Need help formatting HDD

[skribbz14]

I'm stuck in a pickle here. I have a corrupt windows 7 on my hard drive right now. When it boots it is only a black screen and I can't find explorer.exe via the command prompt.

I want to reformat the hard drive completely so I may re-install a fresh version of windows 7 onto it. The problem is I only have the command prompt available to me. When I try to use the format c: command it tells me I do not have admin rights to do it. With no windows explorer I don't know how to give myself admin rights.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[cliffro]

You need to do it outside of windows. It would be simpler if you do it during the install process.

 

[Guest]

put windows 7 installation disc in dvd/cd drive.

boot from dvd/cd drive

follow prompts.

 

[skribbz14]

I don't have a windows 7 disc. I received my copy through my college's MSDNAA program, so I downloaded the install from the internet.

This is why I have it on a usb. I tried using a friends computer to burn it onto a disc, but it didn't work. I could try that again, but do you have any suggestions for burning software?

 

[Guest]

http://www.imgburn.com/
http://www.freeisoburner.com/
http://www.isoimageburner.com/

make sure you set it to burn a "bootable" disk.

OR
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-7/install-windows-7-with-a-usb-memory-key
method #1
which sends you to:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

 

[skribbz14]

Thanks a lot! I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[skribbz14]

I've gotten the .iso for windows 7 then used the windows dvd/usb utility to burn it on to a disk. I have also used the free iso burner solution as well.

I then set my bios up to boot from cd only and it continues to just say insert bootable device.

Any ideas on why this might be happening?

 

[Guest]

something is flonky because it seems the disk isn't burned as being bootable . .but i believe the dvd/usb utility would do that(?)

 

[skribbz14]

That's what I thought too. I'm pretty sure the dvd/usb utility does make it bootable.

I had an idea to format my hard drive with the command prompt and then try a clean install after that, but I don't exactly know how to do that.

 

[Guest]

you will be able to format the HD during the installation. when you get to where windows asks you where to install, click on advance towards the bottom and you'll see format.

 

[skribbz14]

I got the installation program to run, by inserting a flash drive with the setup.exe on it. When I tried to run the install it gave me an error saying that it could not find certain data. It sounded like it needed an uncorrupted version of windows to install windows, which I thought was strange.

I'll post the actual error when I get home from work.

 

[PaulR08]

Create a Windows 7 recovery DVD from any Windows 7 PC. Boot to this disc and it will open up the recovery manager where you have various tools available to fix the drive and the windows OS. The reocovery DVD is not an OS install disc, just a disc with the recovery program installed.

 

[Guest]

go get another copy:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit-direct-download-links/
will work with valid key for the appropriate version

 

[skribbz14]

So I tried the windows 7 recovery disk and also using a new iso from looniam's link. Neither worked on my computer. It kept giving me an error. I ended up getting an old hard drive from a friend that had windows xp on it. I connected it as my main HDD and am using the windows 7 32-bit install to edit my HDD with the corrupted version of windows 7.

I'm worried that I won't be able to install a 64-bit version of Windows 7 while inside of the Windows 7 32-bit. Any suggestions, because I can't seem for the life of me to create a bootable dvd with windows 7 64-bit on it.

 

[Guest]

maybe try this:
How to create a bootable Windows 7 USB flash drive
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2009/12/-the-usb-flash-drive.ars

 

[skribbz14]

I've actually tried that as well, but I will again for once I finally have the 32-bit version installed on my HDD. I've gotten it to work before, but it won't right now with the corrupted Windows 7 on it. I even used the command prompt to open the setup.exe off of my USB and it only gave me an error when it started setting up the installation.

 

[Guest]

oh, sorry didn't read the whole thread.

it seems that there maybe a problem with the HD itself, not just corrupt files. maybe advance to Hiren's BootCD 15.1
http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd

and see what the hard disk utilities tell you.

 

[skribbz14]

There's a lot of things on this page. What program are you talking about exactly and what does it do?

 

[Guest]

the download link is for the WHOLE cd and that is a list of all the programs. there are few manufacturer specific, WD, toshiba, seagate . tough you might want to use
HDDScan is a Low-level HDD diagnostic tool, it scans surface find bad sectors etc.
MHDD 4.6 Precise diagnostic of the mechanical part of a drive, perform Low-level format, Bad Sector Repair, access raw sectors, manage S.M.A.R.T. (SMART) and other drive parameters such as acoustic management, security, Host Protected Area, etc.

 

[skribbz14]

Alright thanks. I believe my HDD is a maxtor. I'm at work now, but when I get home I'll give all of this a shot. Thanks for you help looniam!