Windows 7 - Clean Install Windows 7

**Brink**

How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7

Information

This will show you how to do a clean installation with Windows 7.

Yes, you can do a clean install from a upgrade Windows 7 version.
NOTE: See this tutorial for how: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Note

Do a Clean Installation if:

Your computer has no operating system installed, or it’s running a version of Windows prior to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (including Windows XP).
You do NOT want to preserve your data, programs, or system drivers.
You want to delete your current operating system and replace it with Windows 7.
You want to create a multiboot system by installing Windows 7 on a separate hard disk partition.

Tip

Sometimes you may have a problem with installing Windows 7 with more than 2 GB of RAM installed on some older motherboards. If you have this problem, then you should install Windows 7 with a maximum of 2GB of RAM installed and add the rest of the RAM after Windows 7 is fully installed. You may need to flash your motherboard BIOS with the latest version to support more RAM like this. (WARNING - DO NOT FLASH THE BIOS if you do not know what you are doing. Please ask for help instead. One mistake can kill your motherboard permanently.)
Before doing this clean install, you should download and save all of your device drivers to DVD, or some other media, to have them handy to make setting Windows 7 up easier later. Sometimes using the Vista drivers in Windows 7, you will need to use Compatibility Mode on the driver for it to install.

Warning

Windows 7 Minimum Hardware Requirements:
NOTE: For more information on this, see: Windows 7 system requirements

1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
1 GB RAM for 32-bit Windows 7 OR 2 GB RAM for 64-bit Windows 7
16 GB available disk space 32-bit Windows 7 OR 20 GB for 64-bit Windows 7
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (in order to enable Aero theme)
DVD-R/W Drive
Internet or phone access to activate Windows 7.

RELATED LINKS:

Here's How:

1. Boot the computer from your Windows 7 installation DVD.
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in your BIOS settings. Usually it is by default.

2. When prompted, press any key to boot from the installation DVD. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You will only have about 8 seconds to press this key. If you miss it, you will have to restart the computer.

3. Set up your language preferences and click on the Next button. (See screeshot below).

4. Click on the Install Now button to start the installation. (See screenshot below)

5. Check the I accept the license terms box and click on Next. (See screenshot below)

6. Click on the Custom (advanced) option. (See screenshot below)

7. Select the hard drive or partition that you want to install Windows 7 on and click on the Drive Options (advanced) link. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If the hard drive or partition that you have selected is unallocted, then you can just click on the Next button instead and go to step 9 since it is blank.
WARNING: You may not have the Drive options (advanced) option unless the installation is done at boot, and not running the installation from within your current OS.

8. Select a hard drive or partiton that you want to do a clean install of Windows 7 on, then click on the Format option to format the it and click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you have a RAID setup, then connect your USB key with the RAID drivers on it, click on Load Driver, select the folder on the USB key that contains the RAID drivers to install them. Afterwards, your RAID drives will be available to select from to install Windows 7 on.

Tip

For the Drive options (advanced) -
If you have more than one partition on this hard drive and want to get rid them to make one big drive again, then select a partition and click on the Delete option for each partition. Now do step 8.

To shrink an existing partition to create another partition to install Windows 7 on instead, select the partition you want shrink and click on the Extend option. Type in how much in MB (1 GB = 1024 MB) that you want to shrink it by. Now select the new extended partition and do step 8.

9. The installation of Windows 7 will now begin. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: During the installation process, your screen may flash and computer will restart a few times.

10. After the final restart, you will see this screen for a moment. (See screenshot below)

11. Type in any user name that you want for your default administrator account and any computer name, then click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)

12. Type in a password you want for your default administrator account. Type it in again to confirm it, then type in a hint for your password. Click on the Next button. (See screenshots below)
WARNING: The password will be case sensitive. The hint will be seen by all users on the computer, so do not type your password as the hint.
NOTE: If you do not want your your user account password protected at this time or do not want to have to type in a hint, then leave this blank and click on the Next button. You can create a password later for your user account in the Control Panel User Accounts after installing Windows 7 without having to type in a hint.

13. Type in your Windows 7 product key number. (See screenshot below step 14)

14. Uncheck the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box unchecked, then click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can activate Windows 7 later after you make sure it is running properly. (See step 21 below)
If you chose to automatically activate Windows 7 online when you set up your computer, automatic activation begins trying to activate your copy of Windows three days after you log on for the first time.

15. Click on Use recommended settings. (See screenshot below)

16. Select your time zone and set your time and date settings, then click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)

17. Click on your computer's location to select it for the correct network location type settings to be applied for that location. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: It is best to select Public location for the best security.

18. Windows 7 will now prepare your desktop to startup. (See screenshots below)

19. Install all of your device drivers, then Windows Updates.

20. Refresh your Windows Experience Index (WEI) score.

21. When done, all you will need to do is to activate Windows 7. (See screenshot below)

Tip

If you are dual booting with another OS (ex: Vista), then that OS partition may not show up in Computer with a driver letter in Windows 7. You will need to add a drive letter to the OS (ex: Vista) partition in Windows 7 Disk Management for it to show up in Computer with a driver letter.

That's it,
Shawn

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**Dinesh** · 01-11-2009

Thats great info. It seems similar to that of windows vista though. but i did not want to take a chance and mess up with my data on the other partitions. so your tutorial has helped me. Thanks.

**Brink** · 01-11-2009

You're welcome Dinesh.

**trongnghia** · 05-01-2009

Thank you very much.

**Brink** · 05-01-2009

You're welcome Trongnghia, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Tang · 05-10-2009

Does Windows 7 RC require a signon id and password? Or can I simply by-pass the sign-on? I will be othe only one using my machine at my house...

**myzr7** · 05-10-2009

yep just click on next and go on but why would you not want a password? You can always use( autologin ) so that you don't need to login everytime you start.

Tang · 05-10-2009

Good - I was hoping it wasn't a mandated thing. You ask why would I want to bypass? Well... I suppose I could turn that around. Why would I want to have a password protected system? This way, you turn it on and just get to work.
Now if I was traveling with this beast of a machine, or if it was a laptop things would be different. But this will be sitting in the corner of my kitchen until it's demise more likely than not.
So simply clicking on NEXT will bypass the whole sign in window and autologin? I am going to be installing the RC on a clean drive and am looking for simplicity

**myzr7** · 05-10-2009

Quote: Originally Posted by Tang

Good - I was hoping it wasn't a mandated thing. You ask why would I want to bypass? Well... I suppose I could turn that around. Why would I want to have a password protected system? This way, you turn it on and just get to work.
Now if I was traveling with this beast of a machine, or if it was a laptop things would be different. But this will be sitting in the corner of my kitchen until it's demise more likely than not.
So simply clicking on NEXT will bypass the whole sign in window and autologin? I am going to be installing the RC on a clean drive and am looking for simplicity

Right when it asks for a password just click next. however it is like a security thing for networks and sounds like you will be on a network there at home. So what I do is I download a program called autologin and run it it puts a reg edit in your reg and then it logs on for you. but say someone try to access your pc thru your wireless internet and didn't know your password just a little more secure is all.

**Brink** · 05-11-2009

Hell Tang,

It best to have a password for better security to help prevent someone from being able to log on to your computer via a network. Instead of using a 3rd party program to automatcally log on to your computer when you have a password, you can set it within Windows 7 instead.

Log On Automatically at Startup

Hope this helps,
Shawn