Bad Windows 7 install

Hi I'm new here and unfortunately I have problems and need the expert advice from you guys.

Here is my problem

I have an Alienware M17X R1 Lappy. Windows vista (32) came installed on it. I went out and purchased Windows 7 professionl.
I finally installed it on Sunday. When installing 7 it didn't go through the normal format hard drive and all that good stuff. It took nearly
7 hours to install. Once the install was complete I happen to check my hard drive and it shows with a fresh install mind you that I have used 76 GB out of 156gb.
How the Hell is that possible? So I wanted to do the install over again and I put in the Windows 7 CD again and now my lappy will not read the disk. I then tried all of the disks that came with my Alienware
and the lappy will not read any of those also. My computer pretty much freezes when I put the disks in.

Then I get the bright idea that I will go into command prompt and type format C: and it gives me the warning that I am about to erase the data and I choose "Y" and it tells me
"System Partition is not allowed to be formatted". What's the deal I can't even format my hard drive.

I am at my wits end and I would love to get this back to normal if possible. Can any one help me out? I love my laptop and miss it.
I would greatly appreciate any input and thanks for reading my diatribe.

 

What's happened here is that you've upgraded from Vista to Windows 7, which isn't a clean install. All of your applications, settings, etc have been migrated across. That's why it took so long.

If you want to clean everything out and start again, boot off your Windows 7 disc and choose to perform an install. When it comes to the screen asking you which drive you want to install on, hit the link that give you advanced options. From here you'll be able to delete the existing partition, and you'll end up with an item in the list showing free space. Simply select this item and go on with the wizard, and Windows will create a partition in that space and install itself there.

 

Cheers,

Clean installs are critical on Dell laptops otherwise you will have major @#$% driver issues down the road. If you simply upgrade you will end up with some vista code and some windows 7 code combined into a hodge podge operating system. I learned this the hard way with my XPS, the upgrade option had too many conflicts and eventually had to do a clean install.

In your case I am not sure whether your Upgrade Disk allows you to do a clean install or not. Microsoft changed policy direction starting with Vista upgrade disks and did not check upgrade compliance. I assume this is probably the same now with Windows 7 upgrade disks. In the past you therefore could not perform a clean installation of Windows Vista (EASILY) from the upgrade disk. However here is how Vista upgrade users could work around this and do a clean install. I think you are in the same boat. Using the link I have provide perhaps you can follow their logic and do a clean install in case you don't have an option.

Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows: How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media

Every time you do an upgrade installation it backs up the old operating system which is why your hardrive is shrinking. You need to delete the old partition. Rather than waste time with the partition just do a clean install and delete all the partitions.

 

i was unaware the m17x r1 had the option of 32 bit. or am i reading this wrong? also, i thought the mim hard drive was 200? granted it was about a year since i ordered mine.. and i agree with the others. sounds like an upgrade. i had trouble clean installing mine recently too, i don't know what happened, i thought i did it like i had before, but i could not validate windows and the update would freeze at 15% everytime. but another clean install fixed everything. just look for advance option after you hit custom install and format hard drive.

 

Good point about the 32 bit.

 

Hey guy thanks for all the advice. It is in fact a 32bit OS and I bought Windows 7 from Microsoft. It is Windows 7 Professional. I can't do a fresh install because my cd rom will not play cd's. Also when I try and format the HD thru command prompt it gives me the error stated.

Any ideas on how I can get the disk to read? It will not read when I boot with it also.
Thanks again guys I really appreciate all the help.

 

you could try installing from usb flash drive. I used ultra iso to copy image from cd to usb stick then tryed installing it from there. I hope you got another computer you can do this. I used to do this on my xps. (replaced cd bay with HD bay). just remember to boot from usbstick first.

 

Hey I would like to say thank you for the idea to use Ultra Iso and make an Iso image of Win 7 and put it on a thumb drive.

It worked perfect. Now I have one more question. Where would I get my drivers now? If I go to my Hive it only supplies me with Vista or XP drivers?
I also had a program installed that allowed me to set my power on processers, video cards ect. Also I had a program for my changing the light scheme on my keyboard and I an't locate that.



Again any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Not sure about this. But could you be Accessing the Hard drive Frist then your CDrom? Check your Cmos and make sure it set to CD frist Then Hard drive. Then when you put the windows cd in. It will ask you to hit a key if you want to enter into Windows install. I had the same issue on a Desktop I am building.

 

THe booting issue with cd rom happened to me yesterday. Bios said no cd/dvd rom installed and no option to change... wiered. but booting into windows 7 i could then read a disc.

If i booted from cd/dvd rom i would get setup error on dvd...media fail...

I then reflashed bios with a07 then it decided to recognise dvd drive and then i could boot off dvd.

Dell should invest more time with there bios to sort out issues.