Clean Install Windows 7

How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7​

   Information

This will show you how to do a clean installation with a retail Windows 7. A OEM Windows 7 may have a few different screens than below, but basically the same.

Yes, you can do a clean install from a upgrade Windows 7 version.
NOTE: See this tutorial for how: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

   Note

Do a Clean Installation if:

• Your computer has no operating system installed, or it’s running a version of Windows prior to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (including Windows XP).
• You do NOT want to preserve your data, programs, or system drivers.
• You want to delete your current operating system and replace it with Windows 7.
• You want to create a multiboot system by installing Windows 7 on a separate hard disk partition.

   Tip

• Sometimes you may have a problem with installing Windows 7 with more than 2 GB of RAM installed on some older motherboards. If you have this problem, then you should install Windows 7 with a maximum of 2GB of RAM installed and add the rest of the RAM after Windows 7 is fully installed. You may need to flash your motherboard BIOS with the latest version to support more RAM like this. (WARNING - DO NOT FLASH THE BIOS if you do not know what you are doing. Please ask for help instead. One mistake can kill your motherboard permanently.)
• Before doing this clean install, you should download and save all of your device drivers to a USB flash drive, DVD, another HDD, or some other media to have them handy to make setting Windows 7 up easier when finished installing Windows 7. For example, having the network driver available in case you cannot connect to the internet until it's installed.

   Warning

Windows 7 Minimum Hardware Requirements:

NOTE: For more information on this, see: Windows 7 system requirements

• 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB RAM for 32-bit Windows 7 OR 2 GB RAM for 64-bit Windows 7
• 16 GB available hard disk space for 32-bit Windows 7 OR 20 GB for 64-bit Windows 7
• Graphics card or chip that supports DirectX 9 with 128 MB memory (to have Aero theme enabled)
• DVD-R/W drive, or bootable USB 2.0 port with Windows 7 USB flash drive
• Internet or phone access to activate Windows 7.

Here's How:1. Boot the computer from your Windows 7 installation DVD/USB.
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first and your HDD second in the boot priority order in your BIOS settings. Usually it is by default.

   Warning

If you want to install Windows 7 using UEFI instead of BIOS, then see this below first.

How to Install Windows 7 Using "Unified Extensible Firmware Interface" (UEFI)

   Note

If you do not have a Windows 7 with SP1 installation DVD/USB, then you can download the latest official Windows 7 with SP1 ISO file at the links below.

:ar: Microsoft Software Recovery

:ar: Microsoft: Windows 7 Direct Download Links

You can use Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive with the ISO to do the clean install with.

2. If using a DVD, then when prompted, press any key to boot from the installation DVD. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You will only have about 8 seconds to press this key. If you miss it, you will have to restart the computer.
3. Set up your language preferences, and click on the Next button. (See screeshot below).
4. Click on the Install Now button to start the installation. (See screenshot below)
5. Check the I accept the license terms box, and click on Next. (See screenshot below)
6. Click on the Custom (advanced) option. (See screenshot below)
7. Select the hard drive or partition that you want to install Windows 7 on, and click on the Drive Options (advanced) link. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If the hard drive or partition that you have selected is unallocated, then you can just click on the Next button instead and go to step 9 since it is already empty.
WARNING: You may not have the Drive options (advanced) option unless the installation is done at boot, and not running the installation from within your current OS.
8. Select a hard drive or partition that you want to do a clean install of Windows 7 on, do what Drive options (advanced) you want if any, and click on the Next button when finished. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you have your hard drives in a RAID setup, then connect your USB key with the RAID drivers on it, click on Load Driver, select the folder on the USB key that contains the RAID drivers to install them. Afterwards, your RAID drives will be available to select from to install Windows 7 on.

   Tip

Drive options (advanced)

• If you have more than one partition for a disk # (hard drive) and want to get rid of them to make that disk # one partition drive again, then select a partition with that disk # and click on the Delete option for each partition with the same disk # until there is only one "unallocated space" with that disk # left as in the screenshot below.
• To shrink an existing partition to create another partition to install Windows 7 on instead, select the partition you want shrink and click on the Extend option. Type in how much in MB (1 GB = 1024 MB) that you want to shrink it by. Now select the new extended partition.

   Note

The 100 MB System Reserved partition is used for the Boot Manager code, BCD (Boot Configuration Database), System Recovery Options (Windows RE), and start up files for BitLocker (if turned on).

• If you want to have the 100 MB System Reserved partition in addition to the Windows 7 C: partition on a HDD or SSD after installation, then you would need to make sure that all partitions on the drive have been deleted until it is only unallocated space. Next, select the unallocated drive to install Windows 7 on. If there are no partitions on the disk, you will get the 100 MB System Reserved.
• If you do not want to have the 100 MB System Reserved partition and only the Windows 7 C: partition on a HDD or SSD after installation, then select a formatted partition or drive to install Windows 7 on. If there are any partitions on the disk, you won't get the 100 MB System Reserved.

9. The installation of Windows 7 will now begin. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: During the installation process, your screen may flash and computer will restart a few times.
10. After the final restart, you will see this screen for a moment. (See screenshot below)
11. Type in any user name that you want for your default administrator account and any computer name, then click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
12. Type in a password you want for your default administrator account. Type it in again to confirm it, then type in a hint for your password. Click on the Next button. (See screenshots below)
WARNING: The password will be case sensitive. The hint will be seen by all users on the computer, so do not type your password as the hint.
NOTE: If you do not want your your user account password protected at this time or do not want to have to type in a hint, then leave this blank and click on the Next button. You can create a password later for your user account in the Control Panel User Accounts after installing Windows 7 without having to type in a hint.


13. Type in your Windows 7 product key number. (See screenshot below step 14)

14. Uncheck the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box, then click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can activate Windows 7 later after you make sure it is running properly. (See step 21 below)
If you chose to automatically activate Windows 7 online when you set up your computer, automatic activation begins trying to activate your copy of Windows three days after you log on for the first time.
15. Click on Use recommended settings to allow automatic Windows Updates and proper security settings. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: For more information about these recommended settings, click on the Learn more about each option link in this window.
16. Select your time zone and set your time and date settings, then click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
17. Click on your computer's correct network location type location to select it and have the settings for that location automatically applied. (See screenshot below)
18. Windows 7 will now prepare your desktop to startup. (See screenshots below)


19. When it's finished and you are at your desktop, you can now remove or disconnect your installation DVD/USB from step 1 above.

20. Install all of your device drivers, then Windows Updates.

21. Refresh your Windows Experience Index (WEI) score.

22. When finished, all you will need to do is to activate Windows 7. (See screenshot below)

   Tip

If you are dual booting with another OS (ex: Vista), then that OS partition may not show up in Computer with a driver letter in Windows 7. You will need to add a drive letter to the OS (ex: Vista) partition in Windows 7 Disk Management for it to show up in Computer with a driver letter.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7
• How to Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version
• How to Use Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor
• How to Do a Upgrade Installation with Windows 7
• How to Setup Windows 7 to Boot from a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk)
• How to Create a Windows 7 VHD at Boot to Start with from Boot
• How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7
• How to Activate Windows 7 Online
• How to Extend the Windows 7 Activation Trial Period Up to 120 Days
• How to Change the Default Operating System to Start in Windows 7
• How to Change Time to Display Operating Systems at Boot in Windows 7
• How to Delete an Operating System Listed in Windows Boot Manager
• How to Create a Windows 7 Installation USB Key
• How to Install Windows 7 from USB Pen Drive Using Grub4Dos
• How to Create a New Partition or Volume in Windows 7
• How to Fix Missing Vista Hard Disk Partition Letter in Windows 7
• How to Setup a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Setup a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP
• How to Install Windows 7 FAST without a DVD or USB Device
• Install Windows 7 Without Using Any External Device
• How to Do a Custom Installation of Windows 7
• How to Partition the Hard Drive in a Windows 7 Install
• How to Install Windows 7 on Computer with Less than 512MB RAM
• Slipstream Windows 7 SP1 and Updates to Create a Bootable USB, Installation DVD, or ISO File
• How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 7 from the Windows 7 Desktop
• How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 7 from the Windows XP Desktop
• How to Install Windows 7 Using "Unified Extensible Firmware Interface" (UEFI)
• How to Clean Reinstall a Factory OEM Windows 7
• New Installation: How to Create a General System Image in Audit Mode
• How to Clean Install Windows on a MSATA (SSD) Drive

 

[Brink]

Hello Sebastian,

Usually it's best to have them enabled to be detected when installing the drivers.

 

[jk22]

Nice tutorial.

 

[peteinkent]

The original hard disk died, so I installed a brand-new from the mfr hard disk. In the Tutorial, I got to Step 9, and no further. Repeated attempts only got me to "Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer's hardware"; clicking OK got me: "Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation."

The new hard disk is a Seagate SSHD 1Tb, that came, of course, with nothing - kind of the "ultimate" Clean Install." I am using the CD that came with the Dell Studio, labeled "Reinstallation DVD Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit"; I also have the "Drivers and Utilities" and "Drivers and Documentation" DVDs that came with the computer.

I can't download (using another computer) anything from Microsoft because, altho the Product Key is recognized, it belongs to Dell - but with all the problems I have had with this machine, I'd rather take a hammer to it than call Dell.

Any help would be appreciated. My next step is to try to find a local shop.... Many thanks in advance

 

[scop8]

Thank you for the tutorial. One question I have is about the goings on after the screen that lists the process of the installation, and then says computer will restart. At that point, I always used to take out the installation DVD and switch the boot in BIOS back to HDD. It has worked in the past, but now I am stuck at 'Windows is finalizing your settings' stage for several hours. Also, I didn't get the screen that asks about which network group I want to choose after choosing the time zone (I have disconnected my net cable during installation, so maybe that's why).

Should I be leaving the installation DVD throughout the process? Is the other method I mentioned preventing Win7 from getting past that 'finalizing your settings' stage? Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello scop8,

I always recommend to leave it as is until you see your desktop to make sure it no longer needs the installation media.

There's no need to change the boot priority from DVD 1st and HDD 2nd since it will give you the "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD" message. If you don't do anything, it'll boot from the HDD.

If it hasn't progressed any further by now, you could try changing things back and restarting the computer to see if it may pick up where it left off. If not, then you may need to clean install again.

 

[scop8]

Hi Brink,

Thanks very much for the feedback.

The reason I had to reinstall in the first place was because i was stuck in a boot loop (sometimes it would load Windows after 3 restarts, sometimes after 8, sometimes it was endless...).

I will try this method of leaving the DVD in throughout today. What I've found before is that after being stuck on the 'Windows is finalizing your settings' stage, I restarted and Windows booted fine, performing the final desktop settings, etc. Is this ok as an install, then?

 

[Brink]

Sure, you could try restarting the computer to see if it may pick up where it left off and continue.

 

[scop8]

Keeping the DVD in throughout worked perfectly! Absolutely fantastic, thanks very much

 

[Brink]

I'm glad to hear that it finished up for you.

 

[scop8]

Since I'm still technically on Win7, I'm wondering whether you know, Brink, about getting around Win 10 installation hang ups? After updating Win 7 SP1 rather swiftly, all other updates scrawled to a standstill. I couldn't, then, update the Win 10 icon option that appears in the taskbar, and since I didn't want to miss the Win 10 deadline, I went to MS site to get the update.

All went smoothly until now it has been stuck at 99% installation complete for about 24 hours straight. The red HD flicks intermittently, every 10 or 6 or 12 seconds and so forth. Not sure if this means to leave it alone, or can I restart to continue it or will that stop the whole process? I've read about both happening to people in this situation, so I'm not sure how to proceed.

If this doesn't belong here, please disregard, and I'll find a Win 10 forum to ask. Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello scop8,

If you like, it would be best to post that at our sister site www.tenforums.com instead.

 

[scop8]

Will do, Brink, thanks

 

[Drumming Pete]

I'm a bit confused. For GPT/UEFI setup;

Do I only have the option of shrinking the system partition AFTER windows has finished setup. Or can I do this before installing?

Also;

When Windows setup is finished installing, and my laptop has wifi/bluetooth hardware. I guess setup has already found generic drivers for them. Will windows set wifi aand bluetooth to ENABLED automatically at first start? - I want to prevent automatic enabling. Because I live in a student house and there's free wifi without password.

 

[Brink]

Hello Pete,

It would be best to use the tutorial below instead for clean installing Windows 7 with UEFI.

UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with

 

[afterx]

I create two discs apart from "system reserved" after all sections are deleted. C: and D:. I am formatting these sections from D: '(windows will not be installed). But do you need to format the partition where windows will be installed? It is not formatted in some videos.

 

[Brink]

Hello afterx, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If there's nothing on the hard drive you want to keep, it's best to delete all partitions on the disk at step 8 until the disk shows as unallocated. You would then select this unallocated disk to clean install Windows to.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Shawn mate I cannot get the link from Heidoc to download an ISO for a 32bit machine - it lets me run th tool and then choose Windows 7 but then gives me an error and tells me to check my internet connection.

Now using the other option Microsoft Software Recovery link works fine and I just happen to have a valid code for it on an unused OEM copy.

Am just wondering what is going on with the Heidoc site is it down again because this has happened before and if I did not have that spare copy I would be up that proverbial creek and more so anyone who did not have the key say for example it had got worn off the machine sticker.

To be honest I prefer the MSR but seems to be a waste of time having that link there unless maybe my AV is blocking it by why with such a strange message??

 

[torchwood]

Hi [MENTION=119834]ICIT2LOL[/MENTION]
Not a problem for me

link
W7 HP SP1 32 bit
https://software-download.microsoft...1501070363&h=86928a1480f9f09b82539d9516b0d3e2

KIS getting over zealous??

Heidoc is running V5 07 now

Roy
1pm

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry very late reply Roy I will try it again and you may have something with KISS it is sometimes very fussy with some stuff MBAM trial version is a bit of a punch up with it LOL!!