Solved Tried installing over Primary partition

[whs]

If your happy, I`m happy

Is it running ok ? Booting ok ??

Although I don`t think the recovery partition should be marked active. Guys ???

That is another 'Dell special'. It is actually smart - saves them another primary partition (the traditional 100MBsystem partition) and there is a lot of room for double/triple booting BCDs - especially those big Windows8 BCDs.

 

[tmorinbmw]

If the Disk Check keeps running at reboot then I would test the HD using maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan, then run Disk Check from System Recovery Options Command Line.

Unless Updates delivers a newer driver or other problems arise I think you're OK with the Display driver as long as you have it installed and it isn't using the placeholder Standard VGA driver which is isn't.

What you do need is to go to the Dell Support Downloads webpage for your tag number, look for the USB controller in the Driver downloads list for your version of Win7. If it isn't broken out then download and install the latest Chipset.

Then go back to top of the steps I've been giving you and check off each one to make sure they are complete, asking back any questions if needed.

First, I left it running for a while and came back and it woke with a move of the mouse. That's reashuring!
Secondly, I've upgraded to Win7 Ult x64 (not Dell supported) from Win7 Home Premium x64. Will it matter for the USB controller?

 

[gregrocker]

How did you activate the Upgrade? Did you run an Anytime Upgrade you didn't tell us about yet?

You know that you cannot activate Ultimate with the Home Premium Product Key on COA sticker, right?

The 64 bit drivers are the same for both versions.

 

[tmorinbmw]

How did you activate the Upgrade? Did you run an Anytime Upgrade you didn't tell us about yet?

You know that you cannot activate Ultimate with the Home Premium Product Key on COA sticker, right?

The 64 bit drivers are the same for both versions.

I DID activate Anytime Upgrade last July when I initially started using 7 Ult. A friend, who lives around the corner and works in IT, gave me a flash drive with an .ISO for Win 7 Ult. I didn't know about not being able to activate it because he didn't say. Should I NOT have done so?

 

[gregrocker]

If you activated Ultimate using Anytime Upgrade you had to use a Product Key, not just the installer. Did you buy an Anytime Upgrade Ultimate key?

If so you need to reinstall Home Premium and then insert the Ultimate key in Anytime Upgrade to unlock the few extra features which are hardly worth the money unless you KNOW you need them.

If you reinstalled Ultimate version now, you should not have done so as it states clearly in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to use the licensed version and Product Key on the COA sticker. I would start over with Step 1 and reinstall now paying closer attention to the steps to get a perfect reinstall.

 

[tmorinbmw]

If you activated Ultimate using Anytime Upgrade you had to use a Product Key, not just the installer. Did you buy an Anytime Upgrade Ultimate key?

If so you need to reinstall Home Premium and then insert the Ultimate key in Anytime Upgrade to unlock the few extra features which are hardly worth the money unless you KNOW you need them.

If you reinstalled Ultimate version now, you should not have done so as it states clearly in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to use the licensed version and Product Key on the COA sticker. I would start over with Step 1 and reinstall now paying closer attention to the steps to get a perfect reinstall.

I didn't buy anything because I was told I didn't have to.

 

[tmorinbmw]

Is there a way to tell if this is a legit version and if not, should I revert back to Home Premium?

 

[AddRAM]

Check to see if windows is activated in computer properties.

 

[tmorinbmw]

Check to see if windows is activated in computer properties.

No, it's not. It says I have a month to activate?!

 

[AddRAM]

As Greg says, if you have a key for Home Premium that`s what you need to install. Ultimate has nothing you will need. They are just about identical.

Can you read the keycode on your certificate of authenticity ?

 

[tmorinbmw]

I did a quick google search and found the differences between all Win 7 products and I'm starting to see the importance of "OEM installed" OS's. Ult includes Bitlocker, so what's the importance of that? Would my troubles have anything to do with the fact that Dell doesn't support it for my machine?

 

[AddRAM]

No. What troubles ? I thought everything was fine now ?

Once again can you read the COA what version does it say ?

 

[tmorinbmw]

No. What troubles ? I thought everything was fine now ?

Once again can you read the COA what version does it say ?

From my first post today, "I turned my machine on today, walked away for a few minutes, came back and it was in screen saver mode(I think?). I tried moving to mouse to awake it then the space bar and finally had to hard restart. I ran chkdsk as mentioned in the event viewer and no problems were found.

My COA says "Home Prem OA". It also has a long serial under that. Can I use that to reinstall/activate Home Premium?

 

[tmorinbmw]

When I contacted Dell a few days ago, they said they're sending me a Home Premium disk to reinstall to original OS.

 

[AddRAM]

Yes that`s the key you use, but you might not have to use a key when you get your new disc.

I need to ask why in the world did you attempt to install Ultimate over a working Home Premium ?

 

[tmorinbmw]

Yes that`s the key you use, but you might not have to use a key when you get your new disc.

I need to ask why in the world did you attempt to install Ultimate over a working Home Premium ?

I was under the impression it was somehow better (as the name Ultimate implys) than Home Prem but, like I was leading to in a previous post, I don't think the trouble is worth any gain in my case.

 

[AddRAM]

It is in no way better. Unless you need to use alot of memory or speak Spanish, Hebrew, Chinese etc.

And where did you get this particular Windows 7 Ultimate may I ask ?

Did you compare the 2 and see if you needed anything Ultimate offers ?

 

[ReviverSoft]

Yes that`s the key you use, but you might not have to use a key when you get your new disc.

I need to ask why in the world did you attempt to install Ultimate over a working Home Premium ?

I was under the impression it was somehow better (as the name Ultimate implys) than Home Prem but, like I was leading to in a previous post, I don't think the trouble is worth any gain in my case.

For an average user, W7 Home Premium is more than sufficient.

Developers and Power Users on the other hand, will have reasons to choose Professional or Ultimate.

BTW, I use Starter, Home Premium and Ultimate on three different computers.

 

[gregrocker]

This is why I linked you the tutorial to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 because it has everything you need to reinstall the licensed OS which came with your Dell. There are even special notes for Dell users.

Why would you just ignore this help and recklessly install another Win7 version that you don't even own, never asking back any questions while leading us to believe you were following the steps given to clean reinstall?

The time for nonsense is over. If you want to clean reinstall your Dell then follow the steps given in the tutorial, asking back any questions to get each step done. Since your Dell Recovery partition won't work now, you can delete all partitions using the Options shown in the illustrated tutorial included in the steps.

 

[tmorinbmw]

Thanks for everyone's help! I've installed Home Pre and am liking having a stable computer again.