I want to reinstall Windows 7 on a laptop, and I want to do it clean.
It is a Dell XPS 15 L502X, that came pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Premium. Why can't it just say if its 32 or 64 bit right in the name? Control Panel, System, System type = 64-bit.
It is changing owners now, so its a good time to wipe + reinstall, and as far as I know its been running with the same install for 5 years, so even more reason to wipe + reinstall. I need install media, and I need a key.
Can I just get the key out of the already installed system, or do I need to go elsewhere (a sticker on the machine, an invoice, etc.)? System says its activated and the product ID number - is that the key? Don't think so. There's a sticker under laptop. Shutdown, flip, copy alphanumeric sequence.
As for media, the best case scenario would be an install partition on the laptop. The disk is 500gb, and the partition visible is C: of size 450, so maybe. Boot Options (F12), There is Diagnostics partition, but no utility or anything else.
In previous install, I noted a to-do to make recovery disks - I don't think I did, in any case they are gone. Will it still let me make recovery disks? Will they be clean install disks, or an image of the current system (unacceptable)?
I should have checked Disk Management first, there are 3 partions, one with a 100 mb, a recovery parti of 15gb, and another parti for C: of 450gb. So how to do I use it. Run Dell DataSafe Local Backup-Basic Edition. The basic edition can create recovery media, restore to factory state, etc. I'll do both.
In Dell DataSafe, Backup, Create Recovery Media, discs or usb. Select disc, Preparing, at 0% (~310pm, 318pm 47% - so slow is it making ISOs), ~322pm Insert blank recordable disk now..., insert dvd-r blank, total size 8.2gb. Number required 3. USB flash drives are cheap, but why tie one up. Even better would be to just give me the ISOs, and I'll copy them to a disk archive somewhere. Or an ISO (if that's the right term) of the USB version.
Verifying at 73%, error message, D:\ This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action, OK. Seems to be OK, but staying at 73% (342pm). At 348p, the disk just ejects itself, and asks for disc 2. 355pm asks for disk3, ejects 418pm.
Making DVD restore discs cost an hour.
I still want to try creating the USB option, and I have a blank 16gb handy, formatted blank NTFS. It wants at least 9gb. Start creation at 423pm, finish at 444pm, 1/3 of the time as DVD (on usb2, presumably).
