Windows Fresh Install

Hey everyone. I have tried to search, and I just cant find anything concrete.

Can someone for the life of me point me in the right direction for what needs to be done to install a fresh copy of Windows 7 on this machine? I cant get the machine to recognize my external hdd or my external dvd drive during boot up.

 

I made an earlier post here that addresses your question. My config (Core i5 non-overclocked, 4GB RAM, SSD) gets me from power-button to Windows desktop in about 25 seconds. Video here.

Here is the contents of the post:

When I first got my Alienware M11x, I booted the machine up and uninstalled everything I didn't want. Soon afterwards, I decided to do a clean reformat instead, and boy was there a difference. If you want top performance from your computer, do a clean install from scratch instead of using the factory image.

I did not have an external optical drive. I installed Windows 7 Ultimate off of a USB key, using this guide below. You will need a computer with an optical drive and USB port, and a USB key that is 4GB or larger.
How To: Install Windows 7 from a USB Key! | Maximum PC. You only really need to pay attention starting at Step 2. Step 1 is basically just a long way of telling you to put a single partition on a USB key, and format it with NTFS.

Once you complete the install, you need to install drivers. You can find them on Welcome to Dell Support --> Drivers and Downloads. Download these drivers onto another machine, and copy them over to your Alienware M11x after a clean reformat:

• Alienware - OSD Application
• Alienware - Command Center
• Dell - Custom Desktop Themes (optional)
• Audio - Realtec Driver - ALC665
• Chipset - Intel Driver - QS57 Express Chipset (for the R2)
• Chipset - JMicron Driver - JMB380 1394
• Chipset - JMicron JMB380C - Card Reader
• Input Device Drivers - Synaptics Touchpad
• Network - Atheros Driver - AR8132 LAN 10/100
• Network - Wireless 365 Bluetooth Module
• Network - Dell Wireless WLAN 1520 Half MiniCard
• SATA Drives - ST Microelectronics - DE351DL Free Fall Sensor
• SATA Drives - Intel Rapid Storage Technology
• Video - Intel Driver - Graphic Media Accelerator HD
• Video - nVidia Driver - Geforce GT335M (or use modded INF drivers)

What you might be interested in is what I *DIDN'T* install:

• Applications - Dell - Custom Desktop Themes (I didn't like them).
• BIOS - Alienware BIOS (since I already had the latest one)
• Communication - Wireless Broadband Drivers (since I didn't have a broadband card)
• Network - Intel Drivers - WiFi Link (since I don't have those cards)
• Network - Dell - Wireless WLAN 1520 Half MiniCard (I downloaded these, extracted these, but manually installed the drivers. I did not go through the Setup.exe program, since it installs a bunch of garbage)

I also went through msconfig, and chose not to start up any unnecessary startup applications. I also disabled AlienSense, the facial recognition login tool, because it consumes a bunch of resources. I disabled the FAService from Windows Services, because it consumes a bunch of resources related to AlienSense. I also disabled AlienFusion service, because it is known to conflict with Windows 7 power management.

Beyond that, you simply download and install the apps that you want off of the internet. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Avast! Free Antivirus, Java, Flash, Steam, WinRAR, and Foxit PDF Reader (*NEVER EVER* install Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is a piece of junk. Foxit PDF Reader FTW).