Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Thanks for Greg et. al. for creating this wonderful tutorial. I followed this and the other clean install tutorial (with pictures) step by step. The only step not mentioned in the pictures for me was: I used a USB drive to install. After language/date, it asked for CD/DVD driver. I quickly googled the message and found out I need to put the USB in another port (probably from a 3.0 to a 2.0 one) for the installation to continue. I got to the Windows screen without much incident.

The most time-consuming thing was Windows update. The search for new updates was so long I thought it was not working. After hours, it found 209 updates. I let them all install over night - big mistake. The next morning I got "failure to configure, reverting......." screen and it stuck there for 8 hours!!! I searched this forum and let it run its course. Without the reference here, I would have panicked and done something to make it worse. When it came back again, I let the updates run in small batches (<5 updates at a time), restarted as needed and went through all updates in a few hours. Now I'm ready to make my first backup. Hurrah!

hi,
appreciate all the work put into this blog, itis VERY USEFUL & most appreciated, many thx.........

Hello Everyone!

I am glad to have found this forum. Below is my long sob-story. Hopefully it won't bore anyone to death. I have a Dell e6430 (Win7 Ultimate) having only 320 GB of hard disk that has been running full for quite some time. Finally I thought to replace it with a 750 GB hard disk bought off Amazon.

Googled on how to replace hard drive, installed Macrium Reflect to clone - but the clone failed . Tried it few times with same result. Then tried using HD Tune and Easeus Partition Master s/w to try to fix my current drive. Tried this for several days but then gave up. In the process something went further wrong my old hard drive and the laptop refused to boot off it. Have never been in the habit of backing up my data or imaging my computer - but I have learned my lesson.

Got one Windows 7 Install disk so thought to replace the hard disk and start from scratch. Installed the new hard drive (formatted) in the laptop and booted off the Windows 7 Install Disk. The install seemed to go fine but after restart the laptop it failed giving message "Windows setup could not configure Windows on this computer's hardware".

Googled this error and found Microsoft support article at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2466753 and thought that option 2 may be a quicker way to go. So went into the BIOS of the computer and change the eSATA controller from RAID to AHCI hoping this would solve the problem. But the computer is totally refusing to boot now and gets stuck at the DOS screen.

Now I am trying option 1 at the above Microsoft support link - that is to copy drivers to a CD and use load drivers method. Used my son's computer to download and burn the drivers to a CD but when I put this CD for the Windows install to read the drivers from this - it is not able to see any drivers on the CD. The drivers that I downloaded were on this link (https://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...ST-RAID-Driver) and I downloaded the first one on the page.

Not sure what to do now. Initially I was upset that I have lost my paid programs that were installed on the laptop - but now it seems that I may have lost the laptop itself.

Any guidance in this matter will be much appreciated.

Hare Krsna!

Does deleting the system disk on the the Drive Options - Advanced screen completely erase the hard drive? Is the outcome the same as running the Clean All command in Diskpart?

Hope this is the right place for this question.

Trying to factory reinstall Windows 7 Home Premium which is OEM version installed by Mesh Computers in 2013. Successfully downloaded the WINDOWS 7 iso but it went into my DOWNLOADS file and the USB flash drive is empty. Microsoft seems unwilling to allow me to download WINDOWS 7 USB/DVD Download Tool without a purchase of Windows and I understand from reading around they don`t like OEM versions.

Can you advise best way to transfer the Download to a bootable USB. Have looked around myself but get lost in myriad of instructions most of which don`t deal with the OEM problem.

Thanks for your hard work. I have printed the lot and hope it will solve my corrupted User Profile problems,

Hi Windy,

I use Firefox, gives you the option D/L to wherever you want.

delete/replace corrupted user profile
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...d-user-profile

Bootable USB tool from here
Microsoft Windows and Office ISO Download Tool

On a side note Mesh is not a general OEM, its possible you have a system builder or retail W7.
its easy enough to check.

Roy

Thanks for all replies. I am trying Rufus but having some trouble downloading so have asked a question on the relevant site. Noticed that my PRODUCT slip actually SAYS OEM ! Hopefully I will get their in the end "with a little help from my friends".