Need to zap W7 and reinstall


  1. SkylineUK
    Posts : 27
    Windows 7 64 bit Home SP1
       New #1

    Need to zap W7 and reinstall


    I've got fundamental problems with my music software (Sonar) that other users and the company can't replicate. After days wasted trying for solutions I've decided the only route is completely clean reinstall of Windows 7.

    I just tried a custom clean install from the disk, but now on switch on I'm given a choice between 'windows 7' and 'windows 7', the former taking me to a bare bones version (what I need really) and the second to my old fullblown setup that I want to lose. I've got my data on other drives so I'm happy to zap all this. How do I do I good old fashioned format and then a reinstall? I'm not computer savvy so I know I need to proceed carefully as the OS disk I think is part of a real hard drive.
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  3. Bare Foot Kid
    Posts : 22,814
    W 7 64-bit Ultimate
       New #2

    Hello.


    After you have copied out or made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media, then boot the Windows 7 installation media to use Step One of this tutorial at the first link below to do a wipe (secure erase) to the entire Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive.

    Whether you use diskpart to run either the clean all command to completely wipe a HDD / SSD or just the clean command to remove the format configuration data and don't use diskpart to create at least a single partition to do the installation to, letting the Windows installer do the format you will end up with the new Windows 7 System Reserved partition, if you want to make your own decision whether this partition is added, study these two (2) options below.
    • Then if you do not want to create the new Windows 7 "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #2 to create, format and mark Active a single 100GB partition to do the installation to.
    • If you do want to create the "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #3 to create, format and mark Active the System Reserved partition and then create and format the 100GB partition to do the installation to.
    Either way, running the "clean all" then creating and formatting the partition(s) using diskpart will get you the best possible space to do a clean install of Windows 7 to; you can always extend the Windows partition to include the remaining unallocated space on the HDD / SSD or create additional Primary partitions or an Extended partition after the installation completes if you choose.

    SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

    DISKPART : At PC Startup

    Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version
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  4. theog
    Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       New #3

    Try a full clean & full format in command prompt.
    SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation
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  6. gregrocker
    Posts : 50,642
       New #4

    You need to pay attention to where you install Win7, booting DVD then choosing Custom install, using Drive Options to delete all partitions before creating New one(s) as you wish, format before install.

    Follow these steps which apply to get a perfect reinstall: Reinstalling Windows 7

    If you want to simply remove the old Win7 now, boot into the new one and post a screenshot of your full DIsk Mgmt drive map with listings - using the Snipping Tool in Start Menu. Tell us what is on each partition.
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