Bad start to weekend - image failure

[IcarusII]

Thanks for the answers to my queries Barefoot Kid

I suspect I have misinterpereted your answer to a previous question - as Ive had plenty of time to reflect on it whilst drive formatting is happening:

should i format the 300Mb partition and the 400 Gb Windows 7 partitions through PWBD before installing windows? or should i let windows install take care of all of that side of things?

Use Windows Vista disk management to do the formats, I thought they were formated when created; the W_7 installer will format the partition for the install.

So - ahem. Ive used Vista (as in disk management and from within Vista) to format both the 300Mb System Reserve partition and the Windows 7 partition.

i got a bit confused when you said that i should use vista disk management for the formats and then you also said that W7 will do the formats. i wasnt sure if W7 would use the SysRes partition if it wasnt formated.

how much harm can a tincy wincy format do eh?

Anyhow - its at 82% on the 400Gb drive after which i will be installing W7

Question on Imaging:
Now i know how to image and how darn darn usefull, pwerful, amazing, fast it is I want to image W7 as soon after install as I can so I have a wonderfully fast, clean system that I can always roll back to.

At what point would you take this image?
A) The moment after installation and final re-boot is complete?
B) After all drivers are in and working?
C) after all progs/appas are in?

Whats the definition of a 'clean' install. cos thats when I want the first image taken

Matt

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Here's how to procede, in the Vista Disk management mark the SysResv as Active (right click, mark as active) then put the W_7 install disk in the ODD and start the install, install W_7 to the partition you created for it.

​

If when you get here you want to format the Windows 7 partition you can do, theres no need to format the SysResv partition and it is not necessary anyway.

​

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Have a look at this one.


Activation Trial Period - Extend Up to 120 Days

 

[IcarusII]

Hi again,

Well, W7 installed fine. In about 21 mins which seemed nice and quick.

Since installing its been downloading Windows updates which is great. its installed about 45-50 updates of which 6 failed.

i was dreading this, as one of the reasons i want to move from Vista was that when Service Pack 2 came out I spend months on and off trying to get it to install (i wish i had found this forum) but to no avail. Sp1 was running fine but SP2 was not going to happen. I d/l all the microsoft scanning tools etc but nothing made any difference. So i was worried when updated failed in W7

However I went back in, got it to check for updates again and it found the 6 that failed and then installed them just fine. No more updates available.

does this sound ok? or is there an issue i should investigate?

In terms of drives and partitions now...dual booting does not seem to be working. If I reboot it just goes straight to W7. No choices appear.

Lastly and probably for me most oddly is that when W7 installed, it seemed to magically connect itself to the internet. I have a hardware router, which I had to set up so Vista could see the world outside....but W7 didnt seem to need any help at all.

How did it perform this trick?

Cheers
Matt

 

[gregrocker]

Install EasyBCD 2.0 to Win7, Add Vista by name and drive letter on Add Entry tab, Save Changes, Restart. If no Dual Boot menu, post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map with listings.

The installer had your network drivers so the connection was ready to go at first startup. However there should be a yellow circle on connection icon in SysTray until you click on it to sign into a wireless connection. If you have wired connection, it starts connected in most cases.

Be sure to check optional Updates for any newer drivers. Any drivers then missing in Device Manager (showing a "!") can be found on the Support Downloads webpage for the model device.

Install programs slowly over time to gauge performance after each. Don't let any programs write themselves into msconfig>Startup as they become freeloaders on your RAM/CPU and can spy on you. I only allow AV and gadgets. http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/70248-troubleshooting-msconfig.html

Use a lightweight free AV like MS Security Essentials which works perfectly with Windows 7 Firewall. http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

When it is finished, clean and order the HD perfectly using state-of-the-art free CCleaner then Auslogics Disk and Registry defraggers monthly.

Then save a Win7 Backup image externally so you never have to reinstall again, just reimage the HD or replacement using DVD or Repair CD.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again, it seems your week-end is looking up, congrats; glad we could help and thanks for keeping us updated.


Greg has given you some good advice anout Windows setup.

EasyBCD will add a boot entry for Vista and you'll be all set.


Remember one thing next time; only install Windows updates in similar groups of 5 or 6 at time, don't let it "just do" all the updates at a single time, that causes unneeded issues.


Post a snip of Windows 7 disk management so we can see it.

 

[IcarusII]

Hiya,

Snip of disk management as promised

Oh - Magician is the partition that was made when i put the image of my old vista drive into the unallocated space.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Is E: Vista?

It worked as promised.

 

[IcarusII]

Oh - everything you guys said worked like a charm.

Even the magically self filling SysRes partition.

I was really shocked when it all came together.

Im just trying to get W7 straighter now so I can disk image it, but there are still some things to do.

So off I go to install and run EasyBCD

Matt

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hiya,

Snip of disk management as promised

Oh - Magician is the partition that was made when i put the image of my old vista drive into the unallocated space.

Now use Option One of this tutorial to create a fourth primary so you don't get stuck with the "Extended, Logical" that is the only option using Windows disk management.

But of course you don't have to do a shrink to get it, create it from the remaining unallocated space.

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

 

[IcarusII]

Ive just gone into Easy BCD to set it up so i get a boot menu.

I added a new entry, selected the type as Windows 7/Vista and gave it the name Windows Vista and told it to use E: (which we know is Vista).

Here is a snip of the resulting boot thingy in EasyBCD


My question is...at the top its talking about the 'default' as Windows 7, timeout 30 seconds and the EasyBCD boot device is E:\ - which is my Vista drive?

By the way it was like that BEFORE i made changes and added Vista as a 2nd option

Whats that about then?
Matt

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

So you have restarted to see that you get a boot menu at startup like the one below?

​

 

[IcarusII]

nopers - was replying to the other thread lol. We are keeping each other busy

Rebooting now

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

That's OK, I have nothing better to do; remember the warning about your being consumed.

:roflmao:
​

 

[IcarusII]

Hi,

Yes, I now get a boot menu where it defaults to W7 however i selected Vista as a test and am currently writing this from Vista.

I forgot how much Vista thrashed the HDD for no good reason too. W7 is so quiet in comparison.

So thats working. is the EasyBCD boot device being set to E: irrelevant then?

I guess the last thing i need to do is the creation of the 4th primary partition from your tutorial. Ill do that in the morning. 1am again and Im getting punch drunk.

You have been so helpful (and patient with my infinite questions) - thankyou.

I do like to learn and understand why im doing things and questions is how I learn.

Matt

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Here are some tutorials to have a look at tomorrow; you are very welcome.



Disk Cleanup : Extended

Password Reset Disk : Windows 7 / Vista

System Restore Point : Create at System Startup

 

[gregrocker]

Take a look at Disk Mgmt again to see that it remains the same as in your last screenshot.

Run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html to check HD is well-ordered and possibly help with Vista thrashing. Then run CCleaner and Auslogics Defraggers on both drives.

Can you reboot, press F8 repeatedly and get "Repair My Computer" console at top of list? Does it take you to a menu like this:

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Take a look at your Disk Mgmt again to see that it remains the same as in your last screenshot.

Run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html to check it all came out well-ordered and possibly help with Vista thrashing.

Can you reboot, press F8 repeatedly and get "Repair My Computer" console at top of list? Does it take you to a menu like this:

I'm going to start calling you doubting Thomas.

 

[gregrocker]

So he shouldn't even check?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I want him to, maybe that'll end this discussion once and for all.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/666-advanced-boot-options.html?ltr=A

On second thought he'll have to get half-way through a startup repair to get to the dialog box you posted and I'm sure he's not sure how to exit that once started.