Windows 7: Fresh Windows install, but apps are saying they're already installed?

Hi,

I had some issues with my installation of Windows 7, so I formatted my hard drive and reinstalled it today.

I've been reinstalling apps, but I'm getting some issues. For example, when I try and install Miro, it says: -

Also, I tried to install ImgBurn and it said that another copy was detected and I could only install the program if I chose a different installation folder. I didn't change the folder, as there was no installation of ImgBurn on my system, and the app installed just fine.

A couple of other apps have popped up warnings saying that another instance of the installer is running, even though it's not, although as yet, Miro is the only app that won't install.

What the hell is going on here? lol. I've had no issues with Windows 7 since the first release candidate, but in the last couple of days I'm having no end of problems. I Googled this issue and found another guy with a similar problem and he found that restarting the Windows Installer service cured this problem, but that hasn't worked for me.



Can anyone help?

How did you format your HDD? Windows generally won't let you format C:\ from the install CD if there is a current version of Windows 7 on it. Look in your root directory, do you see a Windows.old folder, there? If so, you drive wasn't formatted. You'll need to format from an elevated command line using the DISKPART command.

Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

I hosed the partitions completely and started over, so it's definitely a fresh install.

What type of media did you use to re-install Windows?

Actually it will. It will just warn you that it found another copy of Windows and ask you if your sure.

I have to say it sounds like you accidentally did an upgrade rather than a Clean Install. Follow BFK's great Tutorial here: DISKPART : At PC Startup to format your drive and then follow Brinks here:Clean Install Windows 7 to d the clean Install.

It was a clean install, not an upgrade. I used an original full install disc to install it.

I've been working with computers for about 15 years. I know how to do a clean install of Windows as I've done it a countless number of times. I appreciate that you have to assume that I may be a n00b who doesn't know what he's doing, but that isn't the case. Whatever is causing my problem here, it is not related to me doing a repair install, an upgrade, or anything else like that.

Well in that case something has gone horrilby wrong somewhere

Personally, I'd just Zero the Drive and start again. As its only just been reinstalled its not THAT much of a PITA

Sorry for the assumptions about your computer knowledge. With the Knowledge that you have, you must realize, when you format a HDD and clean install an original, full retail version of windows, and then get errors that your apps are already installed when you try to install them, it should be pretty obvious that the OS was not installed on a formatted drive. Is the install on C:\? Are you dual booting? Is your data storage partition separate from your OS partition? Are your programs/data stored on a separate drive? Were they that way before your new install? If you analyze it closely enough, I think you will find your solution.

But it was.

Here is how I installed it, and that will hopefully put an end to this line of thinking: -

1. Booted from the Windows disc
2. Chose "Install now"
3. Chose "Custom (Advanced)"
4. At the list of drives/partitions, I deleted the partition that Windows and all of my apps were installed on, along with the small partition that Windows 7 creates when installed.
5. I created a new partition using the unallocated space from the 2 partitions I'd just removed and formatted it (although formatting it isn't necessary actually).
6. I then installed Windows to this new partition (Windows automatically creates the smaller partition).

In the case of Miro, when trying to install that, it said that it was already running. There was no instance of Miro showing in Task Manager (other than the installer running), Miro was not listed in Add or Remove Programs, no Miro install folder under Program Files, and absolutely zero results for Miro when searching the registry. There wouldn't be, as I did a completely fresh install of Windows and all applications (which were all on the same partition as Windows) were wiped in that process.

This is how my computer has always been set up (and still is now): -

Drive 1 - Partitioned into C and D. Windows and apps are on C. All data files (except music) are on D.
Drive 2 - A single partition, E. All of my music is on here.

I also have 2 external drives that I use for backups. 1 is used to back up D and E (all of my data files) and one is used to keep an image of C in case I need to reinstall.

I did a fresh install because I was having issues updating Windows Live Mail and after following the advice of someone on here, it made my issues worse. Using System Restore wouldn't fix it and restoring C from the image only left me back at the beginning, unable to update Windows Live Mail, so I thought I would do a fresh install of Windows and all of my apps to sort this.

BTW, technically the thread title should say "SOME apps", because the majority installed without issue.

It sounds like there could be an issue with the Windows Installer, or whatever those apps have in common with the install routine. Have you cleared out your Temp files? Did you migrate anything such as a profile back to the new install?

On a side note, this is why no one should be putting in their key during the setup process. Always get your system up and running before considering the key...just in case you hit a weird issue like this and need to start over.