Solved Need help for Clean Install of Windows 7 Home Premium

[Zyrandiel]

A few months back I had this problem about my restore point getting auto deleted after reboot (I still have this problem), now due to necessity I need to make a clean install of my OS but the thing is that there was no Windows installation disk given when I bought my laptop last year. Currently I am downloading a Windows 7 Home Premium x86 English ISO. (Im downloading from this site: Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO Image Downloads ), is this Okay? Anybody have a better suggestion where to get a copy of Windows?

here are my main concerns:


1. Will this ISO work if I use my original serial key written at the bottom of my laptop?

2. Is there an option to reformat my HDD before proceeding with the installation?

3. What will happen to the dedicated 15GB recovery partition when I reformat my HDD?

4. If the 15GB recovery partition ever gets disturbed when reformatting can I make a new recovery partition and enable samsung recovery solution?

This 15GB recovery partition along with SAMSUNG RECOVERY SOLUTION 4 has been a great help to me, but sadly it didn't fix the restore point problem that I have, so Clean Install would be the only choice I have left. So if given that everything went well with clean install and all, I would like to have a 15GB recovery partition that would run with SAMSUNG RECOVERY SOLUTION 4 (which is the software version that came with my laptop). Is this possible? Please help.

 

[theog]

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
startup repair disc-create
​

Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?



How to use Samsung Recovery, make Recovery disks:
Samsung PC Software - Samsung Support Center - YouTube

 

[ignatzatsonic]

See comments in bold below.

here are my main concerns:


1. Will this ISO work if I use my original serial key written at the bottom of my laptop?

I think so, but get others to confirm this.

2. Is there an option to reformat my HDD before proceeding with the installation?

You can reformat during the installation, either in the installation disk graphical interface or (slightly earlier) using the Diskpart program available to you by using Shift and F10 keys early in the installation when you are asked to name your language.

3. What will happen to the dedicated 15GB recovery partition when I reformat my HDD?

You can keep it or get rid of it, depending on the choices you make during the installation. More specifically--you can reformat certain partitions and leave others untouched.

4. If the 15GB recovery partition ever gets disturbed when reformatting can I make a new recovery partition and enable samsung recovery solution?

If it gets deleted or "disturbed" to the point that it won't do what it is supposed to do, I don't think there is any way to make a new one. That's why you should follow theog's recommendation and make a set of recovery disks, which have the same purpose as the recovery partition.


So if given that everything went well with clean install and all, I would like to have a 15GB recovery partition that would run with SAMSUNG RECOVERY SOLUTION 4 (which is the software version that came with my laptop). Is this possible?

You can certainly keep the recovery partition. But I think I have heard recently of a situation where a recovery partition would NOT restore AFTER a clean install. That may be only for certain brands or in certain situations. As I said, I think there was a case here recently where that happened. You should get others to comment on this point.

If I made recovery disks as theog suggests, my inclination would be to get rid of the recovery partition, since the recovery disks serve the same purpose..

 

[Zyrandiel]

to theog: OEM recovery disks? I didn't make a system image using disks but when I first booted my laptop it asked me to create an image backup right away. So I assumed that the initial image backup that I made was stored in that 15GB recovery partition since I can't find it in any of the drive in my laptop, unlike the other image backups (after installing programs that I needed) that I made with SAMSUNG RECOVERY SOLUTION 4.

Also as I pointed out earlier, the image backup that was stored in the 15GB partition was the one that I always use whenever I get into trouble but the sad part is that It didn't solve the SYSTEM RESTORE POINT DELETION issue so that would mean that the RESTORE POINT problem was already present from the start, thus clean install would be the viable option.

to ignatz: thanks man, appreciate it.

Queries: Is creating a system repair disc just the same as creating an image backup of your current system? or is it entirely different?

I'll go to theog's links now.

 

[Qdos]

Surely if you restore from your recovery partition there's nothing to stop you using something like Windows or Macrium Drive Imaging to make a further backup of your OS once you have it set-up to suit you?!?!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

to theog:when I first booted my laptop it asked me to create an image backup right away. So I assumed that the initial image backup that I made was stored in that 15GB recovery partition since I can't find it in any of the drive in my laptop.....

I doubt the image was placed into the recovery partition.

If you cannot find that image file, you should not assume it exists. It can be difficult to find out exactly what is in Recovery partitions.



Queries: Is creating a system repair disc just the same as creating an image backup of your current system? or is it entirely different?

No, a thousand times no.

A system repair disk is just that--a disk used to (hopefully) repair an existing installation.

An image file of the system will restore it (if successful) to the state the system was in on the date the image was made. It does not "repair" the existing installation--it gets rid of it entirely. An image file completely overwrites the existing installation, rather than make an attempt to repair it. If the image was made in July and restored in December, then the restored PC will no longer contain any changes made between July and December.

Any personal data on that restored partition will also be replaced by personal data as it was in July.

 

[gregrocker]

We just had a nightmare experience here with a clean install to a Samsung laptop which you should read over to see if it may apply to yours: http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/200607-new-laptop-changing-partition-disks.html

The problem was that Nicole also saved her Recovery as an external image but accidentally wiped the Recovery partition during clean reinstall with a Win7 DVD which was provided by Samsung with her machine.

When cam and touchpad features didn't work correctly using the software from Samsung's Downloads wepbage for her model, they told her the actual working software was stored on the Recov partition and is not otherwise available if that partition is wiped or disabled.

We also discovered during research that the only way to reinstall the Recovery partition without shipping the unit back to factory is if you made the Recovery DVD's which are bootable while the external image is only bootable from the Recov partition.

So I would make the Recovery DVDs, save the Recovery partition during Clean Reinstall, and be prepared for the cam software not to work, even though the cam will work when used with other 3rd party messaging, chat, etc. programs. The touchpad gesture features may also not work upon reinstall.

Follow these steps to get a perfect clean reinstall of factory OEM: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[Zyrandiel]

ignatz: I just checked the date of the backup that is stored in the recovery partition and it coincides with the date when I bought my laptop which was the same day that I first booted it. Thanks for that info with the repair disc man.

greg: Is it possible to burn this backup stored in the recovery partition?

 

[gregrocker]

If it's set up like Nicole's Samsung then there is a small Recovery partition which contains apps and drivers, but is needed to boot and run the backup image stored on external or burned to DVD.

So I don't know what you mean by the image stored on Recovery partition - unless you mean imaging the Recovery partition itself so that you can reimage it onto HD. It's possible but then the hotkey might not work to run Factory Recovery from boot.

Best to keep the Recovery Partition, burn Recovery to DVD's if still possible, then save the backup image you said you already made to external, plus another Win7 backup image of the full HD: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

 

[Zyrandiel]

greg: yeap, my setup is like nicole's. only difference is the recovery partition size: hers: 20+GB; mine: 15GB.

I think I'll ditch samsung recovery solution and the 15GB recovery partition and start using MACRIUM. Is it a freeware?

Let's say I successfully did a clean install, what's next? (I'm assuming that this windows 7 Home Premium with SP1 that I'm downloading would work on my unit, wait a minute, is there any reason this shouldn't work? like perhaps because it has SP1 integrated or something?)

Should I secure that EASY DISPLAY MANAGER? and all those easy programs that came with my unit?

what else? internet connectivity driver? touchpad drivers? sound drivers?

what will happen to my Nvidia?

I'm at page 7 in nicole's thread, very very informative. I'll have to shrink my drive C coz it's more than 200GB. Also those crapware I think I got lots of it like CYBERLINK and multiple IM apps.

 

[Zyrandiel]

whoa! I just finished reading page 7, I don't think it was a good idea to ditch that 15GB recovery partition. tsk!

I'll continue reading then will think about my options.

 

[theog]

whoa! I just finished reading page 7, I don't think it was a good idea to ditch that 15GB recovery partition. tsk!

I'll continue reading then will think about my options.

YES!!!!!

We just had a nightmare experience here with a clean install to a Samsung laptop which you should read over to see if it may apply to yours: New laptop, changing partition disks?

How to make a new OEM Notebook into a brick, by removing OEM software.

 

[Zyrandiel]

to greg:

by the way, earlier I was asking about a way (if there is any) to copy the existing image backup inside that 15GB recovery partition in my laptop (or in nicole's case the 22+GB recovery partition that she deleted while doing a clean install) and burn it on a DVD (let's call it DVD Z) so that I could do a clean install and then maybe run DVD Z which (according to my own limited understanding) has the software needed to make a new SAMSUNG RECOVERY AREA (a new 15GB space perhaps) which in turn would be needed for the SAMSUNG RECOVERY SOLUTION program to run and install those essential driver packages like easy display manager, srs surround sound drivers and others stuff that needs to be installed so that my laptop won't become a huge paperweight.


Edit: So this way, I could do a clean install and have a new 15GB recovery partition for SAMSUNG RECOVERY SOLUTION to run and then create a FRESH CLEAN BACKUP inside that 15GB recov partition and then create a windows 7 repair disc or Recovery DVD's.

Is this possible?

 

[gregrocker]

No you can't copy the Recovery partition and count on it to work when it is reimaged back onto HD.

The solution as we discovered with Nicole's case is to make your Samsung eRecovery to DVD's which can be booted to restore the HD as it was when it came from factory. Just saving the Samsung eRecovery image to external HD will not work as it cannot be booted without the Recovery partition, while the DVD's can.

I would not reimport any of the Samsung bloatware unless it is needed after clean reinstall. But remember that Nicole could not get the cam to work without downloading from the web a free version of the software - Samsung's wouldn't work on a clean reinstall. And the keypad specifically lacked scrolling and gesture features she wanted. I've now repeated this twice so I hope you've taken note of these possibilities.

Other than that if you still want to wipe the HD to clean reinstall, after making the eRecovery DVD's as a backup I would also make a Win7 Backup image of the entire HD as a secondary backup: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

Since you are asking about what software and drivers to import after clean install, read these steps to get a perfect clean reinstall of Win7 factory OEM as they are quite specfiic: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[Zyrandiel]

Thanks greg. I'll think about this. The main reason about me considering a clean install was due to this restore point issue as I mentioned from the very beginning. I'm glad I got this info from you guys earlier. If there's any other way to fix this restore point issue, aside from a clean install and that old advice that I got (and followed but sadly didn't work) from the restore point problem thread that I made a couple of months back, I would be very glad to hear and try out.

 

[gregrocker]

First check the System files: SFC -SCANNOW Command.
Sometimes you must run it several times if it finds irreparable files.

Next reset System Restore if you can afford to lose the restore points. Go to Computer>Properties>Advanced Settings>System Protection and turn off System Restore, restart computer, then turn it back on again. This flushes the SysVolInfo file.

If this fails I would run a Repair Install which will reinstall the OS while keeping all your files, programs and settings in place. Save a Win7 backup image first.

 

[Zyrandiel]

Silly me. I haven't checked this thread until now. Thanks greg. I Will do a repair install this weekend. I already have a Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit ISO file ready. Got some questions though:

Q1. Can I Repair Install using this ISO file through DAEMON TOOLS or do I need to BURN this to a DVD?

Q2. Should I uninstall my Anti-virus first? I'm using KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2012.


I did the elevated SFC /SCANNOW command several times and my system is clean. Only this 2 problems persist:

1. Restore point always gets DELETED after a reboot.

2. I can't update to SP1. I get this error code 80004005.

 

[jumanji]

Hi Zyrandiel from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I am not going to suggest any solutions to your problem, but if you ever and do decide that a clean install is the only way to go.

 

[Zyrandiel]

Okay thanks jumanji =D appreciate it. I'll have a go with repair install first. It's kinda weird actually, I just did what Gregrocker posted last here to flush out the SysVolInfo file then I turned back ON the system restore and it's already working. I rebooted 10 times already and tje RESTORE POINT i created for testing is still there.