jhillbos
asked on
Windows 7 Install
Hello all,
I just purchased a Dell XPS 8500 with Windows 7 on it. I'd like to wipe it out and restart fresh. When I start a Windows 7 install (from the Dell Windows 7 disk that came with the XPS), there are no drives showing as available for the installation. I have wiped out several system before and have never seen this.
The system has 2 TB of storage. The device manager shows 1W1E607C, but when I choose properties > Volume everything is blank.
The system works fine, but I am confused!
Any suggestions?
I just purchased a Dell XPS 8500 with Windows 7 on it. I'd like to wipe it out and restart fresh. When I start a Windows 7 install (from the Dell Windows 7 disk that came with the XPS), there are no drives showing as available for the installation. I have wiped out several system before and have never seen this.
The system has 2 TB of storage. The device manager shows 1W1E607C, but when I choose properties > Volume everything is blank.
The system works fine, but I am confused!
Any suggestions?
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The very fact that you can view the device manager is telling me you're trying to reformat and install Windows from within the Windows environment. If you were upgrading, that would be fine, but for a complete reformat, not the best way to go about it.
The reason you can't see anything in the device manager properties for your disk drive is because you haven't clicked the populate button. After doing that it will show the status of the drive and any partitions on it. It's blank by default, so what your seeing isn't unusual, and doesn't indicate a problem.
What you should be doing to begin again with a blank slate is this:
- Restart your computer
- Enter the BIOS
- Change the boot priority to optical drive (DVD/Blu Ray, whatever you have), set it as no.1
- Save settings
- Ensure Windows installation disk is in before exiting
- Exit, restart (will happen automatically)
The computer will boot up from the Windows installation disk which will enter the Windows setup by default. From there you can then reformat your hard drive, partition it if you like, then install Windows.
Hope that helps
The reason you can't see anything in the device manager properties for your disk drive is because you haven't clicked the populate button. After doing that it will show the status of the drive and any partitions on it. It's blank by default, so what your seeing isn't unusual, and doesn't indicate a problem.
What you should be doing to begin again with a blank slate is this:
- Restart your computer
- Enter the BIOS
- Change the boot priority to optical drive (DVD/Blu Ray, whatever you have), set it as no.1
- Save settings
- Ensure Windows installation disk is in before exiting
- Exit, restart (will happen automatically)
The computer will boot up from the Windows installation disk which will enter the Windows setup by default. From there you can then reformat your hard drive, partition it if you like, then install Windows.
Hope that helps
I agree with Braziel. If you are installing Windows, you would boot from the Windows CD, select the appropriate partition(s) to delete, create a new partition and install windows in it.
It sounds like you are trying to uninstall programs from your system. These are two totally different processes.
Please let us know what you really want to do.
It sounds like you are trying to uninstall programs from your system. These are two totally different processes.
Please let us know what you really want to do.
Glad I could help
Make sure you have downloaded correct set of drivers for Windows 7 i.e. 32 bit or 64 bit.
http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/product/xps-8500
Also on same page there is option available Analyse System for Updates. You can make user of this as well which will update the drivers for your machine automatically.
But I would go for manual process.