Help with clean Win 7 Pro install on HP laptop requested

Hello everyone,

My first post. I admit to avoiding Win 7 for years, being an old guy, and rather stuck on Win XP SP3.

However .... I'm getting into computer audio. So I bought an HP Folio 13-1020us for dedicated audio use. I also purchased a full version (DVD) of Win 7 Pro 64.

This forum is so full of helpful info, that I've printed probably 50 pages of reference material (mostly from 'Brink', 'Bare Foot Kid', and 'gregrocker' -- thanks guys!!) on how to do a clean install of the Win 7 Pro 64 on the laptop.

The laptop is quite small, with a 120GB SSD. The desired goal is a Win 7 Pro 64 install, along with a media player -- all dedicated to audio. The audio files are stored on an external 2TB drive.

The laptop came with Win 7 (not Pro 64) and a bunch of 'bloatware' -- is that the correct term?

The laptop has no DVD tray. So, I used my new desktop Win 7 Pro 64 to create a copy of the Win 7 Pro 64 DVD to a flash drive, using 'diskpart', 'clean', and 'create primary partition' on the flash drive, and then copying the DVD to the flash drive.

Sure enough, the flash drive contents are identical to the Win 7 Pro 64 installation DVD. My plan was to install the Win 7 Pro 64 from the flash drive, and, in the process, completely erase everything originally on the HP SSD -- original OS, partitions, and all the 'bloatware'. Then make a back-up ISO(?) in case of a crash.

I modified the HP start-up to allow the option to boot from the flash drive. It worked -- for about 3 screens. ;?)

I am stopped cold at a screen titled 'Select the driver to be installed.' Load driver message: 'A required CD/DVD drive device driver is missing. If you have a driver floppy disk, CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, please insert it now.'

I'm stumped. I assumed (yes, I know ;?) any needed driver would be on the 'perfectly copied' flash drive plugged into the USB port. The laptop obviously recognizes the installation copy on the flash drive, because it's trying to do the install. What am I missing -- other than a few brain cells from 'old-timer's disease?

Help! And thanks!

Greg

essenbe,

Thank you for your gracious reply. I tried several times with the flash drive and always hit the same wall. Your other recommendations are appreciated, but a step-by-step procedure is all I can wrap my feeble brain around.

If you, or someone else could outline a specific course of action, I can follow it. Otherwise, I'm at the point in my life that what is obvious to others, is impossible for me.

I can follow any specific set of instructions -- I just can't 'read between the lines. ;?)

Thank you again.

Greg

Do you have an iso program on your pc and what program are you using to burn the windows 7 files to the usb stick ?

Have you read this one ?

Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

I use PowerISO, it even has a selection in the drop down menu to make a bootable USB drive. So Easy.

My sincere thanks to everyone. I'll try to 'muddle through' this, using your help.