partial install of Win7 Pro OEM - How can I clean it out?

gregrocker said:

miketvsubs said:

Got any advice regarding the 3 issues I posted above?

I gave you a series of steps which solve 90% of install failures. Which ones have you already tried?

Note that I broke out the actual Diskpart commands in the steps so you wouldn't have to struggle with the tutorial you complain about. But you have to actually do the steps.

So far I've only gotten as far as the stuff that I twice mentioned trying (STEP2: Create A Partition, Step1). I had no idea your instructions were the same thing "broken out"....I don't even know what EFI is. I'm just following instructions step-by-step without much of a concept of how this is helping. So now that I'm aware that I'm expected to disregard theog's method & follow yours, I guess I'm off to learn about how to tell if my BIOS if EFI or whatever. Thanks for helping me avoid that other tutorial....as someone who writes for a living/knows how to use a comma, writing like that can be very confusing. It could really use an edit for grammar & clarity. I guess we're each good at our own things :)

gregrocker said:

Back up your files, unplug all other HD's and peripherals,

If an EFI BIOS you'll need to decide if you want UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but is there an easier way to tell than by watching a 21-minute trade video? Once this procedure is finished, I'm never going to need this knowledge again....is there a rule of thumb, or a checklist I could use? Thanks

The video is to educate PC owners about the new UEFI BIOS's so they can make an informed decision if they want to use it, especially if it causes install problems and becomes a struggle. I reworded the steps in Post #5 (which is being formalized as a tutorial) to de-emphasize the video. See if the new sequence makes it easier.

If you are asking how to tell if you have a UEFI BIOS, a simple way is to put your Win7 DVD in the tray, reboot and tap the key given for BIOS Boot menu (F12 on most Lenovo's). See if it offers a UEFI DVD drive as a boot choice. If so you can go ahead and install to UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums, or if you don't want UEFI install then enter BIOS setup to enable Legacy BIOS or CSM so you can choose the Legacy DVD choice on Boot Menu instead for install.

Again, I appreciate it....it's just that I already have plenty of pressures without the added challenge of trying to gain XP as a technician. Maybe one day, but not today. (For the record, I got far enough to learn that UEFI is the fancy stuff, & that I probably don't need it. So I went with the standard BIOS).

For my SATA choices, I've only got Native or RAID. Should I go with native?

If those are the only two choices, then I'd try Native.

Do you actually have a UEFI BIOS? If so you'll need to set Legacy or CSM to Enabled, or Legacy First. If you have any problems with these settings, post back the choices when you expand them. Camera snaps are helpful.

no, I don't have UEFI. It's a 2-year old pc that cost $350 when it was brand new.

Then no worries.

I thought that part sounded like a bit of techno overkill when I first read it.
I bought a 4GB flash drive to make the boot drive....or so I thought. It said 4GB on the pack, but the stick actually only holds 3.76GB. Trying again tomorrow....

Since all new PC's have UEFI BIOS, is it overkill to provide what those owners will need to know to overcome install problems? What exactly would you leave out - the video which explains what UEFI is since it is a major feature on the PC they have just spent big money on, and which is often blocking install?

That sounds about right for the usable space on a 4gb flash stick.

I wouldn't leave anything out.... just maybe inform users that this is a feature on newer computers, so people like me don't have to waste time researching. Especially since it appears to be an option & not a necessity. (I might be wrong about that, but that's what I gathered from my own research). But yeah...there's definitely an easier way to inform people than by that video.

I returned the flashdrive & got the bigger one, but now I have a new problem: I downloaded the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool, but when I run it it tries to install it on my C: drive without giving me the option to put it on my flash drive. Any tips on dealing with that? None of the dialogues I'm getting look like the ones found at Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool[2]=General%20Tips
either, so I'm pretty lost at this point
thanks again