I just bought a new OEM Win7 Ultimate, and am going to install it with a clean install. Was wondering where I should install it to? Should I format and install it to my C: drive, or should I Format and install it to "Factory Image" partition?
In case you need it, I am running a Compaq CQ5205Y bought from Best Buy, with a Nvidia Geforce 9500 Graphics Card and PPA Internation 8-channel sound card.
Read through it, once I get to step 7, unlike in the picture, I have three partitions, all of the same drive.
one is called System, and takes up like 10 MB, so I won't even worry about it.
The second is my C: drive and takes up 221 GB, which is what I formatted to delete all my old info.
THe third is called Factory Image, and is used for restoring previous settings. since I don't want any of my old info, or my old OS, shouldn't I format and install there?
When I format and install to Partition 2 (my C: drive), And I try to create an account with the username "administrator" It says name is already taken, which I take to mean I basically am turning my computer into a dual-boot, Win7 Home Premium from the Factory Image, and Win7 Ultimate from the C: Drive.
I don't want any traces of the Home Premium though.
Free partition wizard cd.
Free Download Magic Partition Manager Software – Partition Wizard Online
So if I follow all these instructions, it deletes all the info already on the HDD< and turns it all into one Partition correct?
Then when it gets to the point of creatign a NEW partition in order to install your OS onto, what is the up.down side of installing it to a partition, or installing it directly to the HDD without partitioning the HDD first?
Yes, you can use diskpart in "optimize for windows reinstallation" or use partition wizard to remove partitions. I thought you might like partition wizard because of the graphical user interface. Either one is fine.
So before I re install, either way, I should go through and un-partition, and clear my HDD as instructed by the second tutorial, and then install from the disk?
TBH: The only reason I am bothering to do anything with any of this, is because I am sick of getting errors with programs that were made for XP and them not working/not working correctly in Windows 7, so I am doign this to allow my the dual-boot XP feature of Ultimate, so that I can run my games and such in XP
You mean the Virtual XP included with Win7 ultimate? You are wasting a Home Premium license on that machine if you use Ultimate instead.
Where did you get Ultimate?
Most problems with non-compatible programs can be resolved with Win7 drivers or installing in compatibility mode: Compatibility Mode
Hopefully you made your Home Premium Recovery Disks so you have a path back to factory condition. If not, I would keep the Recovery partition and format the other two using Partition Wizard bootable CD partition wipe to install Ultimate.
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