Problem reinstalling Windows 7 (ended up with two of them, both bad!)

Hi guys.

The motherboard had to be replaced only a few months after my purchase of this DELL system, and the computer was still running slowly and giving me weird problems and general slowness, so a few weeks after that repair I decided to reinstall Windows for the first time. I backed up the important files and deleted nearly all user files. I put the Windows 7 disc that came with the computer into the drive. It said something about installing windows and I said okay and left. I didn't pay any attention but I think it was a black screen and some white writing on the left and presumably it was gonna go through various steps to reinstall, so I went to watch TV and came back fifteen minutes later later.

I realized my computer was restarting and I thought that was odd cause kind of fast. Then in windows boot manager window, I saw two "windows 7" links! I did not do anything but it already chose the top one and said windows is starting but few secs later a sudden flash of a blue screen with some small writing on it (less than one sec) and it went back to windows boot manager. Same thing happened over and over. I then intervened, and tried the second Windows 7 link to see what happens. And that one too took me in that same circle as well, blue screen, back again.

I took out the installation CD, put it back in again and pressed F12 to make computer boot from CD. A new screen came up and I said boot from CD, then pressed any key to boot from CD...then a minute passed and a blue screen came (a different kind of blue screen) telling me it was going to reinstall Windows. Happily I clicked on keyboard options (e.g. US English) and couple other things and then I said "custom" installation (as per Dell website for reinstallation as opposed to mere upgrade) but then it said it could not find any drivers. I rescanned, tried to browse to find them, even once put in my drivers and utilities CD and take other one out, nothing. No drivers found at all. Rebooted, tried the same steps several times, same problem.

I tried startup repair, the "root cause found" and said "a hard disk could not be found." Odd! I tried system recovery option (can't recall the steps I used to get there) but it said "no operating system" was found. Eventually I found a link to Dell Datasafe in that bootup screen...somewhere...and luckily it helped me recover my system and now it's back to the original factory setting. I then used msconfig to delete the second Windows 7 I had found in the windows boot manager screen.

What did I do wrong and how can I reinstall Windows 7 once again, not using Dell's Datasafe, but the CD that came with the computer? I have a windows 7 CD and also the drivers and utilities one. Thanks so much for your help. Please keep in mind I'm quite illiterate when it comes to computers so appreciate detailed and step by step help.

Hi Rogman,

The above issue might occur if your system was shipped with RAID or Intel Rapid Storage Technology option enabled. Please share the exact system model in use. If you are not sure about the system model, please share the Service Tag of system via Private Message (Click on my name and click Send a private message). I will look into the system details and inform you about further course of action.

In addition are you following these steps which assure a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Read also the Special Note for Dell Owners at the end.

gregrocker said:

In addition are you following these steps which assure a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Read also the Special Note for Dell Owners at the end.

Hi, thanks for the link. That looks awfully complicated though, at least to me. The way it said it on Dell site I figured it was much easier, just let the CD reinstall Windows and then put in the drivers CD and done. This one has 20 steps, also making reference to various programs I don't have or never heard of before (e.g. Belarc Advisor,Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, etc), and when I click on these, it takes me to various other pages with many steps and their own explanations of these other programs, I'm feeling real overwhelmed. Is there version of same instructions but like really basic ones for someone who doesn't know much and does not want the bells and whistles, just simple reinstall with basic settings?

I imagine I can download the 3-4 gig ISO installer (first step) though that'll take me a couple of hours, and then I have to go and buy some blank DVDs (I have blank CDs but they can't record 4 gigs) tomorrow, then click on USB/DVD download tool and download that and read the instructions to that....and that's just the first two steps out of 20.

Sundeep B said:

Hi Rogman,

The above issue might occur if your system was shipped with RAID or Intel Rapid Storage Technology option enabled. Please share the exact system model in use. If you are not sure about the system model, please share the Service Tag of system via Private Message (Click on my name and click Send a private message). I will look into the system details and inform you about further course of action.

Hi, thanks for your reply, don't have computer handy here but it'sVostro 3460, i7 64 bit, that much I know.

Hi Rogman,

Vostro 3460 is shipped with a mSATA hard drive to speed up overall system performance. If you wish to perform a clean OS re-installation on a system pre-configured with mSATA HDD as cache, you might need to disable acceleration in IRST. You may refer to steps below for disabling cache :





Once you have disabled the acceleration, you may refer to article Here for step by step instructions on installing operating system. Once the OS is installed, you may install the drivers from Here -> Enter the service tag of your system -> Select the operating system -> Download/install the drivers in correct order as given Here.

Hope this helps.

Sundeep B said:

Hi Rogman,

Vostro 3460 is shipped with a mSATA hard drive to speed up overall system performance. If you wish to perform a clean OS re-installation on a system pre-configured with mSATA HDD as cache, you might need to disable acceleration in IRST. You may refer to steps below for disabling cache :





Once you have disabled the acceleration, you may refer to article Here for step by step instructions on installing operating system. Once the OS is installed, you may install the drivers from Here -> Enter the service tag of your system -> Select the operating system -> Download/install the drivers in correct order as given Here.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Sundeep, very helpful, I appreciate your guidance. I will try it.

Hi Rogman,

Unfortunately we have not received feedback from you on this topic. If you need continued support, please write back. Other community members who need assistance please start your own topic in a new thread.

Sundeep B said:

Hi Rogman,

Unfortunately we have not received feedback from you on this topic. If you need continued support, please write back. Other community members who need assistance please start your own topic in a new thread.

Hi, are you a moderator here? I'm not sure if you mean I must reply soon or you will close this thread or...?

In any case, I have not responded since I have not done it yet. Because it was such a horrible headache when I ended up with two Windows 7 operating systems in my previous attempt at reinstall and had to use someone else's computer, I'm being extra cautious this time. I will need to set aside a few hours to try this again based on your suggestions and the other person's suggestion in this threaad. I also need to make sure I have access to another computer and internet in case something goes wrong temporarily or for longer. I also need to back up my files again. Therefore, I assume this will happen at some point next week or the week after, when I have all that ready. I will then report back how it went.

Sundeep, I can't follow the first step, there is no "disassociate" option.

Here's a picture...edit, tried ********, it did not work, imagevenue wouldn't load the pic either, I'm trying imgur now, hopefully it's showing...also here's the link for tinypic if that works...





So anyhow, don't know what to do. Once again tried (without making any of above changes obviously) just putting the installation CD in and pressing F12 and go from there, but once again when said custom installation and said where you want to install, "no drivers were found. Click load drivers..." Again I said load drivers and still nothing showed up.

Right now I'm running Dell PC Diagnostics as well, just to make sure it's not something I'm not aware of.

Hi Rogman,

Please click on 'Disable acceleration' to disassociate mSATA SSD from HDD and then try re-installing the OS.

Note : OS re-installation leads to complete data loss. Please backup important data before re-installing OS.