clean win 7 x64 install trouble

There's some suggestions here which can help with your install and maintenance: Reinstalling Windows 7

yp89CCp said:

silly to do this i guess i just ordered a new and bigger hd
should get that this week before weekend

in the future what AV would you guys suggest? i heard Avast! mentioned a lot

Yeah, it may be silly since you are getting a new drive.

What are your plans for the new drive?

Regarding partitions:

All hard drives must have at least one.

You can put Windows, programs, and data on a single partition if you want to---everything on C.

Or you can use 2 partitions: Windows and programs on one and data on the other. Both work.

Microsoft Security Essentials is probably the most commonly recommended antivirus on this forum. It is free. Avast is OK too.

i don't see the reasoning behind partitioning can some1 explain it to me?

As I said: the main reason for a partition is that you can't install Windows or build a PC without one. Hard drives are as useless as a brick without a partition.

Using a small separate partition for Windows and programs alone: quicker virus scans, quicker defragmenting, more compact image if you make an image of C. If you reinstall C, your data is on a separate partition (D) and so you would not overwrite your data on D with the reinstall on C--although you should still backup D anyway.

yp89CCp said:

i don't see the reasoning behind partitioning can some1 explain it to me?

Easier backups.

With Windows on the C drive and my personal data on the D drive I can create a system image backup without affecting my personal stuff and I can create incremental backups of my personal data without affecting Windows.

User Folders - Change Default Location
Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup
System Image Recovery

okey pokey so it all went well
while trying to install firefox i get the message that i need intel drivers and an internet adapter driver
any idea how to find those? will generic ones do i do i need specific ones?

You need to get on the internet so you can pull newer and missing drivers off of optional Windows Updates. To do this, download your wireless or ethernet driver from the Acer Support Downloads webpage for your model, install it, connect to the internet via the connection icon on the far right of your task bar.

Once online do several rounds of Windows Updates to see what drivers it delivers, then import any that are missing in Device manager from the Support Downloads webpage for your model computer or device.

I would not change any drivers given by installer or Updates unless performance issues point to the driver(s).

ok!
Asus has a pretty extensive driver library for my laptop

Some things already work like the touchpad, audio, etc but should I still download the drivers?
also I don't know what some drivers update like the "SATA AHCI Driver"

i got the intel drivers, vga nvidia and modem, wireless drivers and will try those today

I don't change any drivers given by installer and optional Updates unless there is additional functionality I want which the current drivers dont' provide, e.g. tap to click, scroll bar on touchpad, etc.

Win7 is the authority on its own drivers which don't need changing unless performance dictates doing so.

If you're saying you have SATA driver missing in Device Manager after several rounds of optional Updates, then import the chipset from Acer Drivers webpage for your model.