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Reinstalling the operating system. Reinstalling Windows for dummies: detailed instructions

Every user sooner or later faces the need to install an operating system. There is a myth that it is difficult to do this on your own, although in reality this is not the case. All you need is to have basic PC user skills and follow the simple instructions that will be discussed below.

Before installation

There are a number of points that you should take care of before starting the installation.

To do this correctly, first pay attention to the following:

select the desired version of the operating system;
decide on its capacity;
prepare the hard drive for installation;
take care of the drivers.

If you are reading this article, there will be no problems choosing the OS version - it will be Windows 7. But what about its bit capacity? How do you know which one is right for your PC?

You may encounter two types of systems:

x86 (32bit);
x64 (64bit).

What are their differences? 32-bit ones support up to 4 GB of RAM, and 64-bit ones support 4 GB or more. The performance of a 64-bit system is higher, so if the technical characteristics of your PC allow it, you should choose it. Determining the amount of RAM on your computer is very simple - just right-click on the “Computer” icon on the desktop and the necessary technical data will be displayed in the window that appears.

Important! It should be taken into account that after selecting one or another bit depth, subsequently installed programs must be optimized specifically for it.

Now you need to think about where exactly the new operating system will be installed. Most often, drive C is selected for this. However, you need to remember that all data on the disk (including the desktop!) will be permanently deleted. All important files should be moved to another drive or copied to a flash drive.

Another important point is the drivers. Most often, they come bundled with the equipment on special disks, but if not, download them from the Internet in advance. You can find the necessary drivers on the official websites of manufacturers of video cards, network cards and other PC components. Why do you need to take care of this in advance? Because after installation, without a driver for the network card, it will not be possible to do this.

Video: Installing Windows 7

Creating a Disc

To start the installation process, you need a disk with Windows 7. If you have it, you can safely move on to the next step. If it is missing, you will have to create it first. You will need an operating system image, as well as a recording program. It is best to give your preference to “pure” MSDN assemblies that have not been heavily modified. Recording from an image is no different from working with a regular disk. This can be done, for example, with the UltraISO program.

To do this you need:

Installing Windows 7 from disk via BIOS

Let's move on to the main process. It starts with working with the BIOS - the basic input/output system. It is the installation via BIOS that scares novice users so much, but there is nothing difficult in handling it. For our task, you only need to perform a few basic manipulations.

BIOS setup

First you need to get into the BIOS:

The process itself

After restarting, the system will launch the inserted disk and the installation process will begin:

Note! If you want to install Windows 7 from a formatted disk, then take care in advance of the safety of data that may be lost during this procedure.

The installation will begin, usually taking 15 minutes to half an hour. Upon completion, the system will prompt you to enter your username and password (optional), as well as set a hint phrase to restore them. Next you will be asked to enter the serial number, which is usually found in the box with a copy of the OS. If it is missing or the assembly does this automatically, skip this step.

There are still a few small steps ahead:

indicate “recommended” security settings;
your time zone;
network type.

This completes the installation and the system is almost ready for use, all that remains is to configure it.

Video: Installation and configuration

System Setup

The first step is to activate the operating system (if this did not happen automatically during the installation process). Do not forget about this, because after 30 days, annoying reminders will begin to appear informing you that the registration period has expired.

How to check if Windows is activated:

Drivers and programs

The next most important step is to install the drivers. Their absence can lead to incorrect display of graphics, incorrect operation of the computer and the inability to connect to the Internet. How to determine which drivers the system needs?

Windows 7 will often install a driver for the video adapter, so it won't be listed as unrecognized. Despite this, a driver for the video card is still needed, because without it it will not work at full capacity (which can be noticeable by the not entirely correct display of icons on the desktop). We install it from the manufacturer’s disk or downloaded it in advance from the official website.

Important! Do not forget to install the driver for the network adapter, because without it it will be impossible to access the network.

It is worth noting that all such programs are quite effective and can protect your system. For maximum effectiveness, it is worth changing the antivirus you are using from time to time. Once installed, be sure to activate and update to ensure you have the latest databases to protect against newly discovered threats.

Now you can start installing the browser. Its choice also entirely depends on the user’s personal preferences. When a new search engine is installed, the first thing to do is update Flash Player, because without it it will be impossible to watch videos or listen to music on many resources. This can be done in a matter of seconds on the official website.

Using a freshly installed browser, start filling the system with new programs that no system can do without:

office applications (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice);
archivers (WinRAR, 7-Zip);
programs for listening to music and watching videos;
useful utilities (CCleaner);
communication applications (Skype, Mumble);
other software you need.

Installing any operating system is a matter that requires a thorough and careful approach. Despite this, you should not be afraid of him. Just follow the simple instructions, and very soon your PC will be able to boast a new OS.

We use the easiest way to download - using the “Boot Menu”. To call the “Boot Menu” on different motherboards and laptops, the “F8”, “F9”, “F10”, “F11”, “F12” or “Esc” keys can be used. Often this key is indicated in the prompts that appear when you turn on the computer.

Immediately after turning on the computer, press and hold the “Boot Menu” key until the boot device selection menu appears.

Use the down and up arrows to navigate to the DVD drive or flash drive and press Enter.
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If the call key is not indicated in the prompts at the initial stage of booting the computer, then you can find out this information from the instructions, on the website of the motherboard or laptop manufacturer, by searching on the Internet, or at random.

The first thing you should see after the BIOS messages is a line like “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD...” or “Press any key to boot from USB...” (“Press any button to boot from USB...”) if you are booting from a flash drive.

When you see this message, you should press any key on your keyboard within a few seconds, I usually press Spacebar. If you miss this moment, the Windows installation will not begin and you will have to restart the computer again from the old operating system using the “Ctrl-Alt-Del” key combination or the “Reset” button on the system unit.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that during the Windows installation process, the computer reboots several times and each time such a message may appear, but pressing “any key” on the keyboard is no longer necessary, otherwise you will simply start reinstalling Windows from the beginning many times and you will never finish it!

Sometimes a message like the one in the screenshot below may also appear.

In this case, you just need to press the “Enter” key on your keyboard. And by switching with the “Tab” key to the “Windows Memory Diagnostic” item, you can check the computer’s RAM for serviceability.

Wait for the blue “Install Windows” window to appear.

Installing Windows 7 begins with choosing languages.

3.1. Language selection

At this stage you are asked to select languages.

“Installed language” is the language in which all messages will be displayed in the operating system. If the version of Windows is multilingual, then you will have a choice. Most editions of Windows have only one operating system language and it is advisable that you understand it well.

“Time and Currency Format” – defines the names of months, days of the week, main currency, digital separators accepted in your country (period or comma), etc. What does it mean? Well, for example, if you select “Ukrainian”, then in programs for typing and tables, days of the week, months and monetary units will be automatically entered in Ukrainian, regardless of the language of the entire document. Therefore, choosing a national format only makes sense if the majority of your documents will be in the national language. However, this can be easily changed in Windows at any time.

“Keyboard Layout” is simply the default input language that will be used when starting Windows and all programs. It makes sense to install the one on which you communicate and write. If you will use the computer primarily for programming, it may be more convenient to select the “US” (English) layout. After installing Windows, you can add and set any language as default.

For Russian-speaking residents of the CIS, I recommend leaving “Russian” everywhere, since when installing some programs that have a multilingual interface, they may not be in Russian, but in the language that you specified in one of the fields when installing the system.

To continue the installation, click the “Next” button.

3.2. Starting the installation

In the next window, click the “Install” button under the “Windows 7” logo.

3.3. License agreement

Check the box “I accept the license terms” and click “Next”.

4. Windows 7 installation type

We offer two types of installation.

“Update” – allows you to update the previous version of Windows (Vista) to the new Windows 7 while saving files, programs and settings. Windows XP cannot be updated this way. In any case, I do not recommend using this installation method, since it inherits the problems of the previous operating system and it is likely that the computer will slow down and malfunction.

“Full installation” - installs a new copy of Windows on a new or existing hard drive partition. When installing on a new computer, partitions are created on the hard drive, and when installing on an old computer, the partitions are either deleted and created again, or a partition is selected that has enough space for installation. With this type of installation, you can also install Windows 7 as a second operating system, for example, alongside your existing Windows XP. In this case, when you turn on the computer, you will be asked which operating system you want to load.

We select “Full installation” and a window for selecting a disk for installing Windows 7 will open in front of us.

5. Disk configuration

Disk configuration is the process of creating, deleting, formatting hard disk partitions for installing Windows on it.

5.1. Disk configuration on an old computer

If you are reinstalling Windows on an old computer, then it already has one (“C”) or several partitions (“C”, “D”…). I hope that you did not forget from the “C” drive to the external drive, since during the process of reinstalling Windows, the “C” drive will be cleared.
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If your disk has only one partition, then it is better to delete it and create two new ones - one of small size for the operating system and programs, the second for all the remaining space for your files. This disk configuration will be more convenient and reliable in terms of backing up and restoring the operating system and your files.

If your disk has several partitions, then the first one, on which Windows is installed, can be deleted and a new one created in its place, and the second one with your files can be left as is.

5.2. Disk configuration on a new computer

When installed on a new computer, your disk is completely empty and has no partitions. The best option would be to create two partitions - one of small size for the operating system and programs, the second for all the remaining space for your files. This disk configuration will be more convenient and reliable in terms of backup and recovery of the operating system and your files.

5.3. Dual drive configuration

If you have two hard drives, or one SSD and one regular drive, then it is advisable to create one partition on each of them and install Windows 7 on the one that is faster (SSD) or smaller in volume, and the second one is completely dedicated to storing your files .

If both disks are large, then you can create two partitions on the first one - one small for the system, one for storing your files. On the second disk, you can create a partition for the entire volume and use it to install programs and games, or you can also create two partitions - the first for programs and games, the second for files. This configuration will ensure maximum loading speed for programs and games, since Windows and the page file will be on one drive, and programs and games on another.

6. Disk setup for Windows 7

The screenshot below shows a computer with a 500 GB disk.

Don't be surprised that the actual size is 465.7 GB. Manufacturers round up hard drive sizes to the nearest round number. A table with actual hard drive sizes can be downloaded at the end of the article in the “” section.

It is better not to divide the SSD disk into several partitions, but to allocate it entirely to the “C” drive for installing Windows, programs and games. Then you will get unrivaled computer speed!

Hard drive A-Data Ultimate SU650 120GB

Click on “Disk Setup” and additional buttons will appear.

The optimal size of the system partition is 10-20% of the total hard drive volume. For Windows 7, I recommend a partition size of at least 40 and no more than 200 GB.

I usually take 10% of the declared disk capacity, that is, 50 GB from a 500 GB disk and 100 GB from a 1000 GB disk. Since this is enough to install basic programs, it is better to install games on the second partition along with other files, since they take up a large amount of space and make it difficult to backup and restore the system, which we will talk about later.

But if you like to experiment and plan to install a lot of serious programs and games, then it is better to make the system partition larger, about 20% of the disk capacity or 100-200 GB in physical terms. Since some of the data still ends up on the system partition and in the future there may be a lack of space on it.

Let's make everything sure, create a system partition of 100 GB in size. To do this, click the “Create” button and enter the size in megabytes.

Please note that 1 GB = 1024 MB. In addition, Windows 7 takes 100 MB of this volume to create a hidden boot partition.

I like everything to be beautiful and the system to display a 100 GB disk, not 97.6 GB, so I calculate the volume in megabytes as follows:

100 GB x 1024 + 100 MB = 102,500 MB

This number must be entered in the “Size” field and click the “Apply” button.

Here is the result of the performed operation.

As you can see, two sections have been created. “Partition 1”, only 100 MB in size, is used for the operating system bootloader and we will not see it in Windows. “Partition 2” has a size of exactly 100 GB and we will install Windows 7 on it.

There is still “Unallocated space…” with a volume of 365.6 GB, on which we will create another partition for storing user files.

By default, all remaining space is allocated for it. It can be divided into several more sections if you know what you need it for. But we will leave everything as it is by simply clicking the “Apply” button.

As a result, we get “Section 3”, which took up all the remaining space. Now you need to click the “Format” button and confirm this action.

You can create this partition after installing Windows, but you will have to perform more steps and possibly change the drive letters. We will also consider this option after installing Windows.

7. Nuances of marking and large-volume disks

A 100 MB hidden boot partition is created when a new partition is created. If you install Windows 7 on an existing partition, the bootloader files will be located on it and a separate partition will not be created.

This configuration will occur if the Windows 7 installer partitions the disk in the old MBR system. If Windows Installer partitions the disk in a new GPT system, several service partitions may be created.

MBR is an older partition type that supports disks up to 2 TB. GPT is a new type of partition that supports disks larger than 2 TB and requires support from the motherboard.

There are usually fewer problems with disks marked in MBR, but this is not essential. If you install Windows 7 on a disk with a capacity of 3 TB or more, then you need it to have GPT partitioning, otherwise not all of its capacity (about 2.3 TB) will be used.

The problem is that the Windows 7 installer does not always partition large drives in GPT partitioning, even with support from the motherboard. In this case, check that in the BIOS settings of your motherboard or laptop, in the “Boot” section, UEFI boot devices are given priority.

In a modern motherboard Setup GUI, it might look like this.

Write this folder onto a USB flash drive and insert it before turning on the computer to install Windows. In this case, the Windows 7 distribution can be located either on the installation DVD or on this flash drive.

When you reach the hard drive selection window, in which it is not displayed, click on the “Download” button and specify the location of the driver files (folder on the flash drive).

If the driver is suitable, the installer should detect your hard drive and it will appear in the window for selecting a disk for installation. After this, you can create partitions on the disk and install Windows on them.

9. Copying and unpacking files

Now select “Partition 2” of 100 GB in size, on which we install Windows 7 and click “Next”.

Copying and unpacking of files begins, which will take some time.

Sometimes this process may stop at 0% or any other place for a while, and then quickly end. Please be patient and do not touch your computer. You may need to wait 15-30 minutes. If after 30 minutes of waiting nothing happens, then most likely the computer has frozen or the installation disk is hard to read. You'll have to start all over again and if it freezes again, perhaps replace the installation disk. The problem may also be caused by a malfunction of the hard drive, RAM, or motherboard.

After copying and unpacking the files, the computer will restart several times and the installation process will continue, requiring user interaction.

Let me remind you that when the message “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD...” appears, there is NO NEED to press anything.

10. Configuring Windows 7 settings

Setting up Windows 7 settings begins with entering your username.

10.1. Entering your username and computer

In the next window, you need to enter the name of the main user, who will be the computer administrator, and the name of the computer on the network.

I recommend entering the name in English letters without spaces, since the user profile folder will have the same name, into which program and game settings can be saved. And some, even modern, programs and games cannot save files to folders with Russian names.

Names can have capital letters and numbers, and the input language can be switched using the Alt-Shift key combination.

As for the computer name, my recommendations are the same, but you can use a hyphen (minus sign) in the name. For example, for the main home computer, you can name it PC-1, PK-1 or Home-1, for the second computer - PC-2, PK-2 or Home-2, for a laptop - HP, ACER, Samsung, etc. . If you have several laptops at home, you can add a username to the computer name, for example, Notebook-Vera or Misha-PC. This will make it easier for you to navigate later, but in principle it doesn’t really matter and you can always change the computer name. Please also note that the username and computer name must not be the same.

10.2. Entering your password

The next window prompts you to enter the password for the user whose name was entered in the previous window, as well as a hint for this password in case you forget it.

I recommend not entering a password at this step, since during the process of setting up the computer it will reboot more than once and you will simply get tired of entering it. It is better to do this after completely setting up the computer and creating a backup copy of the system. In principle, if no one except you will use the computer, you have nothing to hide and you do not plan to exchange files over a local network, then you don’t need to use a password at all. In other cases, using a password is highly desirable and we will talk about this in one of the articles about setting up Windows. For now, just click Next.

10.3. Entering the key and activating Windows 7

The next window asks you to enter your Windows 7 license key.

If you have officially purchased the operating system and are sure that this key has not been used on another computer, then enter the 25-digit code indicated on the disk or certificate sticker. In this case, you can leave the “Automatically activate Windows when you connect to the Internet” checkbox and click “Next”. Activation will occur 3 days after the first login.

If you do not yet have a license key or are installing Windows 7 for evaluation purposes, then do not enter anything. In this case, you need to uncheck the automatic activation checkbox and click the “Next” button. After installation, you will have a 30-day trial period. In the future, you can extend it 3 times, thereby increasing the time of familiarization with the operating system to 120 days.

10.4. Setting up Windows 7 updates

In the next window, you need to select one of three modes for installing Windows updates.

“Use recommended settings” – all important and recommended updates will be installed automatically. Important ones include security updates and bug fixes. Recommended ones include updating drivers, software components and much more. Most experts advise using this mode.

“Install only the most important updates” – only security updates and bug fixes will be installed automatically.

“Postpone decision” – does not enable automatic updating, but configures it later in the operating system.

On a personal note, I want to say that if the protection of your data is important to you and you don’t know how to protect yourself from security threats on the Internet, then important updates need to be installed. On the other hand, multiple updates eventually lead to a slowdown of the computer, and along with recommended updates, a large number of unnecessary components are installed into the operating system. If you use your computer mainly for games, your security is well set up, you have a backup copy of the system and all your personal files, then in principle you can do without updates and your computer will work as quickly as possible. But I still recommend installing at least the most important updates.

10.5. Setting the date and time

The next step asks you to select your time zone, date and time.

There is nothing complicated about this and although it can be configured after installing the system, it is better to do it right away. First you need to set the time zone, and only after that the time. If your locality is not in the list of time zones, then choose any other one that is in the same time zone with you, for example, for Kyiv the time zone is UTC +02:00 as in Athens.

If you live in Russia, then uncheck the “Automatic change to daylight saving time and back” checkbox, since time change is canceled in Russia. In other cases, follow the accepted regulations in your country. For example, in Ukraine, the time change is still in effect and the checkbox must be left. The computer clock will be automatically adjusted to the correct time and day. Click "Next".

10.6. Computer location

If your computer is connected to the network and during Windows installation you were able to install the required driver for the network card, the “Select the current location of your computer” window will appear.

“Home network” - select this item if your computer or laptop is currently at your home, connected to the Internet via a router, and you want to exchange files with other home computers.

“Work network” - select this item if your computer or laptop is currently at work, where there is a computer network for exchanging files with other work computers.

“Public network” – select this item if your computer or laptop is connected to the Internet directly by cable. In this case, additional protection against attacks from the Internet will be used.

10.7. Home group

This functionality was introduced in Windows 7 to simplify file sharing between home computers, but in principle it is not necessary. You need to check the boxes for the folders with which types of data you want to provide access to. You can also enable sharing of the printer connected to this computer. You can check all the boxes, it won't harm you.

If a computer with Windows 7 or higher was detected on the network, you will be prompted to enter the homegroup password, which can be viewed on that computer. After entering your password, click Next. If you don’t have a lot of time, you can skip entering the password and click the “Skip” button, and enter the password later.

If a homegroup was not detected, it will be created on this computer and you will be given a random password. You can record it, or you can watch it later in Windows at any time. But it’s better to write it down or take a photo and click the “Next” button.

11. Login

After this, the user should automatically log in and display the main Windows screen, called the “Desktop”. This completes the installation of Windows 7.

12. Links

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Sandisk Cruzer

the site has prepared step-by-step instructions on how to reinstall Windows 7.

Proper reinstallation of the operating system consists of the following steps:

Saving data to external media.
Creating a boot disk.
Formatting the hard drive (optional).
System installation.
Copying a working system using Acronis True Image.

The first and last points are required if you are afraid of losing important files when reinstalling.

Saving data

There are two options for reinstalling the system:

The system is installed on top of the old one.
Everything is removed and reinstalled.

In the first case, all data is saved (settings, passwords on sites, files, etc.), but glitches may also be saved. If you install on top, then this section about saving data is irrelevant for you.

Formatting a disk deletes all data. There are several ways to avoid losing the necessary files:

Copy your personal information to another drive on your computer. Suitable if you have 2 hard drives.
Dump the files to an external storage device (HDD, flash drive, memory card, smartphone).
Save files in the cloud (Yandex Disk, Dropbox, Google Drive).
Confidential files can be saved to a WinRar archive with a password and sent to yourself by email. After reinstalling Windows, the archive will remain in the mail.

What to copy from old Windows? Check out the following places:

Desktop, My Documents, drive C.
Bookmarks in the browser.
Browser and torrent download folders.
Save games.
ICQ/Skype correspondence.

Additionally, you can take a screenshot of all installed programs (Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features) so that after installing a clean OS you can easily remember all your favorite programs. Upload the screenshot to VKontakte or Facebook, then it won’t be lost.

Creating a boot disk

If you have a licensed DVD with Windows, you do not need to create a boot disk (flash drive, memory card), you can skip this section.

More often than not, there is no disk, then you need to download a Windows 7 image from the Internet and correctly burn it to an external drive. We recommend looking for an image of Windows 7 Maximum (aka Ultimate); if you have more than 4 GB of RAM, then choose not the x86, but the x64 version.

Simply copying the image will not work; you need to make a bootable drive, for example, through UltraISO. To do this, you will need to download the program itself and find a drive with a capacity of 4 GB or more:

The device is ready, now you can reinstall Windows from it. Save it, it might come in handy later. By the way, you can use the drive after this - upload any files to the free space, the main thing is not to accidentally delete the “system” ones.
Video on burning an image to a flash drive via UltraISO:

It is not necessary to use a flash drive or a special memory card with a card reader. You can take a card from your phone as a memory card, and the phone itself will act as a card reader. Even the built-in memory of a mobile phone is suitable for a boot disk, if it is recognized as a drive in the system when connected via USB.

How to set boot via BIOS

Restart the computer, look carefully at the messages displayed, somewhere they will indicate which button to press during boot to get into the BIOS. This could be Del, F1, F2, Esc, Tab or another. As a last resort, use the “scientific poking” method.

The button to enter the BIOS is indicated when the computer restarts.
Bios are different. Something like the following will be waiting for you. In the first case, you need to go to the “Advanced BIOS Features” section.

In the second “Boot”, control the arrows on the keyboard.

In any case, this setting is somewhere nearby, you will find the boot order (may look like First/Second Boot Device), first select the drive where you installed the Win7 image.

Look for the section where you exit Bios Setup Utility and save the settings. The computer will reboot and boot from the image, which will begin the installation of Windows 7.

Operating system installation

As we have already said, reinstalling Windows 7 is possible in 2 options: over the previous copy of Win and by removing the old system. If you want to put it on top and save all the data on the disk where you install the OS, then do not format it.

Tip: If you have only one physical drive, but a fairly large one (200 GB or more), first copy important data, and then divide it into logical drives C and D. It is convenient to install Windows on C with formatting, and on D to permanently store files . This is also useful for Acronis True Image. You can partition the disk during the OS reinstallation process.

You copied the important files, made a boot disk, set the boot in the BIOS, and rebooted the PC. The loading will be shown to you for about a minute.
Then Windows will present you with a window, check your language settings, click “Next”.

Accept the Microsoft license terms.

Select your installation type. At the top is “install over the old OS or update”, at the bottom is “complete reinstallation of Windows 7”.

Specify which disk to install the OS on. You can format it if you wish (do not format it if you want to save data on it), click “Next”. If it gives an error that it is impossible to install on this disk, then turn off the computer, disconnect all other disks and USB drives, and run the installation again. Also here you can divide a physical disk into logical ones, carefully - do not confuse which one you want to divide, when dividing, all information is deleted from it.

10-20 minutes of copying files. After this, the computer will restart. This means that the copying of files is completed, and further installation occurs from the hard drive. You need to disable booting from the image in the BIOS and set it back from the HDD. The flash drive is no longer needed, you can get it from USB. If you do not change the BIOS settings, then after a reboot, loading from the flash drive image and copying will begin again.

After the reboot, a window will appear asking you to specify your username and password (it is not necessary to enter a password).

If there is a key, enter it, if not, just click Next.

Select update settings. The license is updated without problems; the pirated version may fail to activate. Postpone the decision until later if you don't know what to do. Many people disable updates.

Specify your time zone.

A little download and you're in Windows 7.

Video on reinstalling Windows 7:

Disable hibernation mode (relevant for systems on SSD, it allows you to free up disk space).
If the OS is on an SSD, move the page file, temporary files and browser files to the HDD.
Disable updates (there will be no unnecessary traffic consumption, activation will not fail, and you will not have to wait several minutes for updates to install before turning off).
Install drivers for your video card and sound card.

After installing all the applications and configuration, use Acronis True Image to make a “clone” of the local disk. In case of problems, you can restore an exact copy of the system and the entire C drive in 5 minutes, and you do not need to reinstall everything again.

After this, you are the happy owner of a customized, clean OS, and no experiments or failures are now scary. If something goes wrong – 5 minutes and everything is fine again!

It is important for every user to know what reinstalling Windows 7 on a laptop is like. Since at a certain point in time, any of us has to deal with the “uneven” operation of the system. That is, failures begin to occur periodically. In this case, the usual system settings no longer help.

The main reason for this is that the laptop operating system is clogged with various unnecessary files or “remnants” of incorrectly deleted programs. In addition, we should not forget about viruses and their “compatriots” in the form of spyware, worms, and so on.

The problem can be solved by using a special program to clean the registry, however, if it does not help, the best solution to the issue is to reinstall the system. In our article, we will tell you what a step-by-step reinstallation of Windows 7 is like on a laptop or computer, and we will briefly describe its main stages.

Don't be surprised if you have to search for and install all the necessary drivers after you decide to reinstall Windows 7 on your laptop. After all, they most likely will not be on the installation disk. Therefore, in order for your ACER or Asus laptop, or any other to fully function, you will have to manually install the missing drivers (for the sound card, graphics editor, motherboard, etc.).

And if you decide to install Windows 7 on your laptop for the first time, be prepared for the fact that this version of Windows consumes much more resources than, for example, XP. That is, if the laptop previously ran under xp, then before installing seven you should compare the system requirements of this version of the operating system and the resources that your laptop has.

We start reinstalling Windows 7 from under the laptop operating system

Now let's talk specifically about the reinstallation process itself.

How to step by step reinstall windows 7 on a laptop? So, if you are the lucky owner of a licensed "seven", then you just need to insert the disc into the CD-DVD drive and run the installation program from it. When a license key is required during the process, we find it on the box of the CD or DVD with the operating system and enter it. And now we have a licensed version of the OS.

The appearance of errors in the operation of the computer, the lack of a lasting effect after manual cleaning, the desire to update the software and a number of other reasons force the PC owner to look for an answer to the question of how to reinstall Windows. The procedure is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance, and is accessible to users with different levels of computer literacy.

What is Windows reinstallation

The key lack of reinstallation from a traditional update is the following:

complete deletion of all files and documents located on the system disk;
After reinstallation, you will need to reinstall the executable files for all programs.

Why is it needed?

Long-term use of a computer leads to the appearance of system errors that impede its normal operation. Among the most common reasons requiring reinstallation of Windows are the following:

introduction of a virus that affects the stability of the entire system;
the need to install a new advanced version of the OS;
critical reduction in computer speed;
Installation of an unofficial build with many errors.

Briefly, the procedure for reinstalling the operating system includes a set of preparatory work, choosing an installation location, loading system files and performing initial device settings. After which you can start working on the unit under the OS that was selected for installation. Below is a step-by-step guide to action, and the video demonstrates the entire process in detail using Windows 10 as an example.

Preparation

Before starting the entire procedure, you should make sure you have a valid activation key. Even if you plan to simply reinstall a previously used version of the OS, the system may require an activation key. It is equally important to make sure that your computer settings meet the requirements of the version of Windows you are installing. This can be done on the official Microsoft website or on the installation disk with the purchased program.

Saving important data

During the reinstallation process, the logical drive on which the previous version of the operating system is installed is formatted. The rest of the hard drive will remain unchanged. Therefore, before starting work, you need to transfer all important files and documents to any removable media or cloud storage.

On OS versions from “seven” and higher, a special Data Transfer Tool is provided that allows you to save and transfer the following files and information to the updated unit:

Accounts;
documentation;
music and image files;
email messages;
selected Internet links;
video recordings;
other files.

For paid programs, you must also carefully read those clauses of the license agreement that relate to maintaining preferences even after reinstalling the OS. Otherwise, the license may be invalidated and use of the software will become impossible.

BIOS setup

By default, the BIOS software environment has settings that automatically start loading the OS from the computer's hard drive. However, to reinstall, you will need to temporarily change this setting by performing the following algorithm:

When you turn on or restart your computer, press the f2, F8, F9, or F12 key (depending on your hardware manufacturer). Finding out the right key is easy - it is displayed on the monitor screen during BIOS loading.
In the software environment interface that opens, select the Boot section and select one of the available removable media to boot the OS. In our example, a CD is selected.
Save changes.

By default, the BIOS software environment has settings that automatically start loading the OS from the computer's hard drive

Selecting the desired media and saving changes is carried out in accordance with the prompts at the bottom of the screen, where the working keyboard keys with their functionality are located.

Start of reinstallation

The first stage of reinstallation begins with restarting the computer after completing the preparatory stage. This will allow the new BIOS settings to take effect.

Launching OS media

When sending the PC to reboot, insert the media with the operating system into the drive or corresponding connector. If the changes were made correctly, the BIOS will boot from removable media, and the setup wizard dialog box will open on the screen.

When sending the PC to reboot, insert media with the operating system into the drive or corresponding connector

Selecting the required partition on your hard drive

The next step of the setup and installation wizard is to select a location to localize the operating system on your hard drive. If it is logically represented by one directory, then the dialog box will display something like this.

The next step of the setup and installation wizard is to select a location for localizing the operating system on the hard drive

If the hard drive is logically divided into several disks - C, D, E, etc., then the wizard will prompt you to select one of them as a location for placing the OS. You must select a directory with a capacity of at least 35 GB, since here, in addition to the operating system, documents and files saved on the Desktop and placed in the “Downloads” folder will be stored.

If the hard drive is logically divided into several disks - C, D, E, etc., then the wizard will offer to select one of them as a place to place the OS

Formatting a disk for the system

To completely remove pre-existing system files, the wizard will suggest selecting a formatting option for the disk where the operating system will be located. So, for Windows XP, the only correct option is formatting in the NFTS system.

Continue installation

The process of directly installing the necessary files takes at least an hour. In this case, the computer will reboot several times. Therefore, you can safely go about your business without interfering with the operation of the unit and waiting for a system notification about the successful outcome of the operation.

Create an account

At this step, the computer and the user are assigned a name, which can always be changed by right-clicking on the My Computer shortcut and selecting Properties from the context menu.
Setting a password is an optional item, so you can safely skip it and proceed to the next setup step from the wizard.
Entering the activation key, which is located on the bottom of the laptop, on a special sticker on the system unit, on the box with the installation disk. If there is no key (when installing an illegal version of the OS), then you will be able to use the system’s capabilities for exactly a month, after which you will either need to enter the key or look for another version.

Returning BIOS settings

For the computer to operate correctly, you must again visit the Boost section of the BIOS software environment and set the hard drive as the priority OS boot location.

Additional Information

Modern versions of the OS independently load working drivers for the video card, speakers, etc. If these components begin to work incorrectly, you can always load them yourself using one of the utilities such as Driver Booster. In this case, forcing a driver update through Device Manager will also help:

open Device Manager - in the My Computer context menu, select the Management option and activate the corresponding section in the window that opens;
right-click on the device with a yellow exclamation mark;
select the “Update drivers” option, indicating the search path for executable files - on the Internet or in a specific folder on the PC.

How does the installation process of Windows 10 and 8 differ from older versions?

There are several installation options available for the Windows 10 operating system:

Update via Update Center. Can be used if the computer previously worked under “seven” or “eight”. For all other earlier versions, only one way is possible - installing the distribution from a boot disk or flash drive.
Installation over a previously installed OS by updating from bootable removable media. Not applicable for Windows Vista, it will require installing version 7, then 8.1 and only then 10.
Installation from scratch. As quickly as possible, but will require re-downloading installation files for all third-party games, applications, programs, etc.

For Windows 7, 8 and Vista, the installation procedure is identical, so once you install the same Vista yourself, you can confidently perform the work of loading system files for version 7 or 8.

Thus, the process of reinstalling Windows is almost completely automated, which allows even a novice PC user to cope with the procedure. Having sequentially gone through the steps of the installation wizard, you can start working immediately after rebooting the computer.