Solved Installing Clean W7 HP 64 bit - Troublesome Issue

[Nighthaven]

Hi,
my first post here, I have a severe problem which I cannot solve on my own.
It's quite a unique case.

Long story short, I wanted to install a clean W7 (after issues) HP on my Asus G75VW on a Intel 510 Series SSD (I believe its called X25) together with a Seagate 750 GB HDD. I simply couldn't get a clean install, Windows was shuffling parts of a Windows.old items into my current drive, despite me deleting that! Refusing to have a 'working' mess, I tried solving it by reinstalling, creating more issues/ here's a list:
- I cannot access W7 at all anymore due to reformatting.
- I accidentally deleted the 100MB System Reserved from my SSD disk (during W7 install).
- I cannot install W7 from a bootable USB device, following error message: Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate and existing partition.
- As of this, attempting to run Repair Installation has no effect: Startup repair offline.
- Current laptop also HAD a cannot read USB devices without drivers unless being in Windows (works in Safe too)

- I got an fresh W7 on bootable USB device - this is my current access to W7 install and repair.
- Due to Microsoft n' Asus limitation, my disk drive has trouble reading many bootable DVD-RW.

I got access to the following relevant resources and have the following programs:
- Asus G73Jh laptop: Also W7 HP 64bit (both laptops got two Disk bays)
- Partition Wizard 8.0
- DVD-RW burning capability, but the issue laptop can only read from inside Windows itself it seems.
- Tertiary old Desktops.

I might want to re-try several things, to see if I missed anything.

Edit, add:
When I couldn't read USB nor DVD-RW's as bootable devices, I simply installed W7 from Safe-mode (which limited my Disk options)

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I assume you'd like to start all over rather than repair if you had a choice.

A few questions.

Are you installing from a downloaded ISO of some type, rather than from a purchased Windows DVD?

If from an ISO, where did you get it?

As far as you know, can you currently burn a disc successfully, on any of your PCs?

Did you have just the SSD connected when you began the install?

What, if anything, was on the SSD when you began? An OS? Nothing, brand new?

I wouldn't expect Windows.old to be part of a clean install.

I wouldn't worry about System Reserved at this point. Windows runs fine on C alone without it, but if you do a clean install successfully, it is normally created.

 

[Nighthaven]

These Asus come with a partition on the default HDD named Recovery which contains W7 installation files. The SSD is my own/ not a part of the default package.

Aside from that W7 having lot of bloatware in it, a problem occurred which I ignored for two years.
Randomly after a Windows update, something did unhide that virtual partition.
I'm not sure if this affects anything should I move the HDD to default Disk bay, and attempt to install that W7 - yet I don't want that bloatware.

And yes. I'm using a downloaded legitimate W7 installation, I use the product key on the bottom on the sticker on my laptop + Phone instructions in order to finish registration.

II think I downloaded a
W7 HP 64bit SP1-U (Media Refresh Edition)

yet the original install was some clean W7 (which I somehow managed to read that DVD-RW) created for the G73Jh originally. I did reinstall W7 completely for this G75vw too.
(what happens is that not inside windows, the disk reader stutters and never reads until time-out)


I did also try to just have the SSD connected, the only connected thing was the USB boot-device itself.

There's nothing on the SSD, it was a single partition only aside from the Sys reserved. I got a backup of all the date I want on my HDD.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You didn't say from where you downloaded the Windows 7 ISO.

You didn't say if you are able to burn a disc on any of your PCs or laptops.

Does your Product Key say it is for Home Premium?

Your recovery partition won't do a clean install and may be useless now anyway due to your attempts at a clean install.

 

[Nighthaven]

Jesus, I do not seem to able to find the webpage anymore, according to my download history on this computer:
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-58997.iso

I'm going to try
http://msft.digitalrivercontent.net/win/X17-24209.iso
which is from
Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO Image Downloads | Windows 7 Forums

It is W7 Home Premium 64 bit - I've already had it installed.

Burning DVD-RWs:
I can my G73 and Desktop(s). For the time being, no on the issue laptop.

I also never touched the Recovery partition either, nor mess with any partition software. I only changed the disk from primary laptop disk bay to the secondary, and at some point later: The Recovery section 'unhid' itself with a windows update.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

24209 is likely without SP 1.

58997 is with SP 1.

Digital River is the right place to look.

I'd burn a disk on the G73 or desktop and see if I could install with it on the G75.

 

[Nighthaven]

I don't understand.

I used 58997 again,
took my G73Jh, placed the SSD into the second Disk bay.
Used the same Bootable USB, magically started W7 installation without the "Setup was unable to create a new system partition..." bs message. It started installing just fine!

I looked over BIOS settings to compare, not a difference.

Please tell me how you can install W7 from Bootable USB on G75 with BIOS 223, specify BIOS settings if you're able to do that successfully.

The BIOS on G73 is 213

The SSD is Intel 510 Series 120GB.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you connect the SSD to the G75, with no other hard drive connected, can you then run Diskpart and see the SSD, using your USB installation drive?

Is the G75 BIOS set to defaults?

 

[Nighthaven]

Yes I've done that, I can see the SSD perfectly fine from diskpart.

As for BIOS, supposedly no - going to reset it to see if that helps.
I did however, install W7 OS on the G75 years ago, THEN updated BIOS.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Yes I've done that, I can see the SSD perfectly fine from diskpart.

As for BIOS, supposedly no - going to reset it to see if that helps.
I did however, install W7 OS on the G75 years ago, THEN updated BIOS.

OK. Reset the BIOS.

Then see if you can use Diskpart to clean the disk, make a partition, format it, and continue with the install.

These would be the commands, assuming the SSD is Disk 0 and no other drives are connected:



list disk (to show the ID number of the hard disk to partition, normally Disk 0)

select disk 0 (change 0 to another number if applicable)

clean (this wipes the drive of anything on it; not needed on a brand new drive)

create partition primary (this will create one primary partition covering the entire drive; if you instead want to create a primary partition of 80 GB, add “size=80000” after the word “primary”)

select partition 1 (this selects the partition you just made)

active (this marks that partition active)

format fs=ntfs quick (this formats that partition)

exit (this quits the diskpart program)

exit (this closes the command prompt window)

Continue Windows 7 installation as usual. Remember to highlight and select the partition just created when you come to the partition screen asking you "where do you want to install Windows?”.

 

[Nighthaven]

I'ts been solved in the utmost 'elegant' way.
When I was at select Partition to install W7 on, I had opened Command and was going to enter listdisk then enter. However, I amazingly slipped by touching the touchpad while typing and managed to select the rear window before I could hit enter in the correct window after typing in the command.

I stuttered for a moment, and face-palmed when I realized what has happened, but let out a sigh in relief when W7 started installing. Now my question is.... should I keep this install? Did I miss any important 'benefits' - it is NTFS luckily.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I don't follow your explanation, but either it installed to the desired partition on the desired drive or it didn't.

When it finishes, post a screen shot of Windows Disk Management so we can evaluate what you actually did.

 

[Nighthaven]

No need, it is where it should be.
It happened as I explained, yet I suspect:

Solution was either:
- Most likely BIOS reset. (Although no particular setting changed -yet I never touched it after the BIOS update)
- Correction on SSD when installing W7 on G73. (I halted the W7 installation) (although it WAS refusing to install on the same SSD, same USB Boot-device, same partition configuration)

I've screwed everything back together, and put the HDD in as well.

However, I did now install it from bottom right USB other than top left, if it does anything. I noticed that a particular USB slot on G73 didn't register Bootable device.

Still need a screenshot?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Still need a screenshot?

I'd just as soon see a screenshot to see what you ended up with. It's up to you.

Better to confirm than waste a bunch of time on Windows updates only to decide later that maybe you should start over.

Did it activate properly?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, we should see a screenshot of Disk Mgmt to assure the configuration is correct. It most likely won't be if you didn't unplug all other hard drives during the install.


I'm sorry you weren't provided with our tutorial for achieving a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 . It compiles everything that works best in tens of thousands of installs we've helped with here since Win7 beta.


If your SSD is large enough I'd keep everything on it, but if not you can move the User folders off to the HD by copying them there, then rightclick each to add to the related Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums then set that as the default folder using Library - Set Save Folder - Windows 7 Help Forums . If that isn't to your liking you can move the actual Shell User folders that you use to the HD as you wish following User Folders - Change Default Location however you won't be able to use Windows 7 backup imaging since it will want to include the hard drive data partition deeming it a System partition since it has system files.


I would NOT move Program files off the SSD as this defeats the purpose of the faster speeds.


Feel free to ask back any questions. Remember that you'll get and keep a perfect install, far better than most anyone else on earth, to the exact extent you stick with the tutorial's tools and methods.

 

[Nighthaven]

Image - TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting

Up and running as it should be. Hopefully I won't see any creep-in folders emerging this time.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

C drive looks fine. You don't have a System Reserved partition, meaning your boot files are on C. That's no problem. I don't use it either. I think all you give up by doing that is Bootlocker--which likely doesn't interest you. If you use imaging applications, all you have to image is C.

 

[gregrocker]

Was this the hard drive previously in the PC and were you aware it was booting via UEFI and not normal MBR BIOS, and requires settings adjustments if you want to install an OS normally as shown in Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7?


The old hard drive has an EFI SYstem partition which means it was installed in UEFI mode. If it was the hard drive originally in that PC then were you trying to install in UEFI mode to a MBR formatted SSD? This is not possible without changing the BIOS settings to Legacy BIOS, or CSM to enabled, turning off UEFI. Otherwise you must boot the Win7 installer as a UEFI device. Did you notice UEFI choices in the boot menu, or in BIOS setup under Advanced? They must be set precisely or you error out as you did.

Because you didn't bother to wipe the old hard drive it still has bootable code on it as a UEFI disk, and therefore is formatted as a GPT disk. UEFI is new and we are still learning much about it - which is different for every make and model BIOS - however its possible it could interfere in some way going forward since it still has bootable code which was not wiped since its EFI boot partition remains.

Otherwise having a GPT data disk is not going to be a problem on an MBR system.


Let me know if this is clear, and ask back any questions.

 

[Nighthaven]

Yes, that HDD was the original Disk.

I don't know. I don't know how I managed to install it now nor how I did install it two years ago. I never touched the BIOS since two years ago, only updated it.

With that BIOS update I lost several BIOS options, CSM for example.


Several Asus G75VW with W7 (instead of W8) are missing certain BIOS options, according to several threads.


This installation was installed without that HDD in, with the SSD in the primary disk bay.


Last error was "Setup was unable to create new partition or ..."
Last disk (SSD) configuration was on the G73, started installing on that one (right after it was past the 'barrier') and cancelled. Moved it to this one, 'slipped' as described above and managed to start and continue install.

But BIOS was also reset after installation 'barrier' - that was most likely it.

Think I'm going to leave the thread at this as current technical difficulties are beyond my capabilities.

 

[gregrocker]

Would you have rather not known you have an EFI BIOS that likely explains the error? Others will find the thread in searches and may like to know which settings in BIOS related to UEFI, CSM, Legacy BIOS or Boot allowed you to install to Legacy MBR.

As long as performance is good then I wouldn't worry. Let us know if you need anything else.