Cannot install Windows 7 on new drive


  1. NEHiker111
    Posts : 2
    Windows 7 32 bit
       New #1

    Cannot install Windows 7 on new drive


    I’m trying to install Windows 7 on my backup computer. I initially installed it from the setup but the C drive is too small so I cannot install other programs so I want to install it on a larger hard drive.
    I have a larger hard drive that I formatted but I can’t seem to install Windows 7 on that drive. If I remove the C drive where the original one is installed and replace it with the larger drive I can’t boot from the reformatted C drive. I created a recovery disk and can make some progress but it still won’t let me install Windows 7 on the almost empty disk. The setup says it is the secondary not the primary and I can’t seem to force it to be the primary although it is recognized in the setup.
    If I put the original disk with Windows 7 back in I can boot up and run the install but I don’t think there is a way to install it on a drive that is not the C drive so that doesn’t help much. The larger drive is then visible and I can open the few small files I put on it as a test so I know the drive is ok. I tried putting the restore files on the larger disk but that doesn’t work.
    I have installed Windows before since I built both this computer and my other one from scratch with empty hard disks.
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  3. kegobeer
    Posts : 2,913
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
       New #2

    What hard drive did you buy? Is this an IDE or SATA drive?

    Please fill out your system specs, so we know what kind of hardware you are using? Don't post your specs in your next reply - actually fill out the system specs portion of your profile.
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  4. gregrocker
    Posts : 50,642
       New #3

    Plug in only the target HD to the first port, boot the WIn7 DVD, select Custom Install then when the Drives Selection screen shows the HD, click on it, delete all partitions, click Next and it will create and format your partition and begin the install.

    There is no worry about it being C drive because Win7 willl alway see itself as C when installed correctly from booted DVD.

    If there is an install failure, post back the exact error message and at what step it happened in this tutorial which shows the illustrated steps: Clean Install Windows 7
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