Bought used Dell laptop, how to re-install windows for a clean setup?

[gregrocker]

Sure you can save it although if it's triggered by F8 it won't retain the hotkey at boot since that menu is reinstalled with Windows.

But we have ways to add it to a Dual Boot menu from Windows if needed. Boot Recovery Partition using EasyBCD

You can also make your REcovery disks as explained here to have a backup method for Recovery: Dell Restoring Your Computer´s Software to the Factory Settings

Most owners like the Clean Reinstall and use a WIn7 backup image in place of Recovery going forward.

 

[JohnnyScience]

Man it was almost done & of course had an error before it finished. It took over 2 hours just to cancel itself I'm so pissed.

I have the win7 OEM cd for my computer, can I just use that to reinstall the software, but using the laptop code to activate the win7?

 

[mjf]

I have the win7 OEM cd for my computer, can I just use that to reinstall the software, but using the laptop code to activate the win7?

Is this a Dell CD? Dell do provide clean install DVDs and if this is one of them then I would think you can use it and get a nice clean system.
If you or anyone else wants to be extra cautious when making these types of changes then you can image every partition of your PC with free Macrium Reflect. This way you can do partition image restores an get back to where you started if things go wrong.

 

[JohnnyScience]

It was actually my copy from digital river when win7 first came out. But I just looked at it & it was the Pro version, not the Home version. Lucky for me I let it download again last night before bed & I woke up to it being successfully finished today & am burning it to a dvd right now.

Thanks again guys.

 

[JohnnyScience]

Ok so I just inserted the new OEM win7 dvd I just burned & the installation just started & stopped right away asking for a drivers disk?

I don't have any other disk, why would it be asking for this while just starting to install windows?

It gives me the following options to install drivers:

Recovery (C)
OS (D)
CD Drive (has windows OEM cd in now)
Boot (x)

I tried selecting all of them & none have any drivers for the install?

 

[JohnnyScience]

Here is the drivers & download page for the model laptop:

Drivers and Downloads | Dell [United States]

But I don't see a visably labeled "driver" file for me to download?

Just Bios, Communication & Input sections.

What do I need to download exactly to finish the windows install?

 

[gregrocker]

The drivers are all in the installer. When you're prompted for drivers like that during install it usually means there is a problem with the installer.

What OEM DVD are you using? I thought you downloaded Win7 Home Premium x64 SP1 English Official ISO download and burned it to DVD using Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool.

 

[JohnnyScience]

Yes that is the OEM copy I downloaded & I used ISO Burn to burn it (already had it on my computer)

I did rename the .iso before burning it, is that an issue you think? I renamed it win7Home64.iso

 

[gregrocker]

Why are you calling it an OEM copy? The downloads are all the same for retail and OEM.

I don't know why you would change anything about the download before burning it to DVD. Do it again.

Win7 Home Premium x64 SP1 English Official ISO download
Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool

 

[DeaconFrost]

I'm not selling it, I just bought it so I wanted to scrub it as good as possible & I thought that's what I did?

That's the perfect reason NOT to restore Windows 7, but to follow the link and do a clean install. Most of us do this on an OEM system right away after purchase.

Ok do I really want to delete the factory OS partition? It's nice to have in a quick jiffy sometimes if you dont have the disk

If you have the install media disc (that you can download and burn), you don't need to worry about the restore partition. You can always repair using the install media, and if your HDD fails, the restore partition is useless anyway.

 

[JohnnyScience]

I'm getting beyond frustrated. Once again for the 2nd time today, 3rd time since last night the download got interrupted because of the god damn internet disconnecting again.

It's something with windows, my iphone & ipad never have this issues & it disconnects from windows probably 10-20 times a day. I can not even begin to describe how frustrating it is.

I've tried to fix it but it seems just one of those mysterious internet/computer things that just doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

What usually ends up happening for the computer to re-establish internet connection is for it to reset the wireless adapter. I'm using a dual band Netgear N600 router WNDR3400 & a netgear WNR111v2 wireless adapter.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Try wiring directly to the computer, but it sounds more like a router/internet connection issue. If your connection dropped for a short period of time, your iPhone and iPad would never notice. But a computer in the middle of a large download certainly would.

 

[gregrocker]

Exactly what download do you have now? From where did you download it and what is it's exact size when you rightclick on it and look at it's Properties?

 

[JohnnyScience]

Ok windows installed successfully now except for my ethernet & wireless drivers didn't get installed & I can't connect to the internet in order to download them. I went to the device manager & they have the yellow ! point on them & when I right click & try to update them I can't since even the ethernet driver isn't installed.

Shouldn't it have installed them?

I guess my only option is to download them onto a usb drive on a different computer?

Any idea where I would find the right drivers? I didn't see any on the dell page I linked to earlier.

Thanks.

 

[mjf]

Try using a download manager when downloading large files. It helps when the server is restricting speed and often allows you continue a download after a dropout without data corruption..

 

[gregrocker]

If you put in the correct tag number it's likely the Network driver obtained by clicking All Files tab here: Drivers and Downloads | Dell [United States]

Unzip the file, rightclick the .exe to Run as Admin, install it, or browse from Wireless device in Device Manager to the file to pick up the driver. Connect to network in bottom right System tray.

 

[JohnnyScience]

I actually just downloaded that one & put it on a usb & installed it on the laptop but even when I choose the actual file that was created after I opened & installed the wireless driver .exe in folder c:dell/drivers/r302673 the laptop tells me it isn't able to install it as it can't find it?

 

[JohnnyScience]

Just for the record I'm in device manager>other devices>Network controller - right clicking that & trying to update driver where I'm then prompted to search for the driver which is in c:dell/drivers/r302673 after I opened & installed it from the .exe on the usb.

The other ones listed under "other devices" in device manager that also have the yellow ! are Ethernet Controller & PCI Simple Communications controller & Network Controller

 

[gregrocker]

That's because the driver is 302627 and not what you downloaded. Again, here it is: Drivers and Downloads | Dell [United States]

While you are waiting for it to download, please read Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 since this was covered in it already. You want to follow those steps to get a perfect reinstall.

Once online install all of your Important and Optional Updates to get additional drivers before importing any others still missing in Device Manager from the same place.

 

[JohnnyScience]

That's because the driver is 302627 and not what you downloaded. Again, here it is: Drivers and Downloads | Dell [United States]

Sorry I had a typo, this is the driver I downloaded, 302627 I'm looking at the file in the driver folder of the dell folder in c