Fresh Windows 8 install

AlecEiffel

Hi all,

I'm about to do a fresh Win8 install on my Dell using the Windows 8 media sent to me by Dell.

I've got to the stage where it asks what partition I want it installing on and I have 7 sodding partitions! There's 2 recovery partitions, a diagnostic partition, the OS, plus a few I can't recall.

Am I safe to bin the lot and let the installation write over absolutely everything? First time i've done this from a Windows disc - usually use recovery discs and the OEMs recovery software. Do I delete ALL of the partitions or does the last one (existing OS) stay and then expand automatically?

I won't need the recovery partitions (I doubt they'd even work to be honest) as I have the OS disc but is there anything on there that I will actually require?

penrhyn

You'd probably do better putting the Windows 8 media in the bin and sticking with Windows 7, just my view having been a W8 sufferer.:D

visidigi

AlecEiffel wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm about to do a fresh Win8 install on my Dell using the Windows 8 media sent to me by Dell.

I've got to the stage where it asks what partition I want it installing on and I have 7 sodding partitions! There's 2 recovery partitions, a diagnostic partition, the OS, plus a few I can't recall.

Am I safe to bin the lot and let the installation write over absolutely everything? First time i've done this from a Windows disc - usually use recovery discs and the OEMs recovery software. Do I delete ALL of the partitions or does the last one (existing OS) stay and then expand automatically?

I won't need the recovery partitions (I doubt they'd even work to be honest) as I have the OS disc but is there anything on there that I will actually require?

The best thing for you to do is to recover using the partition. Is there any reason why you are installing from the disc instead?

The recovery partition process should walk you through the process and will request the disc when its needed.

I would follow the inbuilt Dell process to be honest - all the required drivers are present etc for your specific laptop.

If you must use the discs then go through the process, you can empty out all partitions on the drive if you want, but you will most likely need to do extensive downloads of drivers etc.

As for the W8 comment above, Win 7 on some W8 specific Dell laptops is NOT a good idea for stability reasons...

penrhyn

Indeed, failed to recognise it was a W8 specific PC, IIRC W8 uses a different BIOS to W7.

AlecEiffel

The recovery partition is corrupted so the laptop refuses to do a windows refresh, reinstall from recovery, or even the standard windows repair. It will reinstall from the recovery DVDs but as the recovery partition is shot I will run into the issue again and just want a standard stable repairable install. I have a drivers disc also.

visidigi

hmmm, you will need to delete all partitions on the drive in that case. If you boot from the CD it should offer you to clean install on a new partition

JJ_Egan

Me win 8 just wiped the win 7 C drive via a format in the win 8 setup .

Laptop similar with win 7 on a vista original build with 4 partitions and one recovery .
I just deleted the lot and created two partitions with a big one for win 8 .

Not going back to win 7 for no benefits .

Two machines running Win 8 pro media edition total cost no hooky gear £30 via MS promotions last year . No i don't like / use the tablet stuff and installed Classic Shell for the old start menu .

jje

AlecEiffel

Thanks for the replies. I will just delete all of the partitions and let Windows do it's thing.

I'm quite used to Windows 8 now. It is very geared for tablets in the start screen but I just set it up to be shortcuts and ignore the apps!

avantra

W8 should not run on anything other than tablets/phones, luckily an upgrade to Win 7 can be obtained quite cheaply if your sanity is something dear to your heart.

Lucero_2

penrhyn wrote: »

Indeed, failed to recognise it was a W8 specific PC, IIRC W8 uses a different BIOS to W7.

Seriously, please stop spouting drivel. Windows owns no part of the bios and has no relation to its operation period. the ONLY thing which may have changed is if the laptop is a new OEM laptop then the windows 8 key will be built into the BIOS. that's it.

And your continual "windows 8 sufferer" record is long broken....

OP, in the Win8 setup, select each partition and delete it till only one remains. By all means create a 2nd partition for your data, but Win8 will the rest.

penrhyn

You seem to be very touchy about Windows 8 I wonder why?

Certainly there is a different way to access the boot menu and bios in Windows 8, and Dell updated it shortly after I upgraded.

A05 iirc. Initial release for Windows 8 support and also applicable to Windows 7