Trying to get Windows 7 working again

The only way I was able to install the Windows 7 RC was by double-clicking the cd while in Windows XP. Once Windows 7 was installed it became a dual boot with XP using XP for the boot files, on two seperate hard drives. I now did not want XP so I deleted the Program Files, Documents and Settings, and Windows folders. I cant boot into Windows 7 anymore since the bootloader isn't installed on it. How would I install a bootloader for it since my DVD drive cant boot from the installation DVD to get to the recovery?

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A clean install is highly recommended. Meaning, boot from your W7 disc and select 'Custom', not the 'Upgrade' options. From the setup menu, you will be able to delete, create and format partitions. Deleting the partition ID/DEVICE0 will remove anything on the drive - which from what it sounds like, is what you want.

You can do a startup repair to get the bootloader back. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

My dvd drive will not load the Windows 7 installation disk correctly though. It gets to where the window should be, but only the background is shown.

I couldn't do a fresh install since the Windows XP hard drive is messed up also.

Billy, are you booting FROM the CD? Also, what version are you trying to install? RC, 7137, 7201? x86/x64..?

Yes im booting from the cd. It gets to the message telling me to press a key to enter setup, it does its loading stuff, gets to that blue background and nothing else. The dvd stops spinning and the installation window doesn't pop up.

Im using the 32 bit version, and Im not sure what version it is, but it is the release candidate

Well if you have a XP disc you can restore the XP bootloader like we were discussing here.

What will that do with the Windows 7 installation?

BillyPS3 said:

What will that do with the Windows 7 installation?

Click to expand...

Never mind i forgot you deleted your XP so it would not do you any good.

Well tomorrow I could put in a different Windows XP drive. If I switched that one with the messed up one, would it work? From there what would I do to go back to single boot with Windows 7?

Ok, your disc worked once, thats a plus... so I'd start with the easiest solution, and that's to clean and buff the disc. You probably threw it somehwere thinking you wouldn't need it again, and it got smudged. If their are scratches, toothpaste works wonders by filling up the top-most layer of plastic that is prone to them.

Next, is to find another DVD reader, see if one with a stronger lense can read yur disc.

If your stilling hitting issues, try re-downloading, and re-burning the ISO. Nero works best, but there are other good programs out there. Although, I would recommend the USB method overtop all else. There is alot less data-loss when you move the files to a drive, then burning to a DVD. If a large enough thumb drive isent possible for you at the moment, my second choice is a DVD-RW, it has a higher data-retention rate, becuase the data-writer can fix mistakes as it burns. It's also what M$ uses to test the DVD-burn-then-install scenerios.

Try the above, and let us know how it goes!

-D

Well I recorded another dvd, same result, but I didn't try another dvd burner. I should have used my dad's nice plextor drive. I got Windows working again, but I have to do system restores whenever something goes wrong, but at least it works.

BillyPS3 said:

Yes im booting from the cd. It gets to the message telling me to press a key to enter setup, it does its loading stuff, gets to that blue background and nothing else. The dvd stops spinning and the installation window doesn't pop up.

Im using the 32 bit version, and Im not sure what version it is, but it is the release candidate

Click to expand...

Wait, so you are saying that you restarted and booted from the disc?

BillyPS3 said:

Well I recorded another dvd, same result, but I didn't try another dvd burner. I should have used my dad's nice plextor drive. I got Windows working again, but I have to do system restores whenever something goes wrong, but at least it works.

Click to expand...

yeah, try the cool burner. here's the order of reliability:

1) USB thumb drive method - has NEVER failed me, except when the download got some bad packets, thats posible too. Download twice, and try both.

2) DVD-RW - much more data-retention, as your OS corrects any mistakes as it burns.

3) DVD-R - alot of data loss, you might want to burn 5 or 6 times on different burners with each download.