It wasn't that long ago that you got actual windows install media when you bought a computer.
Oh, I'm afraid that was actually quite a long time ago.
However, the last time I checked, Microsoft did impose a condition that mostly affected laptop manufacturers, such that they were required to provide any genuine Windows customer with real Windows media on request, rather than just some not-quite-real-Windows recovery media. Is this no longer the case?
If that is still a requirement for installing OEM Windows on laptops for sale, maybe a campaign where a significant fraction of Samsung laptop customers suddenly started demanding real media would attract the attention of whatever fool thought this was a good idea. This is not mutually exclusive with an expensive class action lawsuit, of course. }:-)
More recently, helping a friend with a Dell purchase, I could no longer find that option in the online order flow. Maybe if you call them and ask...
(I'm not a regular Dell purchaser.)
With HP, I wasn't even able to pay for an install disc of any sort, and since the recovery portion of the HD was gone I had to buy a copy of Windows. I'll never buy an HP computer for this reason.
(I'm hesitant to download an image from an unknown source.)
I don't know about Windows 7 -- I seem to recall reading that installation disks for it work somewhat differently, but I don't recall the details.
These have worked for my OEM licenses, XP though I remember you needed to use the disk with the correct service pack to install with your software key. (A sp1 key wouldn't work with a sp2 disk and vica versa.)
The links that say msft-dnl.digitalrivercontent are the same as when you buy online (at least when I bought my win 7 professional license for my desktop the iso linked is the same as the one I downloaded).
Those are probably the only ones I would trust, make sure you are indeed going to digitalrivercontent website, download appropriate language and version/arch (prof, home prem 64 or 32)
http://www.windowsvalley.com/unlock-all-editions-from-window...
To get all editions-
4. Just delete the file and finally create the bootable ISO and burn your unlocked disc.
In my case, I'm in the position of occasionally needing to support others who have e.g. Win 7 (most recently, actually, someone with Vista). Sometimes, it's simplest to simply back up their data and re-install. But I may need to supply an installation disk; even if they have one, part of the solution may be installing from a disk minus all the crapware.
I don't do this work regularly, so I'm not part of a community that's constantly, physically swapping disks and utilities and whatnot.
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-w...
This applies for the first few months, thereafter you can call Microsoft and within a few prompts they will send it out to you, often for free.
Should work in most countries, and is a bit of a backdoor way of getting original install disks.
There is also a way in the EU to get a free linux distro disk if you request it, which was part of the EU antitrust settlement but I can't remember what that was (all of these consumer rights features were part of one settlement or another)