Solved How to factory reset windows 7 w/out windows disk

[mcm52188]

Hello,

i am running windows 7 64bit on a Dell 1420. i would like to reinstall (factory reset) windows 7, erasing everything on the computer and starting from scratch. My computer came with windows XP and when windows 7 was installed, i believe the recovery partition was deleted. i do not have the windows disk. i have created a recovery disk and when i boot from it it brings me to this:

I dont believe i want any of these options. Is it possible to start from scratch with windows 7 given the above scenario?

thanks in advance.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry mate read that the wrong way I thought at first you had the 7 as a factory job, and if it was installed after the XP - how and who by?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Do you have a Windows 7 Product Key of 25 characters?

A so-called "factory reset", even if you could do it, would take you back to XP, since that is what it had on it from the factory.

Tell us about this recovery disk. Was it created at a time when XP was the operating system on this PC?

 

[mcm52188]

I understand that a factory reset will get me back to XP, and if thats my only option then oh well :/ I was hoping there would be a way to (for lack of a better term) "reinstall" windows 7 using a recovery method.

i do have the windows product key. the install was done by my school about a year ago.

the recovery disk (i may be using the wrong term here) is on my flash drive. i followed the instructions at the link below to create it today. most of what i have seen has instructed me to create a system restore point or an image created earier. both i assume would have saved data and my personal settings.

Create a USB Memory Stick with System Recovery Tools | 7 Tutorials

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'll ask again: was the recovery disk created at a time when XP was the operating system on this PC?

Or was it created after you had switched to Windows 7?

If you have the Win 7 product key, you can download an official Microsoft ISO, burn it to a disk, boot from it, install Windows 7, and activate with your product key.

 

[mcm52188]

the recovery disk on my flash drive was made today with windows 7. i am looking for an official iso of windows 7 from microsoft but initial queries are directing me to purchase it..

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You can get the ISO here:

Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

You need the exact same version as your Product Key.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yes ignazatsonic that what I was alluding to the rescue disk when you first load up then run the system image also made as you go along but seems like you have the bead on this one.

Suppose once it's back on may be just as well mcm to set them up?

 

[gregrocker]

Everything you need is here to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 including special notes for Dell owners about preserving the Diagnostics partition if desired, or how to replace it.

The disk you have is a Win7 Repair CD used for repairs or reimaging the system after you save a backup image.

 

[metalrun]

@mcm52188 - hey bro, this guy (@ignatzatsonic) is absolutely right! If you made the recovery disk backup during the WinXP on ur dell pc, then you will only get WinXP on ur dell pc with factory settings if you use recovery disk to format.

And now if u talk about the recovery disk (i.e System image recovery) you made with Win7, So if format ur dell PC with it then you wont be getting fresh/clean install of Win7 as its the system recovery you made after installing original win7.
So if you want a clean, fresh install i.e. from scratch install then you have deploy Original Win7 you bought earlier and have to use that key...

And if you dont have that original Win7 image then try searching google/torrents - im sure you will find something for ur use!!!

 

[mcm52188]

i followed the link from ignatzatsonic (Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life) and downloaded my version of windows 7. I then used Windows 7 USB- DVD Download Tool to create the iso on my flash drive. When I restart my computer the processes is going swimmingly until it reaches 21% of extracting files then I get error 0X80070570. I've restarting and starting the install again but i get the same error. I've also run WIndows Malicious Software Removal Tool on the flash drive and it found 0 infected files.

 

[gregrocker]

Run the Dell Diagnostics from its partition by tapping the F12 key at boot. If it won't run then download and run it from here: Dell Diagnostics Utility - How to Run the
Dell DIagnostics downoad

Then wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command from installer Command Line accessing DISKPART At PC Startup.

If this fails burn a new ISO to disk using the download and tool in Steps 1 and 2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

 

[mcm52188]

i was able to install windows 7 after following a different download. I do have a question. in another post, i followed instructions to "clean" the hard drive through elevated cmd. there were recomendations on creating your own partition and then "aligning" the disk before installing the OS. is this necessary for windows 7? or could i perform a "clean" through elevated cmd and just install the os from there?

 

[gregrocker]

If you followed the steps I posted to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 then there should be no problems.

If so post back so we can help you sort them.

 

[mcm52188]

i followed step 1 here and after the clean was complete, i exited and returned to the windows installer. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html

the installation went fine, however when the computer rebooted after the install i got the blue screen of death saying some serious error and "physical memory had to be dumped". the computer restarted and a notice popped up saying that windows had recovered from a serious error. i haven't had an issue since.

my computer is a bit older (bought it in 2008) and have had a couple of OSs on it (came with vista, installed XP pro, then installed Win7).

is the computer just getting passed its useful life or is there something i did wrong during the instillation?

 

[gregrocker]

Why did you just ignore the steps I gave you to get a perfect Clean Reinstall based on thousands we've helped with here? We don't know if you used the correct drivers or followed the other best practices for Win7.

If you think you followed closely enough the steps I gave you which you apparently ignored then try entering Safe Mode to post up the crash file to our Crashes forum for analysis: Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) Posting Instructions - Windows 7 Forums

While you're waiting for analysis do the Dell Diagnostics from F12 at boot which I also suggested and was ignored, or you can work through the hardware tests in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Boot

 

[mcm52188]

My apologies for not following your post. I must have missed it. I do appreciate everyone's efforts here in helping me with something I am not that familiar with. I will read through tomorrow and will attempt the reinstall again.