I know there are tutorials and I have read them but I am confused about one thing. If I make the new partition and then install can I delete the old partition and have it as clean space on the new partition?
Welcome to Windows Seven Forums.
Clean Install Windows 7
During the install procedure you'll be able to delete all the old partitions on your hard drive, and then create new ones as you wish.
Hello afweaponman, welcome to Seven Forums!
Yes you can but you would be better off to create a new partition to the left of the 'old' partition using a third party partition manager like Partition Wizard, Windows will not do that natively; have a look at this tutorial at the link to get some ideas; this says Vista but the principal is exactly the same.
Clean Install Windows 7 : Ahead of Vista
Thanks Bare Foot that is what I was looking for. Now, since I will be installing from a virtual drive as I do not have the discs but I have my keys will that be an issue? Since the virtual drive and the version of windows I am going to install are loaded on the shrunken partition that has win7 32.
Perhaps you could 'find' an ISO of the exact same version your key is for, if so you could use this tutorial at the link below and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.
Clean Install Windows 7 from the Windows 7 Desktop
Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc - Create
Perfect Bare Foot. The ISO I have for my OS is the one that coincides with my key. I run a custom system that I built myself. I am great with hardware but abysmal with the software lol. I run an external optical drive since I have my system in Tri-Sli with 2 coolant pumps so there was no room for an internal. Unfortunately I am unable to use my external drive since it wanted to fall off my desk and break (new one is in the mail). I had mistakenly installed 32 bit when I built it and am just now getting around to redoing the OS since I need the added performance of the 8gb of RAM I have installed. Thank you for the help!
My pleasure, glad I could help; one last fact, you could extract the ISO to a USB stick and still run the clean install from the Windows desktop.
I'm going to put a link here for this for others that see this thread.
ISO - Disk Image File : Extract to the Desktop
Well scratch it. Had it all set to go but since it is the 64 bit version I am trying to install from the desktop of a 32 bit Os I am going to have to wait.
You can not clean install 64bit from a 32bit desktop.
You need to do a clean install from boot.
Clean Install Windows 7
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation
Here you go mate, make the installation files bootable.
How to create a Windows Vista / 7 installation disc using ImgBurn
USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create
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