Installed twice?

[LyRikkaL]

Hi all...
I'm helping a friend out with her son's laptop and the problem seem's to be somehow he's has got two installs of the same copy it appears.
This is my first time ever seeing windows 7 let alone this kind of problem.
I didnt think being able to install the same copy twice was possible but I think I might have been wrong!
Anywhoz...
When I start the laptop it tells me there might have been a hardware change or something that is causing an error and it shows "windows 7" listed twice beneath it, then under that it has a "Tool's" option with a diagnostic tool.
I did a bit of research and tried booting from the CD to repair but it just gets to a certain point then hangs forever with no change, just the back ground screen.
I have permission to wipe it clean and do a fresh install but the problem is I cant get far enough into windows itself to format.
Im gathering that her son got to where I am at now and hit the "install" button instead of repair and somehow installed another copy ...I have no idea!
I'm stumped....any ideas?

 

[richc46]

I never heard of such a thing, but maybe this is the first time
Download this and see what is on the HD
WinDirStat - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello LyRikkaL, welcome to Seven Forums!







As you say you can "wipe it clean' have a look at the tutorial at the link below to see a method that over-writes everything with zeroes, all the old Windows code along with anything else on the entire Hard Disk Drive (HDD) for the best possible space to install Windows to.
Be sure to post back with any questions and to keep us informed.


SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7

 

[LyRikkaL]

Hi barefoot!
Yes I can wipe it clean....its actually a brand new laptop so theres nothing she wants to keep.
I have all the CD's that came with the laptop but when I try and repair, restore, start windows it keeps looping the "boot options" and goes no further.
Now before I go and wipe it clean will I be able to reinstall with the CD's I have?
I no nothing about windows 7 (yet) and XP was SO much easier to just reformat and reinstall :/

I will take a look at those programs and see if its what I need...thanks alot!

P.S. last night I tried to reinstall, go as far as "set up is starting" and it hung there for over 2 hours and did nothing else....right now it just keeps looping "windows error recovery"

 

[LyRikkaL]

Grrrr!
Ok well, its not letting me do ANYTHING with the windows CD!
Just keeps getting stuck after I select "repair" option or "reinstall" option!

This is definitly not how I wanted my 1st experience with windows 7 lol!!
Guess ill just let it sit here and hang where its at....I seriously doubt waiting is going to change the way this thing is thinking about working but right now I am all out of ideas!
I guess I could call dell but we all know how dealing with those people can be so I'm hoping I can get somewhere with the help of you fine people here
Anywhoz, this has got to be one of the wierdest PC problems I have run into yet...Free oreo cookies to the 1st one to help me solve this problem!!

 

[Tews]

Download and burn Hiren's BootCD (make sure that you burn it as an img file) then boot your computer from the Hiren's CD.. there are several applications that will allow you to format your drive.... then proceed with a clean install with Windows...


ps... I like the double filling Oreos ..

 

[LyRikkaL]

Thanks Tews....gonna give that a try now!


P.S. if this works I'll getcha the double stuffed and not the generic ones either...the real deal!

 

[Tews]

Thanks Tews....gonna give that a try now!


P.S. if this works I'll getcha the double stuffed and not the generic ones either...the real deal!

Mmmm... Double stuffed...

 

[LyRikkaL]

Ok so If I nuke this thing will the disk they send with the laptop get er all back to normal?
(dariks boot and nuke?)

 

[Tews]

After you get it formatted, you should be ready to go..( if you have two drives installed, disconnect one of them, install, then reconnect the second one ) .... let us know how it goes..

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Before you start, does the disk you're using to install say Windows or is it a manufacturer disk that came with the lappy?

 

[LyRikkaL]

trying to format but it tells me "DBAN has finished with non-fatal errors" this is usually caused by bad sectors....
then asks to save file to floppy,,,which I dont think I have :/

 

[LyRikkaL]

Before you start, does the disk you're using to install say Windows or is it a manufacturer disk that came with the lappy?

its the operating system "already installed on your computer" disk that came with it

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Before you start, does the disk you're using to install say Windows or is it a manufacturer disk that came with the lappy?

its the operating system "already installed on your computer" disk that came with it

It may need to be used in conjunction with the "Factory Recovery Partition" to be able to recover the PC, who manufactured the PC?

 

[LyRikkaL]

ok so I tried the repair option again without the windows disk in and it tells me this "windows failed to start. a recent hardware change or software change might be the cause. to fix the problem:
1. insert your windows installation disc and restart your computer
yadda yadda..

If you do not have the installation disk, contact blabba blabba
File :\boot\memtest.exe
Status: 0xc0000221
info: the file is possibly corrupt. its header checksum does not match the cumputed checksum

all chinese to me :/

 

[LyRikkaL]

Before you start, does the disk you're using to install say Windows or is it a manufacturer disk that came with the lappy?

its the operating system "already installed on your computer" disk that came with it

It may need to be used in conjunction with the "Factory Recovery Partition" to be able to recover the PC, who manufactured the PC?

Dude...it's a DELL

Conjunction with what function?
wha wha?

Is there no easy way to start over with windows 7 lol?
Atleast with XP i knew if I made a baddy or something was irrepairable I could always pop my windows disc in and start a new

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

It may be too late if you wiped the Hard Disk Drive, have a go at this.

   Information

Here are the recovery instructions from Dell.

1. Reboot, and press Ctrl + F11 at the Dell logo.
2. The Dell™ PC Restore by Symantec screen will come up.
3. Select "Restore" or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.
4. if you wish to continue, click "Confirm", or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.
5. When the utility is finished, click "Finish", or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.

​

 

[Tews]

Did you by chance make the rescue cd's when you first got the computer??

 

[LyRikkaL]

Did you by chance make the rescue cd's when you first got the computer??

unfortunately its not my PC tews....tryin to help out a friend.
I dont know exactly why he installed it again but I think he was having some kinda a problem and they told him (DELL) to try and repair and he installed...I dont know but its not letting me do too much here....keeps looping the start over and over when I try and do anything I.E. get to repair section/boot.
When I can get somewhere with it it just hangs there for hours at a time...I have masterd patience but even a master has a breaking point

I guess if all else fails I can convince her to just buy a XP CD and be done with this whole deal completly but with the way this is going I'll probably find out Win7 wont let me install XP over it haha!

ok, back to banging my head on the desk!

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

It may be too late if you wiped the Hard Disk Drive, have a go at this.

   Information

Here are the recovery instructions from Dell.

1. Reboot, and press Ctrl + F11 at the Dell logo.
2. The Dell™ PC Restore by Symantec screen will come up.
3. Select "Restore" or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.
4. if you wish to continue, click "Confirm", or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.
5. When the utility is finished, click "Finish", or use the Tab key to highlight it and press Enter.

​

Did you try this?