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How to reinstall window 7 home on one partition?

What does each disk partition mean and which one should I format or delete?

  • I have a virus on my Alienware laptop. I had window 7 home and I want to reinstall windows with windows 7 ultimate. When it asks me "where do you want to install windows?" It shows partition 1 type OEM 39 MB. Partition 2 RECOVERY type system 14.6 GB. Partition 3 OS type primary 451 GB. I went to advanced options and formatted the OS. Do I format or delete anything else to get a CLEAN brand new installation? Was I not suppose to format anything? Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

  • Answer:

    The Partition 2 Recovery is pretty much the windows DVD but its tailored to your system which would restore it like it was the day you bought it and pressing the recovery Key on power up will use that Recovery Partition to reinstall windows with. The OEM part might have the hardware drivers for your system. But those can be downloaded from the manufactures website. To and advanced user like me those partitions are useless to me so I delete them to get back my disk space and to be sure the virus is not on the hard drive anymore. Now if you have a Windows setup DVD and a product key. You can safely delete those two also. Just to gain back a-lot of disk space. Just do not lose your install DVD disc and product key for future reinstallations. Also it would be wise to have at least your network adapter drivers and other drivers like display adapters and chipset's onto a USB flash drive or CD-R for future reinstalls.

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The Partition 2 Recovery is pretty much the windows DVD but its tailored to your system which would restore it like it was the day you bought it and pressing the recovery Key on power up will use that Recovery Partition to reinstall windows with. The OEM part might have the hardware drivers for your system. But those can be downloaded from the manufactures website. To and advanced user like me those partitions are useless to me so I delete them to get back my disk space and to be sure the virus is not on the hard drive anymore. Now if you have a Windows setup DVD and a product key. You can safely delete those two also. Just to gain back a-lot of disk space. Just do not lose your install DVD disc and product key for future reinstallations. Also it would be wise to have at least your network adapter drivers and other drivers like display adapters and chipset's onto a USB flash drive or CD-R for future reinstalls.

James S

If you want to install Ultimate go with the 3 one its the main drive the recovery is where it return the pc to its normal state like if u just took it out of the box if u delete that one than u can no longer use it 39 oem contains alienware info

Adrian

If you want to install Ultimate go with the 3 one its the main drive the recovery is where it return the pc to its normal state like if u just took it out of the box if u delete that one than u can no longer use it 39 oem contains alienware info

Adrian

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