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+---- Thread: Win 8 - 7 or refresh w/o product key (/showthread.php?tid=4967581)
Win 8 - 7 or refresh w/o product key - aerodynamic - Aug 29, 2015
I don't have a product key or any installation disks for my computer, and something has been happening recently making it nearly impossible to use my computer. Is there any way to downgrade or refresh my computer w/o the product key or installation disks?
* - archangel.dmitry - Aug 29, 2015
No, you can't downgrade without key and installation disk.
* - Chair123 - Aug 29, 2015
Well, you can find a free Windows 7 ISO on the Internet, and write it to a USB, then put it in to your computer. http://www.pcsteps.com/45-download-windows-7-iso-legally-free/ Try out this link. Then, it might say that your copy of Windows 7 isn't genuine in the desktop background. Just open cmd and type in SLMGR -REARM, and restart your computer! Because I don't have much reputation, and you might not trust me and think I'm giving you a malicious command if you don't know how to use CMD, then here is a link to the same thing, but on instructables.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-Windows-7-genuine-1-minute-/
I'm not sure whether it counts as downgrading but it will get you Windows 7 back.
* - KnownSyntax - Aug 30, 2015
If you are able to at least login using an administrator account regardless of the length of time it takes, you can go into the PC Settings area and then click on Restore (you can do it from a previous saved point or from a factory restore) which will delete everything but main operating system files and keep your product key intact. Worse case is that you download an ISO for Windows 8/7, and click on the "Repair" option when you insert the media and boot into it. This should do the same thing as a factory restore and also keep the product key saved.