Windows 7 - tried fresh install of win7...lost harddisk space

hey guys....i really messed up my Windows 7 upgrade

i wanted a fresh install of windows 7 OS so i selected Custom install after backing up all data. besides, i also wanted to create a new partition.

when i selected custom install, it asked me which drive i wanted to install to. i selected the one i had already. and it just went ahead and installed it

when everything was done and the PC restarted, it said that i only had 168 GB of free space left out of a total 288 GB.....this when i had absolutely no files or programs installed. so basically i lost the amount of space on my hard disk.

and yes, i never got to create the new partition that i wanted

now i want to reinstall Windows 7, but the problem is i only have an upgrade DVD.

the question are:
1. will i be able to re-use this DVD to reinstall the OS?
2. if yes, how do i do it? because when i insert the DVD it says upgradation is complete and the option is no longer active....


thanks guys

Welcome to Seven forums, boxieblue.

1. Yes, you can re-install using the upgrade DVD.

2. Look at these tutorials:

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Custom Install Windows 7

Basically, you boot from the DVD and then follow the steps in the above tutorials.

Did you look to see if there is a Windows.old folder taking up the space you lost ?

thanks mate
will try this and let u know what happens

i did...it seems to be taking up 70 GB. still a lot of space unexplained

ok i re-installed it. can't believe how simple it was. just had to click on "advanced drive settings", an option which i missed earlier and clicked on "next" instead.

another question is...now that i have used the DVD twice...how many times more can i use it in case something happens to my hard disks and i have to re-install? thanks

I would make an image of your drive and use it to restore your system in case something happens...See Brinks tutorial on this -=> Here

thanks mate
but i would still like to know the answer to my previous question

The issue is Windows activation. (You can use the DVD to install Windows 7 on any number of machines, but you can only activate it on one, if you have an ordinary retail license.)

If you re-install Windows on the same hardware, you should be able to enter the product key and activate it again online.

If the hardware has changed sufficiently between installs, you might get a response that the key is already in use. In that event, you activate by 'phone. You may be able to do that through the automated system, but if that fails, you'd have to explain yourself to a Microsoft rep. If you stay within the one license/one machine requirement, you can do that as many times as needed. No big deal.

Did you format before installing?

You own the Upgrade for life, it can be reinstalled or migrated as long as it isn't on more than one machine at a time.

And an upgrade is not tied to hardware, but to the underlying OS. So if the underlying OS is a manufacturer's OEM or builder's OEM, only then under the EULA is it locked to the hardware because the Vista/XP is. But if it is upgrading a full retail copy of Vista/XP, it is portable just as they are and can migrate to another machine and exists "forever".

That said, MS is not known to track anything about the Upgrade other than that it is not one more than one machine at a time. So it effectively can migrate to another machine.

Source: What Microsoft won't tell you about Windows 7 licensing

thanks everyone i appreciate the help