How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows

7
Information
This will show you how to do a clean installation with a retail Windows 7. A
OEM Windows 7 may have a few different screens than below, but basically
the
same.
Yes, you can do a clean install from a upgrade Windows 7 version.
NOTE: See this tutorial for how: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7
Version
Note
Do a Clean Installation if:

Your computer has no operating system installed, or its running a version of

Windows prior to Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (including Windows XP).

You do NOT want to preserve your data, programs, or system drivers.

You want to delete your current operating system and replace it with Windows 7.

You want to create a multiboot system by installing Windows 7 on a separate hard

disk partition.

Tip

Sometimes you may have a problem with installing Windows 7 with more than 2 GB
of RAM installed on some older motherboards. If you have this problem, then you
should install Windows 7 with a maximum of 2GB of RAM installed and add the rest
of the RAM after Windows 7 is fully installed. You may need to flash your
motherboard BIOS with the latest version to support more RAM like this.
(WARNING - DO NOT FLASH THE BIOS if you do not know what you are
doing. Please ask for help instead. One mistake can kill your motherboard
permanently.)

Before doing this clean install, you should download and save all of your device
drivers to a USB flash drive, DVD, another HDD, or some other media to have them
handy to make setting Windows 7 up easier when finished installing Windows 7. For
example, having the network driver available in case you cannot connect to the
internet until it's installed.

Warning

Windows

NOTE: For more

requirements

Minimum
information

on

Hardware
this,

Requirements:

see: Windows

system

1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor

1 GB RAM for 32-bit Windows 7

16 GB available
bit Windows 7

Graphics card or chip that supports DirectX 9 with 128 MB memory (to have Aero
theme enabled)

DVD-R/W drive, or bootable USB port with Windows 7 USB flash drive

Internet or phone access to activate Windows 7.

hard

disk

OR 2 GB RAM for 64-bit Windows 7

space

for 32-bit Windows

OR 20 GB for 64-

Here's How:
1. Boot the computer from your Windows 7 installation DVD/USB.
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first and your HDD
second in the boot priority order in your BIOSsettings. Usually it is by
default.
Warning
If you want to install Windows 7 using UEFI instead of BIOS, then see this
below
first.
How to Install Windows 7 Using "Unified Extensible Firmware
Interface" (UEFI)
Note
If you do not have a Windows 7 with SP1 installation DVD/USB, then you can
download the latest official Windows 7 with SP1 ISO file at the links below.

Microsoft
Microsoft:

Software
Windows

Direct

Recovery
Download

Links

You can use Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool to create a bootable

DVD or USB flash drive with the ISO to do the clean install with.

2. If using a DVD, then when prompted, press any key to boot from the
installation
DVD.
(See
screenshot
below)
NOTE: You will only have about 8 seconds to press this key. If you miss it,
you will have to restart the computer.

3. Set up your language preferences, and click on the Next button. (See
screeshot below).

4. Click on the Install Now button to start the installation. (See screenshot
below)

5. Check the I accept the license terms box, and click on Next. (See
screenshot below)

6. Click on the Custom (advanced) option. (See screenshot below)

7. Select the hard drive or partition that you want to install Windows 7 on,
and click on the Drive Options (advanced) link. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If the hard drive or partition that you have selected is unallocated,
then you can just click on the Next button instead and go to step 9 since it
is
already
empty.
WARNING: You may not have the Drive options (advanced) option
unless the installation is done at boot, and not running the installation from
within your current OS.

8. Select a hard drive or partition that you want to do a clean install of

Windows 7 on, do what Drive options (advanced)you want if any, and
click on the Next button when finished. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you have your hard drives in a RAID setup, then connect your
USB key with the RAID drivers on it, click on Load Driver, select the folder
on the USB key that contains the RAID drivers to install them. Afterwards,
your RAID drives will be available to select from to install Windows 7 on.
Tip
Drive options (advanced)

If you have more than one partition for a disk # (hard drive) and want to get rid
of them to make that disk # one partition drive again, then select a partition with
that disk # and click on the Deleteoption for each partition with the same disk #
until there is only one "unallocated space" with that disk # left as in the screenshot
below.

To shrink an existing partition to create another partition to install Windows 7 on

instead, select the partition you want shrink and click on the Extend option. Type in
how much in MB (1 GB = 1024 MB) that you want to shrink it by. Now select the
new extended partition.

Note
The 100 MB System Reserved partition is used for the Boot Manager code,
BCD (Boot Configuration Database), System Recovery Options (Windows
RE), and start up files for BitLocker (if turned on).

If you want to have the 100 MB System Reserved partition in addition to the
Windows 7 C: partition on a HDD or SSD after installation, then you would need to
make sure that all partitions on the drive have been deleted until it is only
unallocated space. Next, select the unallocated drive to install Windows 7 on. If
there are no partitions on the disk, you will get the 100 MB System Reserved.

If you do not want to have the 100 MB System Reserved partition and only the
Windows 7 C: partition on a HDD or SSD after installation, then select
a formatted partition or drive to install Windows 7 on. If there are any partitions on
the disk, you won't get the 100 MB System Reserved.

9. The installation of Windows 7 will now begin. (See screenshot below)

NOTE: During the installation process, your screen may flash and computer
will restart a few times.

10. After the final restart, you will see this screen for a moment. (See
screenshot below)

11. Type in any user name that you want for your default administrator
account and any computer name, then click on theNext button. (See
screenshot below)

12. Type in a password you want for your default administrator account.
Type it in again to confirm it, then type in a hint for your password. Click on
the Next button.
(See
screenshots
below)
WARNING: The password will be case sensitive. The hint will be seen by all
users on the computer, so do not type your password as the hint.
NOTE: If you do not want your your user account password protected at this
time or do not want to have to type in a hint, then leave this blank and click
on the Next button. You can create a password later for your user account
in the Control PanelUser Accounts after installing Windows 7 without
having to type in a hint.

13. Type in your Windows 7 product key number. (See screenshot below
step
14)
14. Uncheck the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box,
then
click
on
the Next button.
(See
screenshot
below)
NOTE: You can activate Windows 7 later after you make sure it is running
properly.
(See
step
21
below)
If you chose to automatically activate Windows 7 online when you set up
your computer, automatic activation begins trying to activate your copy of
Windows three days after you log on for the first time.

15. Click on Use recommended settings to allow automatic Windows

Updates and proper security settings. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: For more information about these recommended settings, click on
the Learn more about each option link in this window.

16. Select your time zone and set your time and date settings, then click
on the Next button. (See screenshot below)

17. Click on your computer's correct network location type location to

select it and have the settings for that location automatically applied. (See
screenshot below)

18. Windows 7 will now prepare your desktop to startup. (See screenshots
below)

19. When it's finished and you are at your desktop, you can now remove or
disconnect
your
installation
DVD/USB from
step
1
above.
20. Install
21. Refresh

all

of
your

your

device

Windows

drivers,
Experience

then

Windows

Index

(WEI)

Updates.
score.

22. When finished, all you will need to do is to activate Windows 7. (See
screenshot below)

Tip
If you are dual booting with another OS (ex: Vista), then that OS partition
may not show up in Computerwith a driver letter in Windows 7. You will

need to add a drive letter to the OS (ex: Vista) partition in Windows 7 Disk
Management for it to show up in Computer with a driver letter.