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November 27th, 2009 12:00
Clean Install of Windows 7 to replace Vista
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I am NOT a very technical person and am already having high anxiety over the need to perform a Clean Install of Windows 7 on my Dell XPS M1530. I was online with tech support for a couple of hours on this past Tuesday and after 3 separate tech people looked at my particular problem, it was determined that the best solution would be for me to purchase the full version of Windows 7 (versus just an upgrade from Vista), which I have done. My building anxiety is that I fear I will not know how to properly install it on my Dell laptop and still retain much of the software that came with my Dell laptop at the time I purchased it in DEC of 2008. (i.e. Wireless, LoJack, McAfee Anti-virus, etc.)
I have already used the internal "Backup" feature in Windows Vista to backup all my files onto an external hard drive, but I am now thinking ahead and after reading many articles on doing a Clean Install of an OS, I am thinking that this process will essentially wipe out everything on my laptop's hard drives (I have two ... a C Drive and a "Recovery" D Drive) in order to start fresh with Windows 7. So, in the process of a Clean Install, what becomes of the data on the "Recovery" D drive and C Drive? Is it wiped clean? Also, where will I find the Dell factory programs that I have now so that they can be put back onto my laptop once Windows 7 is installed. I read somewhere in these Dell Forums that the "Recovery D" partition was only for the Windows Vista OS and will completely go away upon installing Windows 7. Is this correct?
When I purchased my Dell laptop, it came with a 32-bit Windows Vista operating system. When I checked overall compatibility requirements and looked at “details” about my computer I saw that under “System” it had “Yes” after 64-bit capable. So, in this clean install, should I be using the 32-bit disk or the 64-bit disk?
Sorry, for the long note, but I am now very worried that there is a good chance that I will totally mess up my computer.
Mary G
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November 27th, 2009 12:00
There is absolutely no way you can do a clean install and save anything from your vista installation. In a clean install, the disk partition that vista and all your programs and files are on will be formatted and wiped clean. There is no way to recover the factory installed programs that do not have install disks--but there is nothing there that you will need with Win 7. It has just about everything included in the operating system. You should assemble all your original disks as well as all your added program disks--Office, banking software, etc so you can reinstall after the win 7 installation. The Recovery D drive will still exist, but is not usable to restore to factory settings since the utility depends on files on the vista partition. You can use disk management in win 7 to delete the D partition, make it active and use it for files, but not backup files.
If you have over 4GB of memory (RAM) use the 64 bit disk. If you have 4 or less, use the 32 bit one. It will be more compatible with your drivers and programs. I think laptops that came with 32 bit should stick with 32 bit. If you find that you would like to have or need the 64 bit at a later date, you would be able to do another clean install and use the 64 bit disk. But I doubt you'll still have the same computer by that time.
BTW, you did not need to purchase the full install disk. The upgrade disk is identical and works for a clean install as long as you do not remove vista or format before you boot to the win 7 disk. Read the info about how to install at the MS Windows 7 site here.
DAN2252
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November 27th, 2009 14:00
Hi Mary,
Everything in your response makes total sense to me. The reason Dell's Tech Support talked me into a Full Version of Windows 7 vs. the Upgrade Version is that I have been having numerous OS issues over the past couple of months including big problems with some Registry files. It was for this reason that Dell Techs thought the only way to completely resolve the registry problems was to start over completely with Windows 7.
After I ordered Windows 7 I started to think about the Dell-installed programs for which I do not have the original disk (since it came installed on my laptop). So, what do I do to get those programs back onto my laptop (i.e. LoJack, McAfee Anti-virus, etc. and other things that Dell installed to make my laptop work)?
I just do not know enough about computers to know what things will be able to be restored through my OS "Backup and Restore" feature. I have the disks for all the other programsand hardware that I personally installed (i.e. MS Office, printer, scanner, etc.) and I am comfortable in reinstalling those things. I just do not want to lose those other things that I paid for when I had my laptop configured by Dell a little less than a year ago.
Should I use Dell's "On Call" support at an extra $$ cost to walk me through the installation? I just don't want to cause more problems for myself by doing something incorrectly.
Dave