Windows 7 Ultimate Fresh Install

MarkJD

Hey All,

Recently got Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit (7600 Build). Prior to that the PC was still on the BETA for Windows 7 (7100 Build).

So i put in the disk and boot from it and go through the motions. When i get to the screen where it asks where i want to install i only see the one partition. It informs me it will retain all the old information as 'Windows.old' where the information will be accessible but wont be able to boot from it.

I really wanted to do a complete reformat but didnt see the option to do so like im acustom to seeing on an XP boot disk.

I went through the install and everything was going fine. Started installing programs / transferring files from external HD etc. Then i noticed the HD seem to be struggling doing installs or copying files across. I initially thought the External HD was failing but no its definately the HD. So i decided to do a defrag and thought it would help but it doesnt. I really dont think its the HD failing because its only a few months old and it was working fine with the BETA build.

Getting to the point - Id like to do a complete reformat of the HD and do a brand new fresh install of Windows 7. Is there some menu i must go to first in order to do a complete reformat first. I dont recall seeing the options when going through the install first time around. Sorry for the long post but what should i be looking for ?

Thanks

SickBoy

Choose "Custom(advanced)" then click on "Drive options(advanced)" and you should be able to format or delete existing partitions and create new ones.

MarkJD

Perfect thanks alot!

I had gotten to that stage before but didnt notice the advice drive options in the second image.

Im inclined to think its a bad install rather than failing HD? What do you think?

For example i was trying to transfer large amounts of info (5gb+) from external HD to the PC HD and it would start fine then just randomly slow down really badly and freeze or hang. I thought it was the external HD failing but then when i tried installing some games it would happen halfway through the install. Be flying along and then just slow down to a complete halt.

Do you think that sounds like it failing or just a bad windows install? I guess if i do a complete reinstall and its still happening then i know the drive is failing. Its just odd it would be working perfectly fine then this would only happen after a new install of windows.

corkcomp

what make + model internal HDD are you using/ most manufacturers offer disk diag programs for download..

MarkJD

Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB SATA2

corkcomp

MarkJD wrote: »

Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB SATA2

download and run this.. its designed to run from windows but there is a dos version if you want to run before installing os
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&sid=3&lang=en

MarkJD

Ok so I just chose the format option but it was done in about 3 seconds. There was 220GB of info on there that doesn't seem right

corkcomp

MarkJD wrote: »

Ok so I just chose the format option but it was done in about 3 seconds. There was 220GB of info on there that doesn't seem right

it may do that quick if it was quick format option.. id suggest running the diags otherwise you will end up going around in circles tbh

MarkJD

Ye only problem is I started new install before seeing that sorry!

I'll let this finish then do the diags and post results

duffman85

MarkJD wrote: »

Ok so I just chose the format option but it was done in about 3 seconds. There was 220GB of info on there that doesn't seem right

Quick Format doesn't delete everything afaik. it basically just says to the os/installer this drive is NTFS and empty ,i.e you can write anywhere. any previous data is just overwritten.

similarly when you delete a file(not recycle) the os just marks the blocks of memory on the hard disk where the file is as "you are permitted to overwrite this data".

MarkJD

It wasnt a quick format option. It was just format it was done from the boot of the Windows 7 Disk. Not done within Windows.

corkcomp

MarkJD wrote: »

It wasnt a quick format option. It was just format it was done from the boot of the Windows 7 Disk. Not done within Windows.

is the os installed yet?

MarkJD

corkcomp wrote: »

download and run this.. its designed to run from windows but there is a dos version if you want to run before installing os
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&sid=3&lang=en

So using the software you suggested. This is what it had to say.


Internal HD

Test Option: QUICK TEST
Model Number: WDC WD5000AAKS-00M9A0
Unit Serial Number: WD-WMAVC0339574
Firmware Number: 05.01D05
Capacity: 500.11 GB SMART Status: PASS Test Result: PASS
Test Time: 17:04:19, July 25, 2010

External HD

Test Option: QUICK TEST
Model Number: WD 2500JB External
Unit Serial Number: WD-WCANK6024009
Firmware Number: 0107
Capacity: 250.06 GB
SMART Status: PASS
Test Result: PASS
Test Time: 17:11:19, July 25, 2010

MarkJD

corkcomp wrote: »

is the os installed yet?

Yes just wanted to get all apps installed and then did a defrag. Ran the results above after all this

corkcomp

MarkJD wrote: »

So using the software you suggested. This is what it had to say.

ok looks good so far.. if you want to be extra sure there should be an extended or deep test option? this may take a while to run.. eventhough nothing so far is suggesting a hard disk fault.. it may be some other issue

MarkJD

It's so irritating because I started a 6gb transfer there 25 mins ago and stalls up halfway through and hasn't fog passed that point.

Yet the exact same data transfered across just fine on the windows 7 beta same pc 2 days ago

Overheal

could be a driver issue. Who knows for sure.

Your only other best option is to test a new drive. 3.5" Internals can be found cheap. Recently went to walmart and bought a Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32mb cache for $89. .... nevermind its $10 cheaper anywhere else, but nobody else was opened when I wanted it. So Kudos to walmart, they earned that $10 markup!

You could always buy a matching caviar drive and then a) you find out its faster than your old drive, or b) its the same speed and you set them up in Raid 0. Either way, you win!