[Sugartooth]

Hi Phill,

 

The link you gave me to SeaTools did not have a bootable CD image .ISO file to download. When I clicked on the link there (bootable CD), it took me to a page with 5 download options and I chose SeaTools Bootable (The quick USB diagnostic tool that checks the health of your drive.). My laptop passed both the tests.

 

This is the Short one.

 

The Long one.

 

What do we do now?

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Hello Anna,

 

Did you download the proper SeaTools ISO from here

 

If yes to the above, please see the step by step clean install instructions here which will hopefully include something that I have missed along the way.

[phillpower2]

Hello Anna,

 

Did you download the proper SeaTools ISO from here

 

If yes to the above, please see the step by step clean install instructions here which will hopefully include something that I have missed along the way.

[Sugartooth]

Hi Phill,

 

From your new link, I burned the .ISO image to a CD. I set my laptop to boot from Legacy and had the CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive as the 1st Boot Priority. Laptop didn't recognize it and I received the message that there are No bootable devices.

 

I then tried to do the clean install. Getting files ready for installation had reached 66% when I went to bed.

 

 

In the morning, this is what occurred.

 

[phillpower2]

Hello Anna,

 

You would normally get such a message when trying to update Windows to a newer version.

 

Can you let us know where you are up to with this as in have you actually been able to install Windows at all.

[Sugartooth]

Hi Phill,

 

I'm trying Ztruker's instructions again. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[phillpower2]

Hi Anna,

 

If done already hope it went ok, if not done already, good luck 

 

NB: I can only think that this is a problem with the Dell BIOS tbh, you have persevered with this until you have got things right and the only thing that we cannot test is the BIOS 

[Sugartooth]

Hello Phill,

 

My laptop has been extremely slow and it turned itself off this morning. I turned it back on and this is what met my eyes:

 

 

 

Dell did not include a Windows Installation disc when I purchased my laptop. I'm trying the "Repair your computer" with the Windows ISO that you had me burn. I doubt it will work though.

 

Is there anything else you suggest or is it finally time to throw in the towel?

[Sugartooth]

This is the message I receive now.

 

[phillpower2]

Hello Anna,

 

My laptop has been extremely slow and it turned itself off this morning. 

 

 

The above suggests that you have been successful in installing Windows and using the computer but when you last tried to use the computer Windows would not load, are all three points correct. 

[Sugartooth]

Hi Phill,

 

Windows was not installed. Sorry, I should have explained more. I was following Ztruker's instructions when my laptop turned itself off. It took over a day (screen was a blank blue, then a blue with words that setup was starting) just to reach the point where I could start to delete the partitions. It was still in the process of deleting the first partition when it turned off, the following day. From what I remember, there were at least 5 partitions to delete. When I turned it back on, that is when I got the screen shot in Post #97.

[phillpower2]

Hello Anna,.

 

There should only be the one partition on the HDD.

 

 

From what I remember, there were at least 5 partitions to delete

 

 

This most likely why you have been having problems with installing Windows, long time ago now but in my reply #55 you may recall the following in response to your reply #54 "the info in your reply #54 suggests that only a single partition was formatted and not the full drive which is what is needed." and in reply #57 an alternative means of wiping the entire drive "For an alternative means of formatting the whole drive should you need to, please see the tutorial here fwiw, I always use the autonuke option."

 

No idea why but the original partitions are still on the HDD and this is likely to be preventing Windows from installing it`s own partitions as it goes.

 

You already have DBAN so try wiping the entire drive again but this time use the no nonsense steps here (step 4) which will hopefully get you sorted.

[Sugartooth]

Hi Phill,

 

I believe the Clean Install that I tried to do in Post #93, placed the extra partitions on my laptop. In Post #69, you can see that all the partitions are gone.

 

I ran DBAN again and wiped the entire drive clean. Went back to Ztruker's instructions and tried both UEFI and Legacy settings. I'm back to the same problem in Post #69 and I took these pics today.

 

 

 

I'm not able to Delete Drive 0. Clicking on New brought up Size and I entered in 9772, but after clicking on Apply, the message The size must be at most 0 MB appeared.

 

I have tried to click on Next by both highlighting and un-highlighting Drive 0, but it won't move to the next screen. I've also tried clicking on Refresh, Load Driver, Extend & Format.

 

[phillpower2]

Hello Anna,.

 

Some confusion that perhaps needs clearing up;

 

Windows has not created those five partitions they are what were created back at the Dell factory and included such things as a recovery partition, back up image and diagnostic tools etc, the picture in your reply #69 is but one of those partitions and the only way to see all of the partitions on the drive would be to hook the drive up to another computer and access the drive through Disk Manager which would show you any partitions on the drive, if Windows is attempting to install on a partition that is not large enough you will get the type of problem that you are having.

 

In case you are not aware, Windows 10 when you clean install it will generally create three partitions if left to install itself, see example below, Windows will not create any other partitions unless a user instructs it to do so, note that the two smaller partitions are in MB as opposed to GB and one of the partitions is FAT32 as opposed to NTFS.

 

INTEL SSDPEKNW512G8 (SSD)

Manufacturer: Intel

Interface: Unknown

Capacity: 476 GB

Real size: 512,110,190,592 bytes

RAID Type: None

S.M.A.R.T

S.M.A.R.T not supported

Partition 0

Partition ID: Disk #1, Partition #0

File System: NTFS

Volume Serial Number: 5015D167

Size: 528 MB

Used Space: 390 MB (73%)

Free Space: 138 MB (27%)

Partition 1

Partition ID: Disk #1, Partition #1

File System: FAT32

Volume Serial Number: 7416B90C

Size: 96 MB

Used Space: 26.2 MB (27%)

Free Space: 69 MB (73%)

Partition 2

Partition ID: Disk #1, Partition #2

Disk Letter: C: The partition where Windows itself is installed.

File System: NTFS

Volume Serial Number: B6198937

Size: 476 GB

Used Space: 76 GB (15%)

Free Space: 400 GB (85%)

 

Did you use the step 4 method here when you last ran DBAN

[Sugartooth]

Hi Phill,

 

Did you use the step 4 method here when you last ran DBAN

 

Yes, I typed in dodshort. When it finished, it said it was successful or something along those lines.

 

Going on a short trip to visit my family for Thanksgiving. Be back in a couple of days.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update, let us know when you are able to pick this up again.

 

Enjoy your time with the family