How do i get my HDD back

This will tell you how to clean the HDD and get it ready to run as good as possible with a clean install: SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

And this should tell you everything for doing a clean install: Clean Install Windows 7

If you are using an upgrade copy, this will be more relevant: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Welcome to the Seven Forums! imessedup2

There are two options available while the second would be Clean Install Windows 7

The guide there will take you through the steps to see a clean install of 7 starting over entirely new. The first option(s) I should say would be moving the second primary forward to fill in the gap left when removing the 32bit primary if that partiion was removed and expand it outward. You would then boot from the 64bit 7 dvd and go into the repair tools in order to run the startup repair tool found there.

The other option once the 64bit primary was moved would be performing an inplace upgrade to repair type install using the upgrade option to rewrite the boot information as well as refresh all system files while leaving most programs intact. That can be time consuming with either of those two plus the need to backup all of your files before proceeding to move the primary and resize it.

The second option mentioned first insures the best working results by simply wiping the drive to see a new single primary created along with the 100mb system reserved partition at the very front of the drive if allowing the 7 installer to create the new primary. To avoid the 100mb partition the use of a 3rd party drive partitioning program would be the option for that.

The second option would require all programs to be installed fresh just like the new copy of Windows that would go on. The Windows Easy Transfer tool would be the option for backing things up on an extra drive if you have one available. If not the first option(s) would be the way to preserve the present installations as well as files and folders by way of upgrade to repair.

Night Hawk said:

The second option mentioned first insures the best working results by simply wiping the drive to see a new single primary created along with the 100mb system reserved partition at the very front of the drive if allowing the 7 installer to create the new primary. To avoid the 100mb partition the use of a 3rd party drive partitioning program would be the option for that.

Actually, if you follow the instructions for optimizing the HDD, you don't get the 100mb partition. No 3rd party software is needed. I followed the instructions and I have no system reserve partition. See below.

For most simply letting the installer make all the decisions will typically see this added when the drive is selected being raw at the time. Are you referring to the guide on SSDs? SSD Tweaks and Optimizations in Windows 7

No I'm referring to the this one, which I specifically mentioned in my last post: SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

I'll quote from it.

Bare Foot Kid said:

Step Three
Create a Partition


1) Still in the same command window, I don't believe it's necessary but I always go through the commands again just to make sure, "list disk" <enter> "select disk #" <enter> now type "create partition primary" <enter> to create a partition on the drive so you don't get the 100MB boot partition, you will get "DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition" when it's done (takes about 4 seconds).

Yes, you are right that letting the installer call all the shots makes the 100MB partition and it only does a quick format. That is why I recommend using that tutorial. It does a full format and it prevents the 100MB partition from being made.

The guide there however is still mainly intended for SSDs not your typical sata or ide drive. If you already have a drive partitioned and formatted but not OSed the 7 installer still won't create the 100mb partition but simply unpack all the setup files.

The quote of step #3 simply refers to creating the new primary DiskPart from the command prompt option while in the repair tools when booting from the 7 dvd. All that however is still dealing with a "raw" drive like one just out of the box. For preserving the present 64bit install and seeing that primary moved forward to the front of the drive to allow for expansion later you would still need a 3rd party drive partitioning program followed by use of the startup repair tool to repair the boot sector and mbr entries.

That brings to mind the three OS drive situation last fall where the retail 64bit was the host drive, 32bit went on the actual 3rd drive while the 64bit RC was still on the then second drive. The 32bit installer added the 64bit retail in without problem. But what about the stand alone RC?

The 64bit retail disk was then booted from and the startup repair tool "recovered" the RC by seeing that added into the retail 64bit's BCD store. The new entry on the boot menu reflected that as well with the (recovered) notation following the entry. Likewise for preserving the present 64bit install the startup repair tool will do the same once detecting it being there by rewriting the boot information.

The risk of course as we have mentioned is moving the 64bit primary forward followed by expanding it out to fill the drive afterwards and often why many opt to simply nuke a drive and start over fresh rather then fuss since moving a primary forward can be a time consumer maybe an hour or longer depending on the size of that, the amount of files present, and the distance of unallocated drive space. Naturally everything would need to be backed up first regardless of which option was considered.

I have to be honest, I have no clue what you are talking about. Using command prompt, I created a partition, and upon installing 7, it did not create the 100MB reserve partition (see image of my disk management above). If you have a problem with that simple fact, take it up with Bare Foot Kid, the author of the tutorial I used. If you are still going on about the other tutorial you linked to, read my post again.

There are two options available while booted live with 7 dvd. The first is using the drive tools there to create and format a new primary and immediately canceling the install to reboot and then restart the installer to avoid seeing the 100mb partition created since the installer will then see an existing primary.

The second is not starting up the installer but going into the repair tools section and selecting the command prompt option to use DiskPart. You can create and format a new primary there using the command line method.

The 3rd option is typically best for repartitioning by someone new at partitioning drives with the help of the gui interface seen with a regular partitioning program. That will still be needed in order to move the existing primary to the front of the drive to be expanded afterwards or opt to see a new second storage partition created in the then vacant drive space rather then risking any partition table problem when going to expand the 64bit 7's primary which could happen.

All that will depend on what imessedup2 is looking for which sounds like he wants to save the present 64bit installation along with seeing the booting problem resolved. The startup repair tool may have to be used more then once but usually is quite effective at correcting the loss of boot files and mbr entries.