Help with fresh install Inspiron 17R 7720 SE from scratch

Dear Forum members
After a series of "failed attempts at improvements and corrections", which at the root have a botched episode to create "data" and "internet" partitions on the original HDD...(it did not manage to reboot) my situation is as follows:
The computer does not boot into win8. F2/F12 do not produce access to the respective tasks. If I remove the HDD, acces is fine. Also I cannot boot in any manner as long as the HDD is connected. Disconnected I can access the CD/USB to boot, but have no HDD connected to "do anything with it". (second bay is empty...has bracket, btw) I don't know know, if the built-in32gb SSD is interfering or not, but I can see it (empty) at the win8 installation options..(started via dvd boot, no HDD... not very useful, I know).

Fortunately I have no data to worry about. A total reformat of the original HDD is a viable option, but at this point I am reluctant to increase the mess... I have searched various sites, to no avail.
Could somebody please give me a "receipe" on how to start from total scratch (if needed). Let's assume I purchased an empty HDD and want to install it into this inspiron without regard to anything that was installed there before. I can hook up the HD via USB to a win7 computer. (Starting with the Bios setup, I have presently set Boot as legacy... part of the mess, I'm certain..).

 

I don't understand exactly where you are having trouble?

Reset the BIOS to its default settings, run the W8 installer, ignore the 32GB cache SSD (you should be able to re-enable SSD caching post-install, though I don't know how to do it), wipe your primary disk, do a clean install, and it should just work.

 

Thank you for your answer, Commander Wolf. I'm sure that is part of the problem, my relative ignorance about cause and effect, allowing for a correct diagnosis.
Let me state the present situation: if I remove the HDD, i am able to access bios and/or start up the DVD with wininstaller and enter PC repair and "go nuts"... but no HDD, so...
If I reboot with the HDD installed, I have no access to bios or other starup options (seems to register the F2/F12 keystrokes, but never opens the setup screens. instead, seconds later, comes the blue win8 screen titled RECOVERY (error 0xc000025), press <enter> or F8. neither produces a result beyond a flicker of the screen and the new message "windows\system32\winload.efi. missing or corrupted". I have seen the file when I connect the drive via USB to another (Dell) laptop (Win7), but that is all I can say about it at present. (so I guess the drive works correctly mechanically speaking.
I have been at this for days, it would be so great if you could help me out of this mess. There are no data that I have to recover.

 

Wipe the drive with the Windows partition manager while it is connected to the other machine via the adapter. Then try the W8 install process again. If you are still having issues, it might be a bad drive.

 

Hello,
Myself and two friends purchased this laptop. For some reason both of them experienced a problem almost identical to yours. It was resolved by setting the SATA mode to normal in the bios. I believe the problem has to do with the 32gb ssd and the hibernate or suspend actions. I think (going out on a limb here) that the bootloader for windows can be looking for something that's not there if it tries to resume from hibernate. Either way, simply disabling the AHCI setting or whatever it was, booting normally, and then enabling it fixed the problem. You can also try getting into the F12 menu by holding down the button then pressing the power key (keep holding F12).
I know this reply is a bit late, but hopefully it helps someone else in the future. (EDIT) It's not late at all yay (/EDIT)

 

Thank you for both of your replies... I am working on something similar to the suggestion by Commander Wolf, using another 1tb HDD I had just purchased as an external backup (and putting the original drive perhaps in the second slot... all that later). Since there are no data on there... it is not too stressful to try that fresh install... success pending. Had do work... not all play. I will deffinitively post a result asap. (could be a couple of days. But thank you both. The trick with holding F12 and power... interesting.... will try.
EDIT: Pressing F12, then power on, wait, wait... listen to dvd chuckle, let go F12...wait a little more and BINGO, in the menu... and this time with an HDD connected! THANK YOU...working on clean install... keeping fingers crossed Does not want to install on GPT drive, changing to "the other one"... installing.....

EDIT2
All well..thank you once again!!. nvidia got a warning, but driver easy to update.
I think I'm at legacy boot, under UEFI the bios only lists "networrk" as boot medium, I do not know how I can change that, but havent googled yet either...
the only other bone is that now the backlight of the keyboard does not work.. looking for a solution...F6 toggles keyboard...never mind...

 

a tip......do NOT use the build in recovery partition if you going to reinstall windows.it suxs (even DELL support advice you to not)........use a CD........then you get rid of bugs, etc.

(DEll have major issues with people calling them after reinstalling windows with the build in partition)

 

Don't forget to download all the important drivers for your rebuild, it you don't have them all on DVD?