Install Win 7 Home Premium 64-Bit (OEM)

First, I want to Thank You ALL Very Much!

Second, I want to apologize for my tone. In the light of morning and after a good night's sleep I can see that I was very tired and irate, (to no one’s fault but maybe my own), when I typed that last night, I meant no offence.

I want to say that I have resolved the problem. But I also want to point out that I had 5 hours to try everything you all suggested before I posted. I even did the DVD test and copied the 3+GB files and folders to a USB and back to a fresh DVD for which I then tried booting from... No Go!

I even cleared the CMOS, updated the BIOS, (twice), and disabled everything but that DVD reader, (and yes, I did try opening the Boot Order screen, F11 in my case). Which reminds me; I built this system and listed the mobo and cpu and I think I even listed the GPU as well, (please see “BTW” below).

Finally, I decided I had nothing to lose and allowed the disk to run after I had booted into the present Windows 7 that I was planning to overwrite.

THAT'S when I was finally given the option to choose the 'Custom' Setup and delete the present Partitions, install a new Windows 7, etc, etc.! I pride myself at being very good at following instructions and therefore I strictly followed the ‘Clean Install’ how-to’s I found on the web as well as the small print that came with the Disc.

So it never occurred to me to try allowing the darn thing to open in post-boot mode! That was what my wife kept telling me to do but that was NOT what the instructions said to do. So yes, the disc gave me every single option and stayed in step with the ‘Clean Install’ how-to’s on the web.

I’m looking for a way to click Kudos to you all and to claim this matter resolved but I guess if I didn’t open the Topic I don’t get those choices, huh?

Thanks again to all and please forgive my unwarranted tone in my original post from last night.
Rich

BTW:
There was nothing left to list about my system that could have helped yet it seemed that some of you felt there was some info that I didn’t mention that you would have liked. I don’t know what that could have been but aside from the hardware I already posted: I have a OCZ 700W PSU, I use a Corsair H100 closed-looped liquid cooling system for the CPU, My HDD is a 1 TB Seagate Barracuda and the OS I presently have is the same as the OS I plan to install: Windows 7 Home Prem 64bit.

Incidentally, I have been successfully using the system’s new hardware for which the mobo, CPU & GPU as well as the OS HD were all installed within the last 3.5 weeks and within days of each other. It was an AMD based system that I had made from an originally purchased HP p6230f. That is, I bought an HP p6230f, a year later I replaced all the hardware, (including the case), except the 750 HD and DVD reader and I kept it as an AMD based system which is the way it was when I bought it.

Then I replaced all of that stuff to what I listed and of course, changed it to a Intel based system. There is nothing left of the HP 6230f except the DVD reader. So that’s a brief history of the system.

My BIG Mistake was not doing a Clean Install when I changed those hardware items, (in both AMD & Intel mod stages), and the “Strange Little things” that would occur now and then started building up and getting worse. So here I am with a fresh Windows 7 DVD. You know the rest

wingclip said:

Finally, I decided I had nothing to lose and allowed the disk to run after I had booted into the present Windows 7 that I was planning to overwrite.

THAT'S when I was finally given the option to choose the 'Custom' Setup and delete the present Partitions, install a new Windows 7, etc, etc.! I pride myself at being very good at following instructions and therefore I strictly followed the ‘Clean Install’ how-to’s I found on the web as well as the small print that came with the Disc.

If you were in fact given the Drive Options to Delete, Create and Format new partitions then you were booted into the installer and not running it from an OS, period. You cannot Delete or Repartition when booted into the same HD. Only the Roadrunner can erase himself.

wingclip said:

So it never occurred to me to try allowing the darn thing to open in post-boot mode!

Except that I told you you could do that in my last post?

wingclip said:

I have no idea what your trying to say becasue of your lack of syntax use.

We still have no idea who or what you were referring to in your opening sentence.

Hopefully you hewed closely to the Best Practices in Clean Reinstall which are the same for retail. If so you'll have a perfect install you can image and use in place of reinstall going forward.

Thanks, I spoke too soon. When I started the DVD and it opened to "Install" screen there was a place to click on that explained what the choices of the operations were and one was the "Custom" option.

I therefore assumed that I would get to pick that option but to my disappointment, it went to "Saving Temp Files" and now I'm sitting on a window that is giving me the choice to have Windows search and install the latest updates & drivers or choose to not do that.

I didn't click on either because I had expected to see a screen that tells me I need to accept some permissions etc, (as shown in the Clean Install instructions here: https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html).

In addition, why would it want to save anything if I'm doing a clean install, right? Anyway, you seem to be close to your computer. Can you tell me if I can stop this process if it isn't a clean install but instead some kind of half assed repair?
Thanks

BTW, I have already politely apologized for the Syntax statement and frankly, I don't know who I was referring to. As I had explained, I was very tired and irate. Please accept the apology and let’s move on, OK? :)

A little update; I went ahead and continued and it did show the screen where I had to "Accept" the permissions and rules of MS.That was great!

Then the next screen opened and asked if I wanted to do and 'Express' or 'custom' install, again, That's Great! But then, after choosing 'Custom' the next screen asked which partition I wanted to install too!!!

That was bad. Because I wanted to have the new OS completely overwrite the HD and make a new partion after it did.

I keep reading stuff about an ".iso file" which none of my Windows 7 DVD's have, (I have two). From what I understand, (which isn't much), the .iso file may be responsible for letting the DVD boot when I wnat to boot from the Disc as I've been trying to do.

But as you said, I can't delete partions using the install method I presently am in. So I have to boot to the Disc which just will not happen. I'm guessing that the problem is that '.iso file' or Asrock/Intel has some kind of protection in place to keep that DVD from overwriting the OS presently installed.

Or, maybe the present OS is so screwed up, (as I had established earlier and hence the reason for the install), that it just won't let anything boot from the DVD or USB drives, (yes, I tried it taht way too).

Now I'm considering using a partion tool to remove any patition I can except the system partion and the OS partion. That leaves that old HP partion that transfered to this HD when I followed the 'System Image' process to move the OS to the new 1TB from the old 750GB. In fact, that may have something to do with it.

Say, what is I tick the box in msconfig that says "OS Boot info". Does that mean it will display all the boot info via the Boot Manager?

That 's one of the problems I have as well; I can't find a way to open the Boot Manager unless I boot from a DVD, which I can't do.
Rich

If you run Setup and choose Custom install and select your C partition it will overwrite your current Win7, placing all of the previous install in a windows.old folder. So it is not formatted for that reason, but clean enough if you cannot boot a disk.

Are you getting the "Press any key to boot disk" when you set DVD drive to boot first in BIOS setup, or trigger DVD drive using the Asus F8 key.

If this is not a disk you burned then it should boot if it is clean and not scratched. Try cleaning it.

You can also try downloading Win7 again and burning another disk or writing the ISO file (which creates the disk) to flash stick from Step 1 and 2 in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. Read over those steps closely to get a perfect install.

You can download dBAN or Partition Wizard boot CD to burn to CD using Windows Image Burner, boot it to wipe the HD which should cause the isntaller to boot itself.


There was no apology requested, I only wanted to know who you were talking to since someone could have deleted a post you replied to there.

Thank You!
Just an FYI I placed the exact same disc in my wife’s HP, (I semi modified that one), and it immediately opens with an option for me to boot from that darn Disc! Both of my DVD’s are legal, store-bought Windows OS’s and they both work correctly in her computer.

My suspicion went to the fact that the 'remnants' of HP may be screwing with my options because, as I said, the "D" partition is that HP Tools/system stuff and I had Deleted all HP references from that new drive after I installed it.

Even though I can run the DVD Reader when I choose it after the system has booted, I suppose it may still have a problem but I kind of doubt that. I was going to replace it with my wife’s reader but I don't know. I mean, it is reading as I said so I can't understand how it would work when it needs to be used in a boot-up process.

I saved the original 750 HD and left it as it was just after I transferred all the data to the new one. I was considering replacing it in the computer and then try to run the DVD boot up process with it as the OS HD.

But the suggestions you offered may hold better options.

Oh, and NO, I'm not getting that "press any key" message as I alluded to earlier. The Asrock mobo gives me plenty of options of which one is to boot from the DVD reader. So yes, I've tried that and placed the mobo back it's default conditions, as well as a number of other settings in a continuous trial and error circle.

IMPORTANT! I already have a number of partition wizard programs and the suggestion to use the Windows Image Burner in this process, (I don't really understand what you mean there), sounds like what you're saying is to basically clean the HD completely.

And that thought brings me to the thought of installing my 750GB HD, and boot from it. Then use the Seagate Disc Wiz to clean it or even just use the Windows Disc manager to reformat it.

Then I can remove the 750GB, install the now empty 1TB HD and I should get the computer to have to read that DVD in order to do anything, Right?

That would be the fastest method, (I am incredibly behind in my job and need to get this going ASAP-I work from my Computer-). I'm going to wait for your thoughts on that idea for as long as I can. I just want to be sure that this idea can actually be done as I stated it. What do you think?

One more thing; Do you suppose it may be possible that if I go ahead with the install procedure I can do, that it may then make it possible to boot from the Dvd so I can then do the 'Clean Install' procedure?

This of course, is based on the theory that the present OS is currupted and that's why I can't boot from the DVD reader.

If you think doing this may work, then the next question would be how far into the first OS install must I go before I can try to do the Clean Install? Because it will take the rest of the day & night to run all the Windows 7 updates.

BTW, uninstalling MS Office before I started this whole 'Clean install thing' shouldn't have caused any problems, right?

I'm thinking that there may be a registry error or something. I had already checked the drivers on the DVD player... That was fine.

I would reset the BIOS to defaults, then set SATA controller to AHCI, DVD drive to boot first, then HD. Check to see if there is an EFI boot disk in the choices there. Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS

This may cause Disk to start booting. If not then wiping the HD should force installer to boot itself.

Nothing in the OS can affect whether the disk will boot this happens before the HD is even accessed. But code on the HD can block correct DVD boot. More likely a BIOS setting, though.

To test this try any other bootable Disk installation disk. Seagate Seatools or Partition Wizard should boot themselves.

You can also download the latest ISO as suggested to burn another DVD, or write to flash stick to try that method. If flash stick boots then you know the problem is the DVD or drive. If flash stick fails unplug the DVD drive to see if it's blocking boot. Trying another DVD drive is also a good idea.

You want the latest ISO with SP1 to save hours of updating.

Thanks, Before I say anything else, please understand that I not only have tried to boot to the OS using the BIOS to point to the DVD as first boot option but also by using the Boot manager and litterally so many variations of those themes that I litterally lost count. So you don't need to instruct me to do that as I have said repeatedly that I have been doing that with no success.

In fact, it is absolutely safe to say that if I could have booted to the OS using that method I would likely be half into the Installation by now. It just does not work, something is wrong with some software I think because the reader is fine. It reads and runs just great.

Something else is preventing this. At this point I have reinstalled the original 750GB HD and I booted with it becasue it still had the Windows OS on it. I am about to reformat the 1TB HD, (the one that I want the new OS install on), so that it is as blank as I can get it.

But I canscrew this up if I don't read a little about how to use thw Windows Disc Manager to reformat all the partitions. I do have Easy Drive and Seagate Disc Wiz buut they spen a lot of time on partitioning and almost zip on clearing the drive entirely.

Seagate also has this "Create Bootable Media" that I have not yet read but I think it may run along the lines you've suggested. Also, I certainly plan to go through each of your suggestions but I need to try the fastest possibilities first and then start into the ones that require additional media making techniques.

What do you think about the Reformatting of the 1TB? I'm about 5 to 10 minutes from actually doing it sio if theres some problem that you may see with that idea, please let me know. I'll chek here again just before I reformat.
Thanks again!!
Rich

BTW, You mentioned "EFI choices" on my BIOS which I do have. What would you do with that? I'm just curios because I'm about to remove each partition on that 1TB HD and then reformat it.

But I'm not confident that even this idea, (the reformatted HD), will work at this point.
Thanks