How to install Windows 7

If you still think that installing an operating system is an activity for computer technicians, then you are seriously mistaken.

Using this guide, you can install Windows 7, even if you are a novice PC user. So, let's get ready first.

Open "My computer" and see in which partition your system is currently installed.
Remember its size and name so that you can find the volume you need during installation.
Collect in advance on a flash drive or other disk all the necessary drivers for your computer or laptop. If there is no disk with drivers, they can be downloaded from the official website of the equipment manufacturer. If you don’t do this, you risk being left without the Internet after installing the new system.
Which Windows 7 bit depth should I choose? Click « Control Panel -> System and Security -> System»

If your computer or laptop has more than 3 gigabytes of RAM installed, it is definitely worth installing the 64-bit version. In general, we recommend installing x86 only on weak or very outdated hardware in the 21st century, after all :). Please note that the drivers for the same device are different; in fact, these are two different systems!
Download the Windows 7 installation ISO image:
What are these images?
These are original MSDN images downloaded from the official Microsoft website. The only change is that the ability to select the system edition during installation is unlocked. No files are affected and the system is not activated.
Other versions of Windows 7 images can be downloaded.
Prepare a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 7. In this guide, we will install the system from a flash drive because it is faster and easier. Similar instructions on how to create it can be found.
Since during installation we will format the disk with the installed system, all important files stored on it must first be copied to removable media or to another partition of the hard drive. Remember that files located on the desktop are also stored on the system disk. If you need them, be sure to move them to another place. When formatting, all previously installed programs will be deleted, but this does not mean that they also need to be copied to flash drives and disks. It's easier to reinstall programs, so only worry about – photographs, documents, music, etc.

Create a bootable USB flash drive using . Next, insert it into the USB port and change the boot priority in the motherboard BIOS so that this flash drive boots first. If difficulties arise at this step, here are detailed instructions. If you did everything correctly by changing the boot priority, then after exiting the BIOS and restarting the computer, the message “Press any key” will appear on the screen. Fulfill this requirement - press any key to start booting from the installation media.

You only need to press the key ONCE and only at this stage of installation.

After pressing any key, a message will appear indicating that Windows is downloading files.

System installation

So, let's proceed directly to installing Windows 7. Wait until their extraction is completed, after which the installer start window will appear on the screen. Congratulations, the hardest part is over!

Select your language, time format and layout. Click "Further".
Click on the big button "Install" to launch the installation wizard.

Attention!

Note: choose the version of Windows for which you have an activation key (you will enter it at the final stage of installation). If there is no key, read the instructions after installation.

Read the license terms and accept them.
Select the full installation (updating is not suitable for us).
After starting the full installation, the partition selection screen appears. The installer window will have several sections: First usually reserved by the system (recovery files are stored in it). It weighs 100 MB and does not need to be touched. Second is a system file - that is, Windows files are stored on it. A new system is being installed on it. Third section – file. User data is stored here and remains intact even after reinstalling Windows.
There may be other options: for example, there is no system-reserved partition or there is no volume with user files. In any case, you need the partition on which the previous system was already installed - it’s not for nothing that when preparing for installation, we advised you to look and remember its size.
If for some reason you still have one partition, the volume of which exceeds 250 GB, then it is better to immediately divide the disk into two volumes: one for Windows and programs (approximately 50-100 GB), the second for personal files. To do this, using the “Disk Setup” tool, delete the existing partition and first create the first volume (“Create” - specify the volume - “Apply”), and then the second.
The created volumes must be named “Partition 1”, “Section 2”. There should be no unallocated space left - the system simply will not see it.
So, you have at least two partitions, one of which is dedicated to operating system files. If it has not just been created, but has already been created before, then it needs to be formatted by deleting all data.
Click on the link "Disk Setup", highlight a section and press "Format". When formatting, all files on the system partition will be deleted (that is, the values in the “Full size” and “Free” columns will become the same). This is exactly what we wanted. To start a clean installation, click "Further", checking again that the partition you allocated for the system is highlighted.
We wait. After selecting a partition and starting the installation, a window will appear on the screen in which you can see the process of unpacking Windows 7 files and writing them to the hard drive. While you can rest, you won’t have to do anything for 15-25 minutes.
During this installation time, the computer will reboot several times. After the installation is complete, you need to specify some system operating parameters.
Enter computer name Computer name The computer name is what your computer will be called on the local network. and username. It is advisable to use Latin characters instead of Russian, this will help avoid problems with some programs in the future.
You can set an administrator password if you wish, but this is not necessary. If you set a password, you will need to enter it every time you start your computer or laptop. We will leave the field empty for now; you can “password” your account later.
Enter your activation key if you have one. If there is no key, uncheck "Automatically activate" and skip the step by pressing "Further".
Specify Windows settings - it is better to select the recommended settings, when you get to know the new system better, configure it in your own way.
After selecting all the necessary parameters, the Windows 7 desktop will appear on the screen. You can begin your acquaintance with the system, but first reboot the computer and go into the BIOS again - here you need to change the boot priority back, putting the hard drive in first place.
Turn on automatic system updates and wait until the process completes. Security updates will install most drivers. If there is no Internet, you can use a program to install drivers .

The instructions turned out to be quite impressive in volume, but now you know the main nuances when installing Windows 7 and can easily do it yourself. Carefully follow the above recommendations and the installation will definitely be successful.