Can I use any Win7 disc to reinstall?

[Alphajet]

I have a Sony VAIO laptop and tried out Linux on it. This gave me the Gub loader, where when I boot up I choose which OS to use. I am done with Linux, and also notice that I have only 250 GB of my 500GB hard drive available to Windows.

I have two questions:
1. How do I uninstall Linux, getting rid of the Grub loader(it's in my MBR, I believe, so it is THERE, not easily gotten rid of).

2. Can I use a friend's Win 7 64bit disc to format and reinstall my OS, using the Activation Code on the bottom of the laptop?- I'm not really stealing this way, am I? Sony did not provide me with a disc when I bought the computer. The Sony method of restoring the OS does not work here- I deleted the Linux partition and did the Restore, but the Grub loader is still there. So I had to reinstall Linux to get things working right.

I'm willing to completely wipe my hard drive and reinstall Windows, even though it won't be the same as I got it from Sony(don't want or need trial offers or the Sony utilities that it came with)

This has become way too complex.

 

[wds7]

IMO ...it's doable ..as long as both OS is the same ..and the key is still valid ...
Either that ...or you have to cough up $25.00 to order wds install disc from sony ..
Make a back up image and cd recovery this time around ...

 

[gregrocker]

You can try to repair your MBR and remove the Linux install if you want to, however we see many cases where GRUB corrupts Win7 beyond repair. If you'd like to try, post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map using Snipping Tool in Start Menu.

It seems you are ready to go completely clean with Win7 without the factory bloatware and useless utilities which have better versions built into Win7. Here are tips to get a purrfect clean reinstall: http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/125874-re-install-windows-7-a.html#post1086729

 

[DeaconFrost]

Can I use a friend's Win 7 64bit disc to format and reinstall my OS, using the Activation Code on the bottom of the laptop?

Yes, and in fact I do this with every OEM system my family or friends get. it is the surefire way of cleaning all the crap that comes preinstalled. You'll just need to download the drivers you need from Sony's website.

Keep in mind, your friend's disc will need to be the same version of Windows 7, or else you'll have to edit and reburn a disc (or flash drive) after deleting the ei.cfg file.

 

[MadHacker]

How to remove Linux:
There is a simple way to remove linux, GRUB and repair your boot sector. Use logical disk manager to delete the Linux partition and the logical partition that was created when you installed Linux. You can then either expand the system partition or create a new NTFS partition to make all your HDD space available to windows. At this point, you should make a system repair disk, just in case something goes wrong.

To get Windows to boot afterwards:
At this point it is advisable to create a system image backup to an external HDD just in case, but it's not really necessary
Boot from a windows 7 install DVD. As soon as the "install windows now" screen appears, hit shift+F10 and type the following commands, then hit enter after each command

BootRec /FixBoot
BootRec /FixMbr
BootRec /RebuildBcd


I've done the exact same thing more than a few times and have never had a problem getting windows to boot after

 

[Alphajet]

You guys are great! So quick! I think I will not try to repair the MBR, but will wipe and reinstall using a friend's disc. I wondered whether having a disc of a different build would be a problem, but I understand that if it is still Win7 Home Premium it will be ok, right?

Now that I think of it, I may have made a cd recovery disc when I got the laptop. I assume it will have the bloatware on it, so maybe that's not the way to go (Norton relentlessly intruded until I got their removal tool- I hate those guys).

Thanks for the help. I hope to be of help to someone here some day- I'm not non-techy, just not knowledgeable about the MBR stuff.

 

[Alphajet]

MadHacker- I will try this. Thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

You will learn a lot about your computer and Win7 by clean reinstalling.

Just follow the steps I posted and ask back any questions at all.

Is your friend's DVD for Win7 Home Premium 64 bit, too, and is that the bit-rate you want to install? You have your choice of 32- or 64-bit for each license.

As given in the steps I posted, make your Factory Recovery Disks or save externally a Win7 Backup image of all partitions so you have a path back to the original factory install should you need it. After install you'lll want to create a new image of your finished install to use for backup purposes.

 

[MadHacker]

You're welcome... good luck.. and if it doesn't work (I don't see why it wouldn't but anyway) there is a good tutorial on doing a startup repair.. which will do the same thing, but sometimes requires running it 3 separate times.
I agree with Gregrocker on the clean install: It will turn an average machine into a much faster one. I have yet to see a computer that didn't work right after a clean install with no factory bloat

 

[Alphajet]

Yes, my friend's disk is Win7 64bit. I have no strong feelings regarding 32 vs 64 bit, but did not know that either can be installed from the same disc - or did I read this wrong? Do you have any recommendations as to which one to install?
I used to wipe and reinstall my XP machine at least twice a year, and felt the same way as I do when I empty out my garage and then put the stuff back in in a more orderly way.

 

[gregrocker]

With Win7 backup imaging it's not necessary to clean reinstall repeatedly if you save a Backup Image after you set up and are running best - just reimage the HD (or a replacement) using the DVD/Repair CD in 20 minutes from stored image. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

Be sure to protect this baseline image by placing it is it's own file on external so it isn't overwritten by subsequent backups if you schedule them. To reimage you'll need to place it in the drive root, named exactly as it is.

Normally 64- and 32-bit are on separate DVD's so read the label. If you've been running 64 bit with no problems then I'd stick with it to get full use of all installed memory.

If the DVD is the same version as you have and want, then use ImgBurn to Save the Image file to your Downloads folder (back it up), then burn to DVD at 4x speed with Verify on. This is how you copy a DVD with ImgBurn which is the best burning program for image files. http://download.cnet.com/ImgBurn/3000-2646_4-10847481.html

 

[essenbe]

Also, if your friend has the exact version windows 7 as you you may like to follow the below tutorial and make your own install USB installation. That way you don't have to worry about borrowing someone elses in the future.

 

[sgage]

You can try to repair your MBR and remove the Linux install if you want to, however we see many cases where GRUB corrupts Win7 beyond repair. If you'd like to try, post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map using Snipping Tool in Start Menu.

It seems you are ready to go completely clean with Win7 without the factory bloatware and useless utilities which have better versions built into Win7. Here are tips to get a purrfect clean reinstall: http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/125874-re-install-windows-7-a.html#post1086729

I have _never_ seen an instance where Grub "corrupted" Win7 beyond repair. Just fire up a rescue CD, do the ol'" bootrec /fixmbr" followed by "bootrec /fixboot", and you're good to go.

 

[gregrocker]

We see them almost every day here = hundreds of cases. I just answered three today. Stick around.

Those repair commands are all automated in Win7 Startup Repair.

Just make sure Win7 or its 100mb boot partition are marked Active first using Diskpart or free Partition Wizard bootable CD - which also has Rebuild MBR on Disk tab.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html
http://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html

 

[MadHacker]

Until data is actually overwritten, nothing is beyond repair, although it may be beyond the ability of the user to recover without the right software. In experimenting with computers over the last few years I've learned a few important lessons:

Never buy a computer that doesn't come with the media to reinstall the OS
Never keep any important files on the same HDD/partition as an operating system
Never trust any single piece of hardware to store anything important (always have a copy on a separate drive)
Always make a backup image, because reimaging a HDD is one heck of a lot faster than reinstalling windows

 

[sgage]

We see them almost every day here = hundreds of cases. I just answered three today. Stick around.

I didn't say that a Linux install won't overwrite the MBR, leaving the user very confused when they delete Linux and can't boot Windows.

I meant that I've never seen a Linux install that "corrupted" things such that it wasn't pretty straightforward to fix. Certainly nothing requiring a complete reinstallation of Windows, which was what was being suggested.