How do i change my Windows 7 Premium back to Windows 7 starter?

[blondeboomer]

I'm brand new to these types of sites but i really need the help.
I have a Dell Inspiron mini 1018. I got it as a gift from a friend that moved away.
It originally had windows 7 starter on it, and he partitioned it with Ubuuntu. I didn't know how to get that off so i tried something that was referred to me by something i read, and then it went black. No way to boot it, nothing. So I got a Windows 7 disk (Premium) and loaded that on it. Now, this netbook has no cd/dvd drive, so i had to do this all by flash drive. Well, it worked. But now it is so slow, among other things, and the disk drive is like this. 1st partition - 100 mb and it's OEM -/ 2nd partition - recovery 9.77 gb ntfs / 3rd partition - OS (c) 162.05 gb ntfs / 4th partition - 59.98 gb / and the 5th partition - 101.2 mb / and all say primary except the one with C., which says System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump.
OK, so,,do i need all these partitions, and if not, how do i change them. And let's not forget on seeing if i can get the OS back to Windows 7 starter. I know it HAS to be on there somewhere.
Thanks for any help i can get.

 

[gregrocker]

Do you have a Premium Product key? If not is the Starter key still readable on COA sticker?

Unfortunately once you reinstall to C you lose the hotlink to Dell Factory Recovery. You can possible try to resurrect the link with a Dual Boot to the Recovery partition using http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...ent-roma-1001-laptop-oem-slp.html#post1952871

But the factory preinstall is an inferior install to begin with. Better to do a perfect http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 which has everything needed including the latest official installer, tool to unlock all versions in it, and tool to burn to DVD or flash stick.

Feel free to ask back any questions as you go. Pay close attention to how drivers are handled in Win7 as it is a driver-complete OS and not at all like XP.

Read the Special Note to Dell Owners so you can test if the bootable hardware diagnostics will still run as if not you can delete all partitions during the booted install as shown. If they boot and run then delete all but the OEM tools partition. Let us see your Disk Mgmt to decide

 

[ICIT2LOL]

I don't know why you want to go back to Starter because it is in my mind a bit flimsy.

If you have an activation code for Premium you would be better off doing this
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164
If you put the ISO on a stick this should install Premium over all the drive.




But if you absolutely want Starter there should be a factory default key you can push on power up but unfortunately I cannot find what it is.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

So I got a Windows 7 disk (Premium) and loaded that on it.............the disk drive is like this. 1st partition - 100 mb and it's OEM -/ 2nd partition - recovery 9.77 gb ntfs / 3rd partition - OS (c) 162.05 gb ntfs / 4th partition - 59.98 gb / and the 5th partition - 101.2 mb / and all say primary except the one with C., which says System, Boot, Page File, Active, Crash Dump.
OK, so,,do i need all these partitions, and if not, how do i change them.

Hmmmm...............you need more than a Windows 7 Premium disk. You need a Product Key. Do you have one? For what version?

Not sure what you did....I don't see how you would end up with 5 partitions if you did a normal install of Windows 7.

The recovery partition implies that you have or had some way of returning to Starter, but your attempt at a Premium installation may have rendered that partition useless.

A screen shot of Windows Disk Management might be helpful.

 

[Layback Bear]

This tutorial by Golden should be helpful.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/274797-disk-management-post-screen-capture-image.html

 

[nemo92380]

Hi,

On my EeePC Asus 1000HD i had Windows XP pre installed but at the end of the support i decided to install on it my W7 HP. Unfortunatly my configuration was too light and my W7 was really slow and un usable...
So my original DVD contain the all versions of W7 including Starter so having a legal licence key of Starter i made a new installation using the Starter Licence Key and the Microsoft Activation by phone and all is allright now.
I know that Starter is less versatile that Home Premium but with my little configuration:

CPU 900 mhz
RAM 2 G°
DD 120 G°

And Graphic and Audio integrated chipset all is working fine and fluently for my use.

Try to use the Starter Licence Key of your Dell (you say it was the pre installed OS on it) to reinstall W7 and tell us if all is right .

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hmm Nemo mate he needs the activation for the Dell and some media for it which I doubt very much he has. There is a tutorial here http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html but there are no ISO's for Starter.

I think the only way he is going to have any chance of getting it back is to call either Microsoft or Dell and see what can be done.

The alternative is to use the tutorial and install Home Premium but he will need a key for that as buying an OEM disk is no good as I believe the small pads have no optical drive. The ISO on the other hand can be put on a stick and booted from it.

 

[gregrocker]

It explains in Step 1 second subpoint how to unlock all versions to choose Starter during install.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

It explains in Step 1 second subpoint how to unlock all versions to choose Starter during install.

Sorry Greg I hadn't really looked at that at least the OP has a way out now.