Two OEM Files When Viewing Setup Disc on PC. What Should I Do?

I'll try to clarify:

I had a BSOD-related problem but, thanks to a few on this forum, it's been fixed. Before this, however, I took the PC to a retail store and asked for a "clean installation". The result, I find out later, is I now have two OEM "files" (?) under the setup options when I view my PC from the "setup.exe" disc.

What I'd like help with:

1) Understanding what OEM stuff is about?
2) What should I do about this? Should I leave both of them or delete one? (I plan on doing another clean installation sometime soon)
3) What is the purpose of these OEM "files" and why do I need them on my PC? (It's a pre-built model from Alienware)

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure what I should do about this and I don't want to cause further problems with my PC.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
I can't say I understand the issue ?
Can you post a picture of what you're referring to ?

Also have you asked the place where you took it for an explanation ?

If you did 1 clean install why would you want to do another ?

Using system images takes a lot less time to undo mistakes :)
Imaging with free Macrium

I'll try to post a picture.

When I put in the "setup.exe" discthat came with my PC, I have two images that look like discs. They say "OEM" somethign next to them and they take up memory. Looking on my laptop (not the gaming desktop), I only have one, so I'm wondering why there is a second one? Is it because of the clean install?

I didn't ask the retail store, no. I'm pretty positive it is a result of the clean install.

I'd want to do another clean install because the post-BSOD problem might have messed up some of the program on the PC, but they are important to the system and I don't want to mess with them by uninstalling/reinstalling.

alphanumeric said:

I can't make any sense out of it either? Need more specific info to sort this out.

I'll try to find or make a picture but I tried explaining it more.



It says (OEM Reserved). Maybe it's not shaped like a disc but I have two of these when I view the PC using "setup.exe". What should I do? Should I delete one or leave it be?

I'll try to find a better way to represent this.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
Well as far as I can tell the first oem reserved is the factory restore partition
It reset your computer to fresh out of the box when you opened it,

The second largest partition is the current install.

Why again do you want to reinstall ?

If so I would use the factory restore partition it's what it's there for
Although on this machine I don't know how to get the machine to restore the machine using it
Might be the F10 key at startup ?
You'd have to refer to Alienware for that info.

I want to reinstall because I believe the BSOD problem I had before may have messed up the internal memory or some junk in the PC. For instance, I made another post about a program that I had on my PC that now mysertiously wants to ask permission before running. It never did that before but now it asks me every time for Administrator permission. Here it is for reference:

Alienware Command Center Keeps Setting Off UAC in Windows 7.

AddRAM said:

It`s just a shot of your hard drive showing 2 partitions and some unallocated space, what`s the problem ?

This is not an actual image of my gaming desktop's HDD. This is just a screenshot I was able to pull off the Internet so you could understand better what I was talking about.

AddRAM said:

And please stop using the term setup.exe disc.

It is called a Windows 7 install Disc.

Until you learn how to do a clean install on a single hard drive, leave your PC alone.

Alright, alright. It was the best way ATM that I could explain my predicament.




I'm looking for the following:
1) Since I have two of these factory restore partitions, should I delete one?
2) Is a factory partition the same as a Disc Image?
3) If I'm to use this factory restore partition, what will happen?
4) I deleted McAfee from my PC as a result of the BSOD problem. If I use the factory restore partition, will McAfee come back on to the PC?

I apologize for my ignorance. I'm only two years into PC gaming and using a gaming desktop.