it's an offline activation, and second because
those keys are (or will be) used by tens of thousands of legitimate users.

OEM SLP keys are used to mass-activate any computer that comes with Windows pre-installed on it. For the
activation to work using an OEM SLP key, Windows checks if the computer is OEM manufactured. This is done by
checking if there is SLIC table in memory when it starts. Putting this SLIC table in memory before Windows starts is
what act¡vators are all about.

The keys that you see on the sticker of OEM computers are COA SLP keys, which are uniques and cannot be used to
activate Windows either offline nor online. Those keys can be used exclusively by phone and in specific cases only.

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 can I activate?

You can activate Ultimate, Professional and Home Premium editions (live update). As soon as we have keys for other
editions (i.e. "N" editions, Home Basic and Starter), the act¡vators and this guide will be updated.

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. How to choose another language for my Windows?

Windows 7 Ultimate includes a simple option to choose the display language. It will change the language of your
Windows as easy as a click, without even the need to restart your computer! All 35 languages are available.

1. Once you have downloaded and installed Windows 7 Ultimate, go to Windows Update (type "wup" in Start
menu).
2. Check for updates and show the optional updates.
3. Download and install any language that you would like.
4. Once the language pack you want is installed, type "change display language" in Start menu and press
ENTER.
5. Select your language and click OK!

This was only for your User Account. If you also want to apply your language to the Welcome Screen, and make it
the default language for other accounts, continue with the steps below:

1. Type "change display language" in Start menu and press ENTER.

2. Select the "Administrative" tab, and click the "Copy settings..." button.
3. Select and tick the 2 checkboxes and click OK!

G. How to select the edition of Windows I want to install?

All editions of Windows are included in the ISO image available to download in this Repository. To be able to select
the edition you want during the installation, you need to delete the file "ei.cfg" that is in the "sources" folder, in the
ISO image. Here's a step-by-step tutorial.
If you wonder which edition of Windows to install, be aware that according to Microsoft, all edition of Windows have
the same level of performance, differences between editions are only in functionality. The Ultimate edition is the
edition that includes functionalities from all the other editions, this is the most complete and the most extensible.
The system requirements are the same for all editions. Compare editions of Windows.

H. 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
making 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".

I. Do I really need to use a loader?

If your computer is new, it might be possible that you don't even need to use a loader nor to mod your BIOS. To
check that out, follow these steps:

1. Download the SLIC DUMP ToolKit and run it as administrator (Right-click > Run as administrator).
2. Select the tab "Advance".
3. In the "SLIC Diagnosis" section, check if the version is "2.1", and check that there is no red color in the fields
"PubKey", "Marker" and "Digital Signature".
4. If the version is not "2.1" (e.g. "2.0"), or if there is text in red color, then you need to use a loader (or to
mod your BIOS).
5. Otherwise, if you do have SLIC 2.1, then you just need to install a certificate that matches your SLIC, and a
valid OEM SLP key. Check out the instructions in section 6-F to install a certificate and a key.

6. Advanced stuff
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 an OEM SLP key to activate Windows.

B. What about the other method: modifying the BIOS?

To get activated with an OEM certificate and an appropriate OEM SLP 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. Dual-boot: Windows Vista and Windows 7

If after activating Windows 7, your Windows Vista got deactivated then you might reactivate it in a second:
Quote:

Reactivate Windows Vista

1. First thing first: get your Windows 7 activated.
2. Go back to Vista, if it is deactivated, then continue the steps below.

Windows 7 activated with Daz's act¡vator:

Apply Daz's act¡vator on Vista.

Windows 7 activated with Hazar's act¡vator:

Apply Hazar's act¡vator on Vista.

Windows 7 activated with nononsence's act¡vator:

Launch OpaTool on Vista, type "B" and press ENTER, then type "DELL" and press ENTER
again.

Windows 7 activated with a modded BIOS:

Launch OpaTool on Vista, type "B" and press ENTER, then type the brand name of your
SLIC and press ENTER again.

Note that you can also do this process manually if you wish, to do so follow the tiny tutorial in section 6-F-a.
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 check the activation status?

You can use OpaTool or do it manually:
Quote:

Manually check the activation status of your Windows

1. Type cmd in Start menu.
2. Right-click on the first result (cmd.exe) and click on Run as administrator (confirm by clicking Yes if
required).
3. Type
Code:
slmgr -dli

Code:

slmgr -xpr

Code:

slmgr -dlv

Press ENTER after each command.

F-a. Install a certificate

You can use OpaTool or do it manually:
Quote:

Manually install a certificate

1. First, be sure to have SLIC 2.1 in your BIOS (you can use this tool from davidxxw to check its
presence).
2. Download certificates — Link is broken? Try Mirror 1, Mirror 2.
3. Put in C:\ the certificate that belong to your SLIC's brand.
4. Type cmd in Start menu.
5. Right-click on the first result (cmd.exe) and click on Run as administrator (confirm by clicking Yes if
required).
6. Type (Important: Replace "NAME" by the name of your certificate)
Code:

slmgr -ilc C:\NAME.xrm-ms

7. Press ENTER and wait until a message confirms that the certificate has been correctly installed.

Note: Change C by the letter of your Windows 7's partition.

F-b. Install a key

You can use OpaTool or do it manually:
Quote:

Manually install a key

 1. Type cmd in Start menu.
2. Right-click on the first result (cmd.exe) and click on Run as administrator (confirm by clicking Yes if
required).
3. Type (Important: Replace the XXXXX by a valid OEM SLP product key — Pick one here)
Code:
slmgr -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

4. Press ENTER and wait until a message confirms that the key has been correctly installed.

G. How to deactivate Windows and go back to the trial period?

Follow this brief tutorial:
Quote:

Deactivate Windows and go back to the trial period

1. Type cmd in Start menu.
2. Right-click on the first result (cmd.exe) and click on Run as administrator (confirm by clicking Yes if
required).
3. Type
Code:

slmgr -rilc

Code:

slmgr -cpky

Code:

slmgr -upk

Press ENTER after each command.

4. Type (Important: Replace the XXXXX by the trial key that belong to your edition of Windows — Here
is a list of the default keys)
Code:
slmgr -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

H. Repair startup issues

If you have used an act¡vator and for some reason it broke your system boot partition, you might be stuck at BIOS
and Windows won't start anymore. No worry, it can be fixed easily:

If you used an act¡vator from Daz or Hazar:

1. Hold the "R" key on your keyboard during startup, if nothing appear try again with the "C" key.
2. When you see the loader menu, select "Windows without loader".
3. Once on Windows, uninstall the loader and try another one.
Otherwise follow these steps:

Quote:
 Repair startup issues
1. Put the Windows 7 installation disc in the disc drive, and then start your computer.
2. Press a key when you are prompted.
3. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
7. Type (these commands are safe - more information)
Code:
Bootrec.exe /FixMbr

Code:

Bootrec.exe /FixBoot

Code:

Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd

Press ENTER after each command.

8. Restart your computer.

That should do the trick! However if you still can't start Windows, then follow step 1 to 6 again and type this
command (more information about this command):
Code:

Bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force

Press ENTER and restart your computer.

I. My Windows shows an expiration date and/or says that key is invalid

If you get this on the final RTM of Windows 7, this is because you have used Toolkit 1.8 from Orbit or because you
have installed a modified version of Windows 7 (e.g. Wzor modified version). It replaced some system files with files
from the RC, which was designed to expire on March/June 2010. This can be fixed by making Windows reinitialize
those files. To do so you can use the "Repair activation" feature from Hazar's act¡vator, or do it manually if you wish:
Quote:

Restore original tokens

1. Type cmd in Start menu.
2. Right-click on the first result (cmd.exe) and click on Run as administrator (confirm by clicking Yes if
required).
3. Type
Code:
slmgr -rilc

Code:

net stop sppsvc

 Code:
cd
%windir%\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SoftwareProtectio

Code:

rename tokens.dat tokens.bar

Code:

cd %windir%\system32

Code:

net start sppsvc

Press ENTER after each command.

4. Restart your computer 2 times.

J. Tips for a safe and reliable system

Quote:

Tips for a safe and reliable system

When downloading a software from the Internet, always check its authenticity by matching its HASH
with the one provided by its official editor (e.g. Microsoft).
Only download updates for Windows through Windows Update or from Microsoft.com. Do not install
leaked updates, since there are no HASHES available from Microsoft's website, nor any certitude that
these updates will be ever released officially, nor any guarantee that it's not malicious software.
Do not run .exe files found on P2P networks, forums, blogs, or unknown websites. Always perform a
virus check when you don't trust the download source.
Do not install anything that modify system files, including cräcks like Chew-WGA, Toolkit 1.8 from
Orbit30, and other tools that will break your Windows.

7. 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 or any dead link so I can correct it as soon as possible.

B. Spread the word!

You can help a lot of people by simply adding a link to this thread in your signature.

Thank you!