Help Formating New Hard Drive Vista OS

D

debbiesdollars

New Member
Thanks a head of time 4 helping me out here. I have a Dell Inspiron 1720 with Vista Home Premium 32bit os. My hard drive crashed and I replaced it with a Hitatchi 2.5 mobile drive. I inserted my vista os disc and my device info shows no hard drive under both primary and secondary hard drive areas. Any ideas?
 

My Computer

System One

Boot into a Ubuntu live CD using this tutorial:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

It tells you how to download the live CD image, burn the image to a disc using this:

InfraRecorder

Then continue on the tutorial and it (luckily) shows you how to open gparted (the linux partition editor).

Delete ALL of the partitions you see, then apply this. You will then have 100% unallocated space. Then create a new partition and format it with NTFS

Shutdown your computer, remove the CD and try installing Windows again

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm 2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
Another, maybe easier, method is to boot from your CD. You will then get the option to format. It is called a clean install. You must set your BIOS to boot from the DVD.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/117366-clean-install-full-version-vista.html
If you have the upgrade DVD, we have a tutorial for that too
If you have the restoration DVD that come with many new computers, you may have to format as shown by Tom.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
richc46 said:
Another, maybe easier, method is to boot from your CD. You will then get the option to format. It is called a clean install. You must set your BIOS to boot from the DVD.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/117366-clean-install-full-version-vista.html
If you have the upgrade DVD, we have a tutorial for that too
If you have the restoration DVD that come with many new computers, you may have to format as shown by Tom.
Click to expand...

Thank you Rich, reading back on the thread it now seems so stupid of me to suggest such an advanced method so early on!

Do Rich's advice, it is much easier and faster :)

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm 2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
Tom
I think that your post indicates the true purpose of this great forum. We, the experienced, try to help the newer members, but because of diverse experience and knowldege, we also, help each other. You have helped me, to help others, with your great tutorials and I thank you for that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
I thought exactly the same when I read your post. You really bring us together Rich, it just wouldn't be the same without you :) Knowing that I've been able to help someone as experienced and knowledgeable as yourself gives me a real sense of satisfaction :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm 2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
Thank you Tom and Rich for taking the time to give me tips on how to format my new hard drive disc and load vista to my dell inspiron 1720 laptop.

I finally removed the new HDD and compared it to the original one and realized immediately why it wasn't connecting. My dell seagate hdd had a male extender attached to it so it would connect to the laptop pin connections. Once I placed the extender on the new hdd I was able to try a clean install.

I followed vista prompts from the original cds that came with my system 1/10/2008:

1. installed -- for reinstalling dell mediaDirect 3.3 on dell inspiron 1720 computers.
2. select from---allocate all available space to the C: partition or specify the size of the C: partition with remaining space allocated to D: partition or quit.

I selected 1 from there followed the steps on the link so thoughtfully provided. I was able to completed all steps up to step 2 except entering the product key because it didn't ask. Before the os loaded, I got a message to reinsert the mediadirect disc and follow the prompts, directly after the os restarts. I did that but all it did was start the process all over again. I tried skipping the second insert mediadirect disc, leaving in the vista disc and got a message stating "thats all we need for now" and instillation completing. Left it alone overnight and had black screen and mouse arrow.

I tried figuring out the ubuntu, downloaded to my old HP computer and tried burning to a disc using the infrarecorder and just got error after error. I can't go online to download ubuntu to my dell.

I'm halfway there, any other ideas?

Again, thank you for helping me with this, it means a lot to me.....Debie
 

My Computer

System One

To the best of my knowledge Mediadirect is a Dell product and I am not sure if you can format using that software.
I think that the easiest way to format is to call Dell and get a Vista install CD. Make sure that you have the key number as it will be needed to install.
In lieu of that, I would buy a Windows 7 upagrade DVD, for about $125.00 and install, if the computer is capable of handling Seven.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    Memory
    6 gig
    Graphics card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
    Hard Drives
    640 gb
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Dell USB 4 button optical
    Keyboard
    Dell USB
    Other Info
    DSL provided by ATT
Debie, we haven't heard from you in a while now, hope everything is going OK?

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm 2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
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