Installing Windows after a complete format, just a few questions.

Hello, before I start I'll give you a thanks in advance.


I asked my friend to uninstall the Ubuntu I'd installed for him to try it and he just deleted the partition which has led to a whole host of issues as he's managed to delete some of the grub boot manager and many Wndows files. After a great deal of headaches I've decided to simply format they entire hard drive and reinstall Windows. My problem is that I don't have the Windows disc, it was pre-installed - does the version have to precisely match up for my product key to work or just Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit generally? I believe Microsoft supply the ISOs.

So my questions are:

1.) Do the versions have to match as I said above.
2.) Where do I get the ISO or can it be found with a quick Google (on my ipad at the moment, borrowing my Mum's laptop to get the files etc. but want to do it in one sitting)
3.) How do I make sure the hard drive and all partitions are completely formatted so they won't conflict with the new install?

Cheers for any assistance.

Everything you need is here to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

Ztruker said:

There may also be a Recovery p[partition on the hard drive you can use to restore the computer to it's factory state. A clean install is a better choice but if you provide the make and full model number I can check to see if the Users Manual tells how to do a recovery.

I don't want to do a recovery but will a recovery partition affect the format or will formatting software get rid of that too? It's a Samsung NP305E7A if that is enough information? Thank-you!

gregrocker said:

Everything you need is here to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

Thank-you very much. I did see this but I posted this to ask about formatting also. The links provided in there, I've began to download the Home Premium 64-bit (old) - whether it is the old one etc. won't affect whether I'm able to use the product key on the sticker will it?

Please can anyone answer my last question? I only have the laptop I'm using for a brief amount of time to get everything downloaded etc. I either need a really simple way to format the entire drive and put it all into one partition or software that will do it for me?

You don't want old HP 64 bit ISO. As it says clearly in the tutorial you want latest official Win7 installer ISO with SP1 and Media Refresh.

That would be Win7 Home Premium x64 SP1 English Official ISO download

It also tells you how to decide whether to keep the Recovery partition. In the case of Samsung since Recovery will not run after reinstall you'd want to make your Recovery media, or a full disk image backup to external or another internal HD, then during Clean Install Windows 7 delete all partitions to create New as you wish, or just click Next in the Unallocated space to let the installer do it for you and begin install.

May I suggest you follow the steps closely in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 so you are well prepared, don't forget anything, get and keep a perfect install. This is not something that should be rushed.

gregrocker said:

You don't want old HP 64 bit ISO. As it says clearly in the tutorial you want latest official Win7 installer ISO with SP1 and Media Refresh.

That would be Win7 Home Premium x64 SP1 English Official ISO download

It also tells you how to decide whether to keep the Recovery partition. In the case of Samsung since Recovery will not run after reinstall you'd want to make your Recovery media, or a full disk image backup to external or another internal HD, then during Clean Install Windows 7 delete all partitions to create New as you wish, or just click Next in the Unallocated space to let the installer do it for you and begin install.

May I suggest you follow the steps closely in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 so you are well prepared, don't forget anything, get and keep a perfect install. This is not something that should be rushed.

What do I need to back up? My entire hard drive has went haywire because of deleting that partition so I just want to merge all partitions and delete all Windows and Linux files then reinstall Windows so why do I need to take a system image? Besides I don't have access to either systems. I'm having to go on through a Linux Mint DVD just to copy my documents off so I don't lose them.


EDIT: Just click next in the unallocated space? I don't know what that means. Also where is the recovery stuff, is that in a partition because that could have been deleted? If not, do I need to keep it?

As it also says in the tutorial, you can try to rescue files from unbootable Win7 using Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console with the Install DVD or Repair CD, or Paragon Rescue Kit Free Edition 11.0 Free CD. Just browse into C:\Users\Your User Name to see if they can be found to copy out to external, stick or another HD.

Look at Steps 7 and 8 of Clean Install Windows 7 to see how to use the Drive Options to Delete all Partitions during the reinstall. One of the partitions should be Recovery which won't run any longer anyway after reinstall. So if you didn't make your Recovery media yet you might want to run Factory Recovery so you can do that afterwards.



Once you highlight and Delete each partition at that step, click on the Unallocated Space, then Next to have the installer create and format a single install and small boot partition for you. If you want to do it yourself click New to make your desired partitions, Format each, highlight the first large partition for install, and then Next.