I reinstalled Windows 7 from the DVD, having problems

I have a Dell N5110 laptop that came with Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64 bit. Since the computer is over three years old now, and have been experiencing a handful of issues, I decided to reinstall Windows 7. The only way I was able to do it was through the DVDs I got when I bought the laptop. And the only way I was able to get the DVD to reinstall was to click on My Computer and select the C drive (rather than by pressing F12 as the computer is booting up, which is what the online tutorial said to do).

I don't remember the exact option I chose, but after the reinstall, I don't have access to my library items (music, videos, pictures, documents), even though all those files are apparently still on the hard drive since I have the same amount of free space as I did before the reinstall (250 MB. The drive has 750 MB capacity). Additionally, after I installed some drivers from the included drivers disk, I am able to connect to the Internet, but it's moving really slowly and isn't always connecting to webpages.

I have backed up all of my files, so my goal with the reinstall was to get rid of everything on the hard drive and have a speedy, like new laptop, then pick and choose which files and programs I wanted to put back on, starting with a clean slate. But I seem to be having some problems. What should my next step be? Any help would be much appreciated!

funkyguitar said:

I have a Dell N5110 laptop that came with Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64 bit. Since the computer is over three years old now, and have been experiencing a handful of issues, I decided to reinstall Windows 7. The only way I was able to do it was through the DVDs I got when I bought the laptop. And the only way I was able to get the DVD to reinstall was to click on My Computer and select the C drive (rather than by pressing F12 as the computer is booting up, which is what the online tutorial said to do).

I don't remember the exact option I chose, but after the reinstall, I don't have access to my library items (music, videos, pictures, documents), even though all those files are apparently still on the hard drive since I have the same amount of free space as I did before the reinstall (250 MB. The drive has 750 MB capacity). Additionally, after I installed some drivers from the included drivers disk, I am able to connect to the Internet, but it's moving really slowly and isn't always connecting to webpages.

I have backed up all of my files, so my goal with the reinstall was to get rid of everything on the hard drive and have a speedy, like new laptop, then pick and choose which files and programs I wanted to put back on, starting with a clean slate. But I seem to be having some problems. What should my next step be? Any help would be much appreciated!

Hello Funkyguitar,
I had to do one too, a while back.
The experts here can probably help you more than I can but I'll give you a couple links to
Tutorials on how to do it correctly. Hope this helps. Cheers.
This one by Brink.
Clean Install Windows 7
This one by gregrocker.
Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Thanks for the response Elljay. Since I've already done the reinstall, I'm hoping there's something else I can do at this point rather than do it a second time.

funkyguitar said:

And the only way I was able to get the DVD to reinstall was to click on My Computer and select the C drive (rather than by pressing F12 as the computer is booting up, which is what the online tutorial said to do).

My guess would be that you didn't do a clean install and didn't do the necessary to bring up the menu to choose the DVD as the boot device.

Maybe F12 doesn't apply to your PC; maybe F12 does apply but you didn't manipulate the key correctly to bring up the menu. That can be tricky and might call for holding the key down, pressing it once per second, twice per second, etc. Cranky and finicky. Try and try again, with varying sequences.

I used the reinstallation DVD that came with my Dell laptop. See the attached photo.

Then do it right this time following Clean Reinstall Windows 7.

Read the Special Note for Dell Owners at the end to understand which partitions to keep, something you didnt even consider when running the install from Win7 incorrectly.

Please don't ask us how to save an install that was done abjectly wrong to begin wtih. We specialize in the best installs in the world here, something which that tutorial alone has accomplished for over 1.5 million consumers who haven't had a single complaint or return here with problems.

Proceed.