Installing Clean W7 HP 64 bit - Troublesome Issue

I'ts been solved in the utmost 'elegant' way.
When I was at select Partition to install W7 on, I had opened Command and was going to enter listdisk then enter. However, I amazingly slipped by touching the touchpad while typing and managed to select the rear window before I could hit enter in the correct window after typing in the command.

I stuttered for a moment, and face-palmed when I realized what has happened, but let out a sigh in relief when W7 started installing. Now my question is.... should I keep this install? Did I miss any important 'benefits' - it is NTFS luckily.

I don't follow your explanation, but either it installed to the desired partition on the desired drive or it didn't.

When it finishes, post a screen shot of Windows Disk Management so we can evaluate what you actually did.

No need, it is where it should be.
It happened as I explained, yet I suspect:

Solution was either:
- Most likely BIOS reset. (Although no particular setting changed -yet I never touched it after the BIOS update)
- Correction on SSD when installing W7 on G73. (I halted the W7 installation) (although it WAS refusing to install on the same SSD, same USB Boot-device, same partition configuration)

I've screwed everything back together, and put the HDD in as well.

However, I did now install it from bottom right USB other than top left, if it does anything. I noticed that a particular USB slot on G73 didn't register Bootable device.

Still need a screenshot?

Nighthaven said:

Still need a screenshot?

I'd just as soon see a screenshot to see what you ended up with. It's up to you.

Better to confirm than waste a bunch of time on Windows updates only to decide later that maybe you should start over.

Did it activate properly?

Yes, we should see a screenshot of Disk Mgmt to assure the configuration is correct. It most likely won't be if you didn't unplug all other hard drives during the install.


I'm sorry you weren't provided with our tutorial for achieving a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 . It compiles everything that works best in tens of thousands of installs we've helped with here since Win7 beta.


If your SSD is large enough I'd keep everything on it, but if not you can move the User folders off to the HD by copying them there, then rightclick each to add to the related Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums then set that as the default folder using Library - Set Save Folder - Windows 7 Help Forums . If that isn't to your liking you can move the actual Shell User folders that you use to the HD as you wish following User Folders - Change Default Location however you won't be able to use Windows 7 backup imaging since it will want to include the hard drive data partition deeming it a System partition since it has system files.


I would NOT move Program files off the SSD as this defeats the purpose of the faster speeds.


Feel free to ask back any questions. Remember that you'll get and keep a perfect install, far better than most anyone else on earth, to the exact extent you stick with the tutorial's tools and methods.

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Up and running as it should be. Hopefully I won't see any creep-in folders emerging this time.

C drive looks fine. You don't have a System Reserved partition, meaning your boot files are on C. That's no problem. I don't use it either. I think all you give up by doing that is Bootlocker--which likely doesn't interest you. If you use imaging applications, all you have to image is C.

Was this the hard drive previously in the PC and were you aware it was booting via UEFI and not normal MBR BIOS, and requires settings adjustments if you want to install an OS normally as shown in Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7?


The old hard drive has an EFI SYstem partition which means it was installed in UEFI mode. If it was the hard drive originally in that PC then were you trying to install in UEFI mode to a MBR formatted SSD? This is not possible without changing the BIOS settings to Legacy BIOS, or CSM to enabled, turning off UEFI. Otherwise you must boot the Win7 installer as a UEFI device. Did you notice UEFI choices in the boot menu, or in BIOS setup under Advanced? They must be set precisely or you error out as you did.

Because you didn't bother to wipe the old hard drive it still has bootable code on it as a UEFI disk, and therefore is formatted as a GPT disk. UEFI is new and we are still learning much about it - which is different for every make and model BIOS - however its possible it could interfere in some way going forward since it still has bootable code which was not wiped since its EFI boot partition remains.

Otherwise having a GPT data disk is not going to be a problem on an MBR system.


Let me know if this is clear, and ask back any questions.

Yes, that HDD was the original Disk.

I don't know. I don't know how I managed to install it now nor how I did install it two years ago. I never touched the BIOS since two years ago, only updated it.

With that BIOS update I lost several BIOS options, CSM for example.


Several Asus G75VW with W7 (instead of W8) are missing certain BIOS options, according to several threads.


This installation was installed without that HDD in, with the SSD in the primary disk bay.


Last error was "Setup was unable to create new partition or ..."
Last disk (SSD) configuration was on the G73, started installing on that one (right after it was past the 'barrier') and cancelled. Moved it to this one, 'slipped' as described above and managed to start and continue install.

But BIOS was also reset after installation 'barrier' - that was most likely it.

Think I'm going to leave the thread at this as current technical difficulties are beyond my capabilities.

Would you have rather not known you have an EFI BIOS that likely explains the error? Others will find the thread in searches and may like to know which settings in BIOS related to UEFI, CSM, Legacy BIOS or Boot allowed you to install to Legacy MBR.

As long as performance is good then I wouldn't worry. Let us know if you need anything else.