New Win7 Install

To make long story short, my PC with Win 7 (SP1) crashed because of a virus. I could find no way to repair or restore it without that same virus showing up.

As a last resort, I did a clean install of Win7 using an install disk that had SP1 slipstreamed on it. All seemed to go well. The first thing I did after the install was to delete the old.win folder so as not to have it influence anything else I would do.

When I started to install my software I noticed that ALL the programs that I had installed before the crash were still showing in Program Files. They did NOT work but the files were still there. The reason I think they would not work is because they were not showing the registry.

I don't think it is a real big deal since most of the programs will be reinstalled and those files should be replaced or deleted.

I was just wanting to know how could this happen and why so that I can prevent it from happening in the future.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

My best guess as to why it happened is that for some reason the partition with windows 7 on it wasn't formatted during the last install. One way around it is to delete the partition and then create a new blank one. It will be formated during the install. I partitioned my drive so all my data, documents, pictures, etc is on a separate partition. I can then nuke the windows partition during a clean install and not loose anything.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

What you did is a custom install not a clean install- a custom install does leave behind a windows.old folder which contains files from the previous install and can be recovered. If one has no use for windows.old, it makes sense to format the OS partition, then install- this can be done in various ways E.g. by clicking on Drive options during the install and choosing Format (this would be a clean install).

But I've never heard of Programfiles being left behind separately, hard to explain. If you havent invested too much time and effort till now, suggest you do a clean install the proper way after backing up any data.

Clean Install Windows 7

After any infection which causes one to reinstall, you should wipe the HD first of all code using Diskpart Clean All command. Use the tutorial theog posted above to do this.

Then close the Command Box, choose Install Now, use Custom>Drive Options to create New partition(s) as you wish, Format before install - pictures are in the tutorial Bill2 posted.

Allow the 100mb boot partition created by the installer on a clean HD, as this places the Repair console conveniently on the F8 Advanced Boot Tools menu.

Here are other tips for getting a purrfect install based on hundreds done here - use the ones which apply to your situation: Clean Reinstall steps

OK I tried to digest all that information. Since I have time I decide to play around with installing.

My install disk was purchase through the student program and I have used it to do Custom Installs on this same PC before without any issues.

My PC is setup this way:
Two Hard Drives with Win 7 Pro on one drive and Win XP on the other. I booted up into XP with both hard drives connected (XP as primary). This allowed me to format the drive I wanted to install Win 7.

I then disconnected the drive with Win XP and started the install process (Custom) on the partition that I had just formatted. I will say it to what I thought was an inordinate amount time but finally it said Win installed and the setup started. When entered the Product Code I got this error message:

The following failure occurred trying to use this Product Key:
Code 0xC004F061

Description:
The software Licensing Service determined that this specified Product Key can only be used for upgrading, not for clean installs.

I tried reentering the Product Key several times but that did not help.

This buffaloes me since I have done the custom install before on this partition before without any issues.

I guess I can install Win XP on that partition and then try reinstalling Win 7 again and see what happens.

This is begining to be a PITA.

One more question:
How reliable are system images that are saved on DVD(s)?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank You

At least three times we posted the steps to wipe your HD with Diskpart Clean All command, yet you only formatted which erases nothing and leaves infected code on the HD. You need to unplug the XP HD and wipe the HD using the steps in the tutorial which I will post again: SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Since we now know you have an Upgrade version, you'll need to leave the Product Key blank during install then afterwards do the quick registry workaround given here to activate an Upgrade version key installed on a wiped HD, as a HD should be after infection: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Thanks gregrocker.

I guess I have done this install so many times and never had an issue before like I am having now.

When I did the last install I did the Custom Install but the only thing I may have done wrong (that I can see anyway), I checked the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box. I also put in the Product Key and I don't think I should have done that (appreciate a comment on that).

Next time I try the install I will follow the tutorial:
Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version
I will use OPTION ONE and see how it goes.

Thanks for the patience

Did you wipe the HD of infection?