Download Windows 7 ISO Legally – Official Direct Download Links [32-64 Bit]

There are many valid and legal reasons one might have to feel the need to download Windows 7. For instance, you might be needed to reinstall or recover Windows 7 but not find the original Windows 7 setup DVD, or your netbook doesn’t come with a DVD drive. In such cases, downloading Windows 7 should help you out, assuming you have bought a legal and valid key from Microsoft.

A few days back, we told you about an option to get the Windows 7 DVD from retail stores or download Windows 7 ISO directly from its servers online. In addition, customers can digitally download the Windows 7 installation files from the online store from which they purchased Windows 7 to clean install on a blank PC or upgrade the existing installed OS.

What You Should Know Before Downloading Windows 7 ISO Files

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020, which means Microsoft won’t provide technical support for issues, software updates, and security updates. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that Windows 7 will stop running. You can still use it if you want.

Microsoft has also removed the Windows 7 ISO download page from its official website. Therefore, you cannot download the Windows 7 ISO file with the product key. Likewise, you cannot download the Windows 7 ISO using the Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool.

So the only way to download Windows 7 ISO without a product key is to click on the direct links. You can download the right Windows 7 version for your needs.

Windows 7 ISO Download Directly from Microsoft

Since Microsoft stopped providing official support for Windows 7, the only way to download the legal copy of Windows 7 ISO, is by purchasing the Visual Studio subscription. This will provide legal license copy to use Windows 7 in 2024 and beyond.

For the actual download links, we will have to rely on third-party sites like Softpedia, archive.org and others.

Windows 7 download ISO with SP1

Download Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit x86 ISO

Download Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit x64 ISO

Download Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit x86 ISO

Download Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit x64 ISO

Download Windows 7 Professional 32-bit x86 ISO

Download Windows 7 Professional 64-bit x64 ISO

Download Windows 7 ISO Files from AdGuard

This third-party website lists out the Windows 7 ISO file download for those with a valid product key but not serviced by Microsoft’s official page above. Visit the link below, choose the Type as Windows (Final), version as Windows 7 SP1 (build 7601), edition as per your needs (Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate), language, and finally, the x64 or x32 ISO file.

Download Windows 7 ISO file from AdGuard

Make sure you scroll down a little till you find the Windows 7 download links. Here is the direct link for the Windows 7 ISO with SP1 (updated Aug 2018)

Download Windows 7 Ultimate ISO from Softlay

Another popular third-party Windows website, Softlay, has made available the Windows 7 ISO files on their site. They have both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Ultimate.

Download Windows 7 ISO (32-bit)

Download Windows 7 ISO (64-bit)

Download Any Windows or Office ISO Using a Free Third-Party Tool

That’s right. Instead of Digital River, Microsoft is now using TechBench to store all the ISO files. It’s not easy to find the ISO files for older Windows versions, but we will help you out. To start with, enter the Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool.

This is a free-to-use third-party tool with a simple interface that lets you select the version of Windows you want, then download an ISO for that version straight from Microsoft’s download servers. Of course, this is all legal and kosher. And you need to have a valid, genuine Windows 7 license key to use the Win 7 ISO files you just downloaded.

Alternatively, here is yet another third-party tool to get Windows 7 ISO file download.

Windows 7 ISO Google Drive download links

It’s usually a bad idea to download ISO files from unknown random links. So this should be your very last option assuming none of the above links worked for you. Of course, it’s convenient to download the files from Google Drive but proceed cautiously and with care. We got the below link via Reddit.

Windows 7 ISO File download on Google Drive

Create a Bootable Windows 7 USB Drive

Now that you’ve successfully downloaded the Windows 7 ISO, let’s look at how to install Windows 7 on your PC or laptop. There are some minimum requirements that you need to fulfill in order to install Windows 7. Let’s take a look at the minimum system requirements for Windows 7.

Windows 7 Minimum System Requirements

• Anything faster than 1 GHz should be enough to run Windows 7. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using a 32-bit or 64-bit CPU.
• If you have a 32-bit system and want to use it with Windows 7, 1 GB of RAM is more than sufficient. However, if you have a system with 64-bit architecture, you should have at least 2 GB of RAM.
• For a 32-bit system, 16 GB of memory is sufficient and for a 64-bit system, 20 GB is ideal. However, we recommend installing Windows 7 on a 40 to 50 GB hard disk, as the operating system may require more space after installing drivers and software.

Unlike Windows 10 and 11, Windows 7 should work fine on any current hardware, as the minimum requirements for current versions of Windows are much higher. Even if you have a system that’s a few years old, your PC or laptop should have no problems running Windows 7. Let’s take a look at how to install Windows 7 and what we need to do to install the operating system.

Creating Windows 7 Bootable USB/DVD

To install Windows 7 on your PC or laptop, you first need to create a Windows Bootable USB drive or CD drive. Creating both drives is fairly simple, but we recommend you use a USB drive for convenience, as modern devices are not usually equipped with a CD drive.

With that said, let’s take a look at how to create a bootable USB drive to install Windows 7. You’ll need a USB drive with at least 8GB of disk space and another Windows laptop or desktop running Windows 10 or 11.

To create a bootable flash drive, you will need to use Rufus. Rufus is a utility that allows you to format and create bootable USB flash drives.

• Visit the link to download and install Rufus on your Windows computer: Rufus.
• Now, insert the USB drive on a USB 3.0 port if possible. (Make sure the Pendrive is backed up, it will be formatted).
• Locate the Rufus exe file in your download folder and launch the Rufus exe file by double-clicking it.
• Under the Device tab, select the USB drive that you have inserted.
• Under the Boot Selection tab, select Disk or ISO image.
• Now click on SELECT on the right-hand side to load the Windows 7 iso file that you have downloaded.
• Under Format Options, click on the Volume label and rename it to Windows 7.
• Select the File System as NTFS, and click on the START button.

Rufus prompts you to delete all data on the USB drive. Click OK and wait a few seconds. Once the bootable USB drive is ready, you can see it in Windows File Explorer.

Install Windows 7 using the Bootable USB Drive

Once you have created the bootable USB drive, you now need to connect it to the computer on which you want to install Windows 7.

• Turn ON your computer and open the boot menu by hitting F10, F11, F12, or the Escape key rapidly. (Check it for your system)
• Here, select the USB drive to boot from it, this should launch Windows 7 installer.
• Now, you will see the classic Windows 7 boot screen, (it could take some time depending on your hardware).
• Once you enter the Windows installer, select the language, time, and keyboard method of your choice and click on the Next button.
• You will see the Windows Installation Screen. Click on the Install Now button to move further with the installation.
• Accept the license agreement, by clicking the small arrow and clicking the Next button.
• Now, select Custom (advanced) Installation.
• Here, select the Disk drive you want to install Windows on and click on the Next button.
• Now, you have to wait and let Windows do its job of installation.
• As soon as the installation is complete, you will see the Windows 7 desktop.

FAQs about Windows 7 ISO Download