Restoring with an external hard drive.

Currently cleaning my primary 1TB HD with command prompt. Going to create a partition and install Windows.

Clean All (one set of zeroes) is about an hour per 300gb.

Be sure to unplug your external HD.

Best to create a smaller partition to install Win7 onto to avoid install problems. Use Custom install>Drive Options to create New and Format so it creates the 100mb System Reserved boot partition which conveniently places the Repair console (normally on Repair CD or DVD) on the F8 Advanced Boot Tools menu.

gregrocker said:

Clean All (one set of zeroes) is about an hour per 300gb.

Best to create a smaller partition to install Win7 onto to avoid install problems. Use Custom install>Drive Options to create New and Format so it creates the 100mb System Reserved boot partition which conveniently places the Repair console (normally on Repair CD or DVD) on the F8 Advanced Boot Tools menu.

I assume I'll be waiting a good amount of time until my HD is done cleaning. To get this strait, I should use the partition wizard to create the 100MB partition and the main partition?

No, boot the Win7 DVD, choose Custom install, then use Drive Options to create your partition(s), format before installing Win7 to first partition. Ignore the 100mb SysReserved partition the installer creates.

It is all shown with pictures here: Clean Install Windows 7

gregrocker said:

No, boot the Win7 DVD, choose Custom install, then use Drive Options to create your partition(s), format before installing Win7 to first partition. Ignore the 100mb SysReserved partition the installer creates.

It is all shown with pictures here: Clean Install Windows 7

Alright, done cleaning my HD. On the install screen and am wondering if there is a certain sized partition you would recommended I make for the install. Sorry to bother you again. You've been great help.

Depends on how many programs you have and whether you want to store most files in User folders. I'd say 100gb to start, but go bigger if you want.

gregrocker said:

Depends on how many programs you have and whether you want to store most files in User folders. I'd say 100gb to start, but go bigger if you want.

Figured as such. Is there an advantage to not partitioning the entire drive? (excluding the 100 MB partition) In other terms, would not partitioning the entire drive help avoid the crash I had today because it all wouldn't become corrupted?

The only reported problems are when a 1tb Drive is not partitioned smaller.

We never got requested details of your crash earlier today so can't say what caused it.

Once again thank you for your help. Installing Windows now.