Why won't windows 7 setup let me format my drive?

[mborner]

I currently have Windows 7 installed on drive C: I was doing things that I shouldn't and the OS became unusable. I want to format the drive and reinstall windows. I don't want to create a Windows.old folder, I want a clean formatted drive with a new installation of windows 7.
From the install CD I click on "customize" and then when prompted where to install Windows I click on "drive options" but from there, it will not let me remove, delete, or format any of my partitions as they are all grayed out. Why won't Windows 7 install let me format the drive for a clean install?
There's 4 partitions listed??
1. o data, unallocated
2. 100mb system reserved
3. 698gb primary HDD?
4. 0 data unallocated

 

[OldMX]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello mborner. welcome to Seven Forums!



If there is no data on the hard Disk Drive (HDD) you need to save have a look at the info below.
This would be a very good idea to get the last vestiges of the virus.

   Information

After you have made backups of everything you care to save and you want to do a real wipe "secure erase" to the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) have a look at this tutorial at the link below, it over-writes everything, all the old Windows code including the old Windows drivers, everything all data, giving you the best possible space to install Windows 7 to; it goes hand-in-hand with a clean install.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7

Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

​

 

[silvermoonstar3]

I currently have Windows 7 installed on drive C: I was doing things that I shouldn't and the OS became unusable. I want to format the drive and reinstall windows. I don't want to create a Windows.old folder, I want a clean formatted drive with a new installation of windows 7.
From the install CD I click on "customize" and then when prompted where to install Windows I click on "drive options" but from there, it will not let me remove, delete, or format any of my partitions as they are all grayed out. Why won't Windows 7 install let me format the drive for a clean install?
There's 4 partitions listed??
1. o data, unallocated
2. 100mb system reserved
3. 698gb primary HDD?
4. 0 data unallocated

A friend of mine had this problem and found that the 'upgrade' disk does not let you do this where my 'install' disk does. We switched disks and it was fine. I know there's a good chance this isn't your problem, but I thought I should post in case it is (or in case someone else with the problem checks for answers).

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I added a link to "upgrade" info above.

 

[fseal]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

The question here is, can that be done (from the command line) DURING the windows setup process? Lets assume that the partition that contains the windows install is damaged and Windows can no longer be booted to get to a command prompt.

I've run into this exact situation. I had to uase a seconds windows 7 machine to delete the partitions on the drive before I could reinstall on it. It was quite frustrating. Bu default the partitioning step during install will no longer allow you to delete a partition that once had windows 7 installed on it

There must be a single computer/no working windows install solution to this...

If so, it might make a good seperat etutuorial because this situation is pretty unique in it's resolution.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

The question here is, can that be done (from the command line) DURING the windows setup process? Lets assume that the partition that contains the windows install is damaged and Windows can no longer be booted to get to a command prompt.

I've run into this exact situation. I had to uase a seconds windows 7 machine to delete the partitions on the drive before I could reinstall on it. It was quite frustrating. Bu default the partitioning step during install will no longer allow you to delete a partition that once had windows 7 installed on it

There must be a single computer/no working windows install solution to this...

If so, it might make a good seperat etutuorial because this situation is pretty unique in it's resolution.

Have you had a look at this tutorial? You don't need a working OS, you don't need one for Brink's tutorial either.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

 

[fseal]

Ah ok, boot to command prompt from install disk first...

Something else I missed was that there seems to be a difference between the full retail and upgrade versions of the disk. WHat's odd is I ran into this exact problem using a technet disk which I would be surprised to learn was an upgrade disk in reality... Wonder if the OEM disks also disallow this?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I'm going to have to check that, this one will work though.


System Repair Disc - Create

 

[mborner]

Ah ok, boot to command prompt from install disk first...

Something else I missed was that there seems to be a difference between the full retail and upgrade versions of the disk. WHat's odd is I ran into this exact problem using a technet disk which I would be surprised to learn was an upgrade disk in reality... Wonder if the OEM disks also disallow this?

It is my understanding that they are virtually identical, down to the last 1 and 0, except for the CD key.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Ah ok, boot to command prompt from install disk first...

Something else I missed was that there seems to be a difference between the full retail and upgrade versions of the disk. WHat's odd is I ran into this exact problem using a technet disk which I would be surprised to learn was an upgrade disk in reality... Wonder if the OEM disks also disallow this?

What TechNet sub are you referring to as mine is full retail and will boot to CP at boot.

 

[fseal]

The full pro version of TechNet. It was my understanding that the W7 install disk from TechNet was a full retail disk, but it also shows the behavior of not allowing you to repartition a drive with a previous Windows 7 install on it. (During a normal setup when booting from the W7 setup DVD)

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

The full pro version of TechNet. It was my understanding that the W7 install disk from TechNet was a full retail disk, but it also shows the behavior of not allowing you to repartition a drive with a previous Windows 7 install on it. (During a normal setup when booting from the W7 setup DVD)

That's odd, I haven't experienced that at all and I wonder if others have.

If you ever run into this again there's also the Option Three in this tutorial at the link below to do a partition specific wipe to any partition before the installer set-up.

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD



I would like to hear if others have had the issue you have.

 

[karlsnooks]

The full pro version of TechNet. It was my understanding that the W7 install disk from TechNet was a full retail disk, but it also shows the behavior of not allowing you to repartition a drive with a previous Windows 7 install on it. (During a normal setup when booting from the W7 setup DVD)

You must have a case of operator malfunction, since I've done that very thing before using a TechNet subscription download.

 

[fseal]

I've done quite a few W7 installs and the only time the partitioning options have been disabled is when trying to install and wipe the partiion on a HD that had a previous W7 install on it. Deleting partitions on disks with other random stuff on it has never been a problem.

Like the OP it's possible that the disk had multiple partitions now that I think about it, one of them being W7 bootable.