Format then install Win 7 upgrade question

[noroth]

I would like to reformat my 640gb harddrive 100% and reinstall my Windows 7 Home Prem upgrade on it. I have extra harddrives install on my system, and usually know my way around PCs, but this has me worried that I won't be able to get it working.

I can download (yes i paid for it) the install files as either 3 separate files or as an .iso, and my plan is to install it on my main drive from one of these 2 options (64 bit btw). When I first installed the Win 7 upgrade, it kept alot of my old files around on the same drive (put in Windows.old folder). I want to avoid that this time around and Start with a clean drive.

So the question is: Can I install Windows 7 upgrade onto an empty harddrive, and if so, can I install it from a separate drive?

Thanks!

 

[Harvey]

If what you have is the file from the Microsoft/Digital River student offer, burn the ISO to a CD, boot it up, and let 'er rip. I've done several of these installations for friends with no problems.

 

[noroth]

Lol you know what... i never even though of checking the file size.

The question remains. Since it's the upgrade will it still work?

*edit*
It's not a student offer Win 7, but an upgrade I got after suffering with vista.

 

[Binky]

A quick google search using terms such as "double" and "install" might just get you the information that you need.

 

[Harvey]

Here's a long thread in Hot Deals about the deal, itself, and what others encountered when installing it.

I mis-spoke. You can burn it to a DVD (not a CD) or to a flash drive. Instructions here.

 

[noroth]

Thanks for the quick replies guys. Yeah, just checked into a double install, which kinda seems like what I did when I first installed the Upgrade. Will looking into links and check back =D

Still in the process of copying files to a separate drive so I have time to figure out the right way =D

 

[Harvey]

It's not a student offer Win 7, but an upgrade I got after suffering with vista.

Two possible answers:

1. I think I recall reading that, if your upgrade version requires an older version of Windows, at worst, it will ask you for the serial number when you install it on a clean drive..

2. If your version absolutely requires an installed copy of Windows on the drive, save all of your critical files to another drive, start the installation, and when it asks if you want to save the old version, just say, no.

FWIW, if you have a matched pair of Western Digital or Seagate drives, both companies give a free version of Acronis True Image that will clone Win 7 drives so that the cloned drive works like the original. I've done this successfully with matched drives. It almost worked, with dis-similar drives, but there were some nagging issues that I didn't pursue to see if they could be resolved.

 

[noroth]

Looks like I have two options then.

1.) I still have the vista install disk, so I could format the drive, install vista, then install win 7. Would prob be the way they intended it to work.

2.) I could do the reinstall of Win 7 without saving the old version, but I know that still saved files (like the Windows.old folder I was talking about).

I don't really know how well of a job windows does actually clearing out a disk when you have that option on install. I'm pretty sure I did 'no' to saving old version when I upgraded to Win 7, and I still have files left behind. This could very well be isolated to Windows.old folder, but I'm not 100% on that. I figure the whole point of starting fresh is just that; clean slate and all.

I am saving the typical program folders (the user folder, steam for game settings, world of warcraft interface/WTF folders, etc etc.) So if push comes to shove, I could very well just delete that Windows.old once I finish the reinstall.

 

[Harvey]

Try it on a naked drive, first. Win 7 installs so fast that, even if it doesn't work, all you'll lose is maybe 30 minutes trying, and you can go back to "Plan B."

 

[noroth]

Try it on a naked drive, first. Win 7 installs so fast that, even if it doesn't work, all you'll lose is maybe 30 minutes trying, and you can go back to "Plan B."

=D Worth a try. Now this begs the question: best/free way to format a drive that my Win install is on. Obviously can't do it with a program in windows lol.

 

[Harvey]

Win 7 will format the drive when you install it. If you really want to nuke everything on a drive, format and all, download DELPART.EXE, a utility from Windows NT3 that will absolutely wipe your drive, and copy it to a DOS bootable floppy disk, or, if your machine supports it, a bootable flash drive formatted to boot to DOS. It's no longer available from Microsoft, but you can download it, here.

 

[noroth]

Thank you guys! I'm on the last 7.5gbs of a copy before I go for it. Doing the clean install from win7 disk first to see if that works.

 

[Anteaus]

The easiest way for me that I've used is to first uninstall all of the software from the earlier Windows version install to make it as small as possible, then stash an image of that somewhere (you will need it again if you ever want to format/reinstall). Boot with the upgrade disc. It will detect the old install PRIOR to giving you the format option so you can freely format and clean install with no problems.

In the future, if you ever run in problems and need to install again..you can just image the drive with the old OS and just reinstall with no issues. I've done it a few times. I bought the Student offer upgrade when it first came out and had no problems.

 

[prism]

If what you have is the file from the Microsoft/Digital River student offer, burn the ISO to a CD, boot it up, and let 'er rip. I've done several of these installations for friends with no problems.

I'm trying to reinstall my upgrade from this offer on a new HDD but it's saying I have an invalid serial #. I've rechecked and retyped it over and over but it just won't go. Do I have to do something to "unactivate" it from my old HDD first? Never had this problem with my old XP Upgrade student discounted disc.