Solved Two OEM Files When Viewing Setup Disc on PC. What Should I Do?

[SickOfTheBSOD]

I'll try to clarify:

I had a BSOD-related problem but, thanks to a few on this forum, it's been fixed. Before this, however, I took the PC to a retail store and asked for a "clean installation". The result, I find out later, is I now have two OEM "files" (?) under the setup options when I view my PC from the "setup.exe" disc.

What I'd like help with:

1) Understanding what OEM stuff is about?
2) What should I do about this? Should I leave both of them or delete one? (I plan on doing another clean installation sometime soon)
3) What is the purpose of these OEM "files" and why do I need them on my PC? (It's a pre-built model from Alienware)

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure what I should do about this and I don't want to cause further problems with my PC.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I can't say I understand the issue ?
Can you post a picture of what you're referring to ?

Also have you asked the place where you took it for an explanation ?

If you did 1 clean install why would you want to do another ?

Using system images takes a lot less time to undo mistakes
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

 

[alphanumeric]

I can't make any sense out of it either? Need more specific info to sort this out.

 

[SickOfTheBSOD]

Hi,
I can't say I understand the issue ?
Can you post a picture of what you're referring to ?

Also have you asked the place where you took it for an explanation ?

If you did 1 clean install why would you want to do another ?

Using system images takes a lot less time to undo mistakes
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

I'll try to post a picture.

When I put in the "setup.exe" discthat came with my PC, I have two images that look like discs. They say "OEM" somethign next to them and they take up memory. Looking on my laptop (not the gaming desktop), I only have one, so I'm wondering why there is a second one? Is it because of the clean install?

I didn't ask the retail store, no. I'm pretty positive it is a result of the clean install.

I'd want to do another clean install because the post-BSOD problem might have messed up some of the program on the PC, but they are important to the system and I don't want to mess with them by uninstalling/reinstalling.

I can't make any sense out of it either? Need more specific info to sort this out.

I'll try to find or make a picture but I tried explaining it more.

It says (OEM Reserved). Maybe it's not shaped like a disc but I have two of these when I view the PC using "setup.exe". What should I do? Should I delete one or leave it be?

I'll try to find a better way to represent this.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Well as far as I can tell the first oem reserved is the factory restore partition
It reset your computer to fresh out of the box when you opened it,

The second largest partition is the current install.

Why again do you want to reinstall ?

If so I would use the factory restore partition it's what it's there for
Although on this machine I don't know how to get the machine to restore the machine using it
Might be the F10 key at startup ?
You'd have to refer to Alienware for that info.

 

[AddRAM]

It`s just a shot of your hard drive showing 2 partitions and some unallocated space, what`s the problem ?

 

[AddRAM]

And please stop using the term setup.exe disc.

It is called a Windows 7 install Disc.

Until you learn how to do a clean install on a single hard drive, leave your PC alone.

 

[SickOfTheBSOD]

Hi,
Well as far as I can tell the first oem reserved is the factory restore partition
It reset your computer to fresh out of the box when you opened it,

The second largest partition is the current install.

Why again do you want to reinstall ?

If so I would use the factory restore partition it's what it's there for
Although on this machine I don't know how to get the machine to restore the machine using it
Might be the F10 key at startup ?
You'd have to refer to Alienware for that info.

I want to reinstall because I believe the BSOD problem I had before may have messed up the internal memory or some junk in the PC. For instance, I made another post about a program that I had on my PC that now mysertiously wants to ask permission before running. It never did that before but now it asks me every time for Administrator permission. Here it is for reference:

http://www.sevenforums.com/software...center-keeps-setting-off-uac-windows-7-a.html

It`s just a shot of your hard drive showing 2 partitions and some unallocated space, what`s the problem ?

This is not an actual image of my gaming desktop's HDD. This is just a screenshot I was able to pull off the Internet so you could understand better what I was talking about.

And please stop using the term setup.exe disc.

It is called a Windows 7 install Disc.

Until you learn how to do a clean install on a single hard drive, leave your PC alone.

Alright, alright. It was the best way ATM that I could explain my predicament.




I'm looking for the following:
1) Since I have two of these factory restore partitions, should I delete one?
2) Is a factory partition the same as a Disc Image?
3) If I'm to use this factory restore partition, what will happen?
4) I deleted McAfee from my PC as a result of the BSOD problem. If I use the factory restore partition, will McAfee come back on to the PC?

I apologize for my ignorance. I'm only two years into PC gaming and using a gaming desktop.

 

[DavidE]

Can you boot up Windows 7 and post a maximized screen print of Disk Management using these instructions ?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

In the screen print in post #4 i only see one "OEM" partition, not two.
That partition shows as 39 MB Total space and 38 MB Free space.
I don't know what purpose that partition could be used for now
It's not large enough for a factory recovery.
The 13.2 GB Unallocated space might have been the factory recovery partition, but is no longer usable after the re-installs.

EDIT: I missed this in post #8 , ignore my post #9.

This is not an actual image of my gaming desktop's HDD.

 

[ThrashZone]

Yes Mcafee seems it was pre-installed so it will be back
I'm sure the bsod team gave you instruction on how to remove it.

UAC prompt :/
I wouldn't worry about that part enjoy the machine it seems clean now and bsod free

 

[SickOfTheBSOD]

Can you boot up Windows 7 and post a maximized screen print of Disk Management using these instructions ?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

In the screen print in post #4 i only see one "OEM" partition, not two.
That partition shows as 39 MB Total space and 38 MB Free space.
I don't know what purpose that partition could be used for now
It's not large enough for a factory recovery.
The 13.2 GB Unallocated space might have been the factory recovery partition, but is no longer usable after the re-installs.

I have added a screenshot of my Disk Management section. Perhaps I was mistaken but I'm pretty sure I saw two of the same disc-like image when I put in the Windows 7 installation disc.

As of now, can I have a brief explanation of what each of these parts in my Disk Management image is for?

If not a reinstall, how about just "refreshing the OS"? Also to add, the reason my application was acting strange was because of a certificate revocation. If that is the only thing that has happened, then perhaps I don't need to touch my PC right now.

 

[ThrashZone]

Nope everything looks okay.
Like I said earlier the UAC prompt is fairly normal for programs that can make system wide changes.
I'm sure it won't be the last program to have that happen with/ click yes and move along
Just be tankful you don't have to enter a password like in a standard user account or in Linux

 

[SickOfTheBSOD]

Nope everything looks okay.
Like I said earlier the UAC prompt is fairly normal for programs that can make system wide changes.
I'm sure it won't be the last program to have that happen with/ click yes and move along
Just be tankful you don't have to enter a password like in a standard user account or in Linux

I actually noticed that the program, Alienware Command Center, has a revoked certificate, so I get a UAC prompt because Windows 7 wants to know if I should still allow this program to run even though the license is revoked.

 

[AddRAM]

If User Account bothers you, just disable it, I haven`t used it for years, it`s totally unnecessary, in my opinion.

Others have their opinion, but I think it`s useless.

 

[ThrashZone]

You can contact Dell or alienware and ask what's up and if they plan on updating their crapware

 

[SickOfTheBSOD]

You can contact Dell or alienware and ask what's up and if they plan on updating their crapware

Haha. Crapware.

Well; there's not much more to say here. Thank you all for the help.