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System specs that you filled in say you have a laptop. Have you checked under the battery for a Windows 7 license key label? Or on the bottom of the laptop? That's where Windows 7 license key labels are usually placed on a laptop.
Yep, you can not clean install windows 10 unless you have bought it retail. Or you upgraded from 7 SP1 or 8 or 8.1 and confirmed Windows 10 is activated, then you can clean install 10 and it will auto activate.
You must upgrade from 7 SP1 to get it free.
As stated, you have to re install and activate 7 with your key from the COA. You did not do an upgrade, so your key will still work fine for activation, install the same version that you had before.
Or if you did not wipe out your Windows 7 Recovery partition, use that to reinstall 7.
Clean Install Windows 7 - Windows 7 Help Forums
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You said you thought it was a "purchased version" -- that comes WITH a key. If you buy the box, they key is on a card inside the box. IF you buy it online, the key comes in an email.
But, sounds like, from what you said, it was not a purchased version -- and as others have said, in the present condition, it will never activate -- since MS does not allow you to enter Win7/8/8.1 keys to activate the version you have.
Absolutely 100% false. It's very easy to delete OEM recovery partitions. Most people who do it do it by accident attempting to install or upgrade Windows. I've done it intentionally on every computer I have purchased.
To the OP: use showkey found on these forums to retrieve any previous Windows product keys that might be stored in BIOS.
Oh? That easy, eh sailor? Then tell me how do you get rid of a MSI lappy bios_rvy partition with any Windows or MS software? Perhaps you can teach us all something.
That's a good suggestion, except how would the OP perform that if there's no OS installed? Hmm?To the OP: use showkey found on these forums to retrieve any previous Windows product keys that might be stored in BIOS.
Just for information only. You don't need to do clean all.
clean will also work & is faster and only deletes that one drive. Clean all deletes all drives including any drives attached to the system.
Substitute clean all with just clean
Delete/Format OEM Partition on Clean Install? - Windows 7 Help Forums