I have installed a new internal hard drive and now windows will not boot up?

[johns14]

I have installed a new internal hard drive and reinstalled windows 7 from my acer recovery discs and windows 7 will not work now.

 

[RealBeast]

You cannot install Windows 7 from recovery disks -- you need a full install disk. Recovery disks only work if you have an intact recovery partition, and you cannot have that with a new hard drive.

Get a disk image of the identical version of Windows 7 that you were using from HERE, burn it to a DVD, and do a clean install. Activate it with the key on the sticker on your machine.

 

[johns14]

Thank you very much for replying, do i need to use the recovery disks along with that disc image or just use the windows 7 disc image?

 

[RealBeast]

All you need is the install disk from the image. The recovery disks no longer have any use to you.

I've done this sort of thing dozens of times and usually the online activation works fine, but occasionally you have to do phone activation -- but I never get any hassle since a new hard drive is within the OEM license for Windows 7.

 

[johns14]

Any idea where on that site i can get the windows 7 image? and also does my new hard drive have to be formatted?

 

[RealBeast]

In my first post the word HERE is a link to the site.

The new drive does not have to be formatted, just stick it in there and go.

 

[johns14]

Thank you very much i'll check it out

 

[johns14]

Ok i have made a windows 7 bootable dvd disc and when it is trying to install on the "expanding files part" it gets stuck sometimes and other times it will go to a few percent and then get stuck. Has anyone got a solution for this?

 

[RealBeast]

Has any other operating system ever been used on the drive or is it a new drive? Insure that the drive shows up in the bios. You might also try using a USB stick to install instead of the DVD drive, use THIS free tool and instructions for that.

 

[johns14]

No it's a new 2tb toshiba sata hard drive, how do i know if the bios is seeing my new hard drive?

 

[RealBeast]

If you switch from the Acer splash logo in the bios to the one with information, you should see it listed as a SATA device during the bios boot up. It should be center screen with all other SATA devices below the bios version and memory total statement.

It may also be listed under the boot drive choices in the bios boot selection screen.

Which specific Acer model do you have?