Accidentally formatted my PC and installed Window 10

Discussion in 'Windows 10' started by soamz, Aug 13, 2015.

Page 1 of 2
  1. soamz

    soamz MDL Senior Member

    Mar 12, 2011
    282
    5
    10
    #1 soamz, Aug 13, 2015
    Hi, I had purchased a license of windows 7 ultimate from a friend 3 years back and installed on one of my i5 PC.

    I just started to do a clean install of Windows 10 on it and accidentally clicked on format on the drive.

    Now windows 10 is installed, but it asking for license.

    How do I tell them its from my licensed windows 7 PC ?
     
  2. coleoptere2007

    coleoptere2007 MDL Guru

    Apr 8, 2008
    3,311
    1,938
    120
    #2 coleoptere2007, Aug 13, 2015
    normal way is upgrading from 7 to 10. Then no solution except W7 reinstallation and then an upgrade to 10.
     
  3. matt_0978

    matt_0978 MDL Junior Member

    Jul 16, 2009
    95
    4
    0
    #3 matt_0978, Aug 13, 2015
    just go back and do it again
     
  4. soamz

    soamz MDL Senior Member

    Mar 12, 2011
    282
    5
    10
    #4 soamz, Aug 13, 2015 (OP)
    But how do I get my Windows 7 License now ?
    I lost it 4 years back.
     
  5. agent268

    agent268 MDL Junior Member

    Feb 20, 2012
    92
    33
    0
    #5 agent268, Aug 13, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2015
    Ask your friend to see if they still have a copy of the product key they can send you.
     
  6. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

    Jul 29, 2009
    7,221
    2,273
    240
    #6 pisthai, Aug 13, 2015
    You could try to use an Partition Recovery Apps like Active@ Partition Recovery or alike. If you
    You could try to use an Partition Recovery Apps like Active@ Partition Recovery ar alike. If you lucky, you could still get your old windows back. Chance is 50/50!!
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  7. soamz

    soamz MDL Senior Member

    Mar 12, 2011
    282
    5
    10
    #7 soamz, Aug 13, 2015 (OP)
    very tough.
    Let me see if I have a screenshot of my SYSTEM PROPERTIES page of the PC .

    I think I have it.
    The same one, right ?

    It starts with 00
     
  8. PCTech91

    PCTech91 MDL Novice

    Apr 1, 2015
    34
    15
    0
    #8 PCTech91, Aug 13, 2015
    Install KMSpico lol:tasty:
     
  9. pf100

    pf100 Duct Tape Coder

    Oct 22, 2010
    2,069
    3,449
    90
    #9 pf100, Aug 13, 2015
    He formatted and then installed windows 10. The chances of recovering windows 7 are zero.
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  10. Arnie25

    Arnie25 MDL Junior Member

    Jul 8, 2015
    63
    15
    0
    #10 Arnie25, Aug 13, 2015
    Buy a cheap win7/8 key and re-install windows.
     
  11. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

    Jul 29, 2009
    7,221
    2,273
    240
    #11 pisthai, Aug 13, 2015
    Not really, as long as he didn't has done an Low Level Format. Even if normal formatted, the space is still marked as in use and will be, as long as there free space is available!

    So, He could still try!
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  12. Kouryu

    Kouryu MDL Senior Member

    Jan 19, 2011
    423
    132
    10
    #12 Kouryu, Aug 13, 2015
    he started the "upgrade" process all wrong to begin with.... no way to format the drive unless he booted the install disc
    you can only upgrade by starting the installer while in Windows

    and no, you can't clean install until after you upgraded ONCE
     
  13. pf100

    pf100 Duct Tape Coder

    Oct 22, 2010
    2,069
    3,449
    90
    #13 pf100, Aug 13, 2015
    Sure, he can recover windows 7 if every file is recoverable, of which the chances of that are roughly zero. He might be able to save some of his porn collection though.
     
    Stop hovering to collapse... Click to collapse... Hover to expand... Click to expand...
  14. odiebugs1

    odiebugs1 MDL Expert

    Jul 30, 2015
    1,390
    465
    60
    #14 odiebugs1, Aug 13, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2015
  15. odiebugs1

    odiebugs1 MDL Expert

    Jul 30, 2015
    1,390
    465
    60
    #15 odiebugs1, Aug 13, 2015
    Exactly, only a low level, or a zero write DOD, will make it unrecoverable. Formatting, LOL
     
  16. MrG

    MrG MDL Expert

    May 31, 2010
    1,403
    1,625
    60
    #16 MrG, Aug 13, 2015
  17. Arnie25

    Arnie25 MDL Junior Member

    Jul 8, 2015
    63
    15
    0
    #17 Arnie25, Aug 13, 2015
    Seriously! You're asking the OP to try and recover his Win7 files when he can't even upgrade without destroying his Windows Installation.

    Talk about shutting the gate after the horse has bolted
     
  18. matt_0978

    matt_0978 MDL Junior Member

    Jul 16, 2009
    95
    4
    0
    #18 matt_0978, Aug 13, 2015
    so hang on a minute, this system had an activated installation of windows 7 originally? then why can't you extract the product key from bios with ProduKey? note it down and reinstall 7 then do the UPGRADE? or use some recovery software and try to find a file called "windows.old" and open that with notepad.exe, that should also show win 7 product key.
     
  19. wolf69

    wolf69 MDL Senior Member

    Jul 29, 2009
    276
    19
    10
    #19 wolf69, Aug 13, 2015
    seeing how he bought the key its more than likely a retail key and not an oem installed one so it wouldn't be located in the bios
     
  20. matt_0978

    matt_0978 MDL Junior Member

    Jul 16, 2009
    95
    4
    0
    #20 matt_0978, Aug 13, 2015
    maybe Daz can help then?? :zwinker:
     
Page 1 of 2