4 Ways to Install Windows 7 for Beginners

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 13:47

Do you need to install Windows 7? You don't necessarily have to be an experienced professional or follow complicated instructions from a manual. You can install Windows 7 on a computer using the appropriate installation disc or a properly configured USB key. You can also upgrade to Windows 7 from an older version of the Windows operating system. By performing a fresh installation (also called a "clean install") all data on your computer will be erased. Conversely, if you upgrade to Windows 7 from a previous version, all data on the system will be preserved. To be able to use Windows 7 without limitations, you will need to activate it by entering the relevant "Product Key" or by purchasing one within 30 days from the date of installation.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Use the Windows 7 Installation Disc

Step 1. Back up your files

The installation procedure involves formatting your computer's hard drive and deleting all information contained therein. For this reason it is advisable to perform a complete backup of all the files present before proceeding with the installation of a new operating system. You can back up using a second hard drive on your computer, an external hard drive, a USB drive, or a clouding service, such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

Step 2. Restart your computer

Click on the "Start" menu icon which gives access to the computer shutdown options, then choose the "Restart system" item.

Step 3. Press the Delete key immediately, Esc, F2, F10 or F9 of the keyboard as soon as the computer restarts.

Depending on the make and model of your computer, you will need to press one of the indicated keys as soon as the system starts the reboot procedure in order to access the BIOS.

In some cases, the key to press to access the BIOS is indicated on the startup screen of the computer

Step 4. Locate the BIOS menu which contains boot options

The name and exact location of the BIOS boot menu varies from computer to computer, but you shouldn't normally have any difficulty locating it (at most you will need to do a little search within the BIOS user interface).

If you can't locate the BIOS boot menu, search the web using the BIOS name (most likely it is listed directly in the BIOS user interface) for more information

Step 5. Select your computer's optical drive as the first system boot device

Although the steps to follow may vary from computer to computer, the BIOS boot menu consists of a number of items that can be manually sorted. Basically, you will need to select the name of your computer's CD-ROM, DVD or Blu-ray drive and place it at the top of the list. Change the order of this menu so that the first item matches the optical drive installed in your computer. If you are having difficulty or need help, consult your computer user manual or search the web.

Step 6. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc into your computer's drive

Press the button located on the outside of the CD, DVD or Blu-ray player. Now insert the installation disc into the appropriate slot on the player, then push it into the optical drive.

Step 7. Save the BIOS settings

Press the key indicated at the bottom of the screen or select the save option from the BIOS menu to keep and apply the new configuration.

Step 8. Turn off your computer

You can use the appropriate option of the operating system currently installed on your computer or you can choose to press and hold the power key until the system shuts down.

Step 9. Boot your computer from the optical drive

After inserting the Windows 7 installation disc into your computer's CD, DVD or Blu-ray drive, press the power button. When you are asked to confirm that you want to start the system from the optical reader, press any key on the keyboard. At this point the Windows installer will load.

If the warning message to start the computer using the disc in the optical drive does not appear on the screen, it means that you have made a mistake. Repeat the previous steps of the method to verify that you have selected the correct device within the BIOS boot menu

Step 10. Choose Windows installation options

When the Windows installation wizard window appears, you will need to select some information using the appropriate drop-down menus: language, keyboard layout, time and date format, and currency. At the end of the selection, click on the button Come on located in the lower right corner of the window.

Step 11. Click the Install button

It is blue in color and located in the center of the screen.

Step 12. Accept the terms of the Windows Licensed Use Agreement

Read the terms of the agreement that is proposed to you by Microsoft, select the check button I accept the license conditions and finally click on the button Come on located in the lower right corner of the window.

Step 13. Select the Custom installation option

This will give you the option to perform a fresh installation of Windows 7 from scratch. All files on the system hard drive will be deleted.

If you need to keep the information on your computer hard drive, select the item Update. To be able to select this option, a Windows installation must already exist on your computer. Remember that you can only upgrade to Windows 7 from an older version of the Microsoft operating system. For example, if you currently have the Home Edition of Windows Vista installed on your computer, you will be able to upgrade to the Home Edition of Windows 7, but not the Premium version.

Step 14. Select the hard drive or logical partition on which to install Windows 7

A computer hard drive is a physical device installed within the system, while a logical partition represents a subdivision of a single hard drive into multiple independent drives. Click on the name of the disk or partition that will host the Windows 7 installation.

• If there is any data inside the hard drive, you will need to follow these instructions to format it. Remember that this will permanently delete all information on the drive.

  • Select the hard drive name from the list that appears;
  • Click on Unit options (advanced);
  • Click on the option Format present in the screen that appeared.

• If no partitions are present on the disk, you will need to create one in order to install Windows.

  • Select the hard drive name from the list that appears;
  • Click on Unit options (advanced);
  • Select the option New;
  • Choose the size of the new partition and click on the button OK.

  

  Step 15. Install Windows 7 on the hard drive or partition of your choice

  Once you have decided where to install the operating system, select the disk or partition name and click on the button Come on. The installation wizard will install Windows 7 on your computer. The system may automatically reboot several times during the installation phase.

  Method 2 of 4: Upgrade to Windows 7

  

  Step 1. Start your computer

  Power on the system as you normally do and wait for the current operating system to load.

  

  Step 2. Check if your computer hardware configuration is compatible with the Windows 7 installation

  The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor program is able to scan the entire system for compatibility with Windows 7. You can download it directly from this link.

  In order to upgrade to Windows 7, you will need to start with the same edition of Windows. For example, if Windows Vista Home Edition is currently installed on your computer, you will only be able to upgrade to the Home Edition of Windows 7 and not the Premium version

  

  Step 3. Prepare your computer for Windows 7 installation

  Follow these instructions to prepare your system for Windows installation:

  • Back up your files. It is recommended that you back up all your personal files before performing an operating system installation, so that you can recover them if something goes wrong. You can back up using a second hard drive on your computer, an external drive, a USB drive, or a clouding service like Google Drive or Dropbox.
  • Scan your computer for viruses and malware. These malicious programs can prevent Windows from being installed properly on your system.
  • Disable or uninstall any antivirus software currently on your computer, as it may adversely interfere with the installation.
  • Uninstall unnecessary programs to speed up the update process. You will be able to reinstall them once the Windows 7 installation is complete.
  • Update Windows using the Windows Update service.
  • Delete all unnecessary files to speed up the update process.
  • Back up the entire hard drive of your computer to be able to restore the previous configuration in case the update procedure causes problems (optional).

  

  Step 4. Insert the Windows 7 installation disc into your computer's drive

  Press the button located on the outside of the CD, DVD or Blu-ray player. At this point insert the Windows 7 installation disc in the appropriate slot of the reader, then push it into the optical drive.

  

  Step 5. Click on the Windows "Start" button

  By default it is placed in the lower corner of the desktop and features the Windows logo.

  Alternatively, you can follow the instructions described in the previous method to boot your computer from CD / DVD and select the installation option Update.

  

  Step 6. Click on the Computer icon

  A list of all drives on your computer will be displayed.

  If you are using a more modern version of Windows, click on the "File Explorer" icon. It features a folder with a blue clip at the bottom. At this point click on the tab This PC or your computer name.

  

  Step 7. Double-click the optical drive icon where you inserted the Windows 7 installation disc

  A new window will appear listing the contents of the disc. At this point, proceed with the installation.

  

  Step 8. Click on the Setup.exe file

  This will run the Windows 7 installer.

  

  Step 9. Click the Install button

  It is blue in color and is placed in the center of the appeared window.

  

  Step 10. Decide whether to update the Windows installer by installing any updates there

  Updates are created to fix known Windows installer issues, so installing them will make the entire Windows 7 installation process easier and more stable. To update the Windows installer, click on the Go to the internet option to download the latest installation updates (recommended). If you do not want to download the updates of the Windows installer, click on the item Do not download the latest updates for installation.

  

  Step 11. Accept the terms of the Windows Licensed Use Agreement

  Read the terms of the agreement drawn up by Microsoft, select the check button I accept the license terms and finally click on the button Come on located in the lower right corner of the window.

  

  Step 12. Select the Update installation option

  It is the first menu item that appeared. Your computer will be checked for compatibility, after which Windows 7 will be installed.

  Method 3 of 4: Use a USB stick or external hard drive

  

  Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer

  Use one of the free USB ports to connect the USB device to the system. If you have chosen to use a USB stick, it must have at least 4 GB of free space.

  

  Step 2. If there are any personal files on the USB drive, move them to another storage device

  Before transferring the Windows ISO file to the USB drive make sure the USB drive is completely empty.

  

  Step 3. Download the Windows 7 installation disc ISO file

  An ISO file is an exact copy of the contents of a CD-ROM, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc. Files of this type are also known as "image files". Note: Downloading the Windows 7 ISO file will take some time, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

  • At this link you can find the list of all the servers from which you can download the Windows 7 ISO file.
  • If the link indicated does not work, click here to obtain a list of all the links from which you can download the Windows 7 installation file.

  

  Step 4. Download and install the Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool from this link

  This program allows you to transfer the ISO file of the Windows 7 installation disc to a USB drive and make it functional.

  

  Step 5. Install the "Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool" program

  Double-click the "Windows7-USB-DVD-Download-Tool-Installer-en-IT.exe" file after the download is complete. At this point click on the button Install to install the program. Follow the instructions that will appear on the screen in the installation wizard window.

  

  Step 6. Launch the Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool program

  At the end of the installation of the "Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool" software, you can start it directly from the Windows "Start" menu.

  

  Step 7. Select the Windows 7 ISO file

  Click on the button Browse located in the Step 1 of 4 screen: Choose the Windows 7 USB / DVD Download Tool program ISO file, then navigate to the folder where you saved the Windows 7 ISO file to be able to select it. At this point click on the button Come on to continue.

  

  Step 8. Click the USB Device button

  It is blue in color and located in the lower right corner of the "Step 2 of 4: Choose Media Type" screen.

  

  Step 9. Select the USB drive to use for the Windows 7 installation and click the Copy button

  Use the drop-down menu displayed on the "Step 3 of 4: Insert USB key" screen to select the USB drive to transfer the Windows 7 ISO file to, then click the green "Copy" button.

  If you get an error message similar to the following Insufficient Free Space, click the Erase USB Device option. So all files on the USB drive will be permanently deleted; so if you need to keep some, make a copy before formatting.

  

  Step 10. Restart your computer

  Click on the "Start" menu icon which gives access to the computer shutdown options, then choose the item Reboot the system.

  

  Step 11. Press the Delete key immediately, Esc, F2, F10 or F9 of the keyboard as soon as the computer starts up.

  Depending on the make and model of your computer, you will need to press one of the indicated keys as soon as the system starts the reboot procedure in order to access the BIOS.

  In some cases, the key to press to access the BIOS is indicated on the startup screen of the computer

  

  Step 12. Locate the BIOS menu that contains boot options

  The name and precise location of the BIOS boot menu varies from computer to computer, but you should normally have no difficulty locating it (in some cases you will need to do a little search within the BIOS user interface).

  If you can't locate the BIOS boot menu, search the web using the BIOS name (most likely it is listed directly in the BIOS user interface) for more information

  

  Step 13. Select "USB Drive" or "Removable drives" as the first system boot device

  Although the steps to follow may vary from computer to computer, the BIOS boot menu consists of a number of items that can be manually sorted. Basically, you will have to select the indicated option and place it at the top of the list. Change the order of this menu so that the first item matches the USB drive connected to your computer. If you are having difficulty or need help, consult your computer user manual or search the web.

  

  Step 14. Boot your computer from the USB drive

  While the USB device you copied the Windows 7 installation disc ISO file to is plugged into a USB port on your computer, restart your system. When you are asked to confirm your willingness to boot from the USB drive connected to the computer, press any key on the keyboard. At this point the Windows installer will load.

  

  Step 15. Choose Windows installation options

  When the Windows 7 installation wizard window appears, you will need to select some information using the appropriate drop-down menus: language, keyboard layout, time and date format, and currency. At the end of the selection, click on the button Come on located in the lower right corner of the window.

  

  Step 16. Click the Install button

  It is blue in color and located in the center of the screen.

  

  Step 17. Accept the terms of the Windows Licensed Use Agreement

  Read the terms of the agreement drawn up by Microsoft, select the check button "I accept the license conditions" and then click on the button Come on located in the lower right corner of the window.

  

  Step 18. Select the Custom installation option

  This will give you the option to perform a fresh installation of Windows 7 from scratch. All files on the system hard drive will be deleted.

  If you need to keep the information on your computer hard drive, select the item Update. To be able to select this option, a Windows installation must already exist on the computer.

  

  Step 19. Select the hard drive or logical partition on which to install Windows 7

  A computer hard drive is a physical device installed within the system, while a logical partition represents a subdivision of a single hard drive into multiple independent drives. Click on the name of the disk or partition that will host the Windows 7 installation.

  • If there is any data inside the hard drive, you will need to follow these instructions to format it. Remember this operation it will permanently delete all information on the disc.

    • Select the hard drive name from the list that appears;
    • Click on Unit options (advanced);
    • Click on the option Format present in the screen that appeared.

  • If there are no partitions on the disk, you will need to create one in order to install Windows.

    • Select the hard drive name from the list that appears;
    • Click on Unit options (advanced);
    • Select the option New;
    • Choose the size of the new partition and click on the button OK.

    

    Step 20. Install Windows 7 on the hard drive or partition of your choice

    After deciding where to install the operating system, select the disk or partition name and click on the button Come on. The installation wizard will install Windows 7 on your computer. During the installation phase, the system may automatically reboot several times.

    

    Step 21. Remove the USB stick or drive

    Once the installation is complete, you will be able to disconnect the USB memory drive from your computer.

    

    Step 22. Restart your computer

    After completing the Windows 7 installation and disconnecting the USB drive from the system, restart your computer as you normally would.

    Method 4 of 4: Initial Windows Setup

    

    Step 1. Enter your account username and the name you want to assign to your computer, then click the Next button

    The first time you start your computer, after completing the installation of Windows 7, you will need to perform the initial system setup.

    

    Step 2. Create a login password and click the Next button

    If you do not want to protect your account with a password, simply leave the corresponding text field blank and click on the button Come on. This is the password that you will have to type each time you want to log in to Windows using your user account.

    

    Step 3. Provide the Product Key, then click the Next button

    Normally the "Product Key" is placed on the case of the Windows 7 installation disc. To avoid entering the activation code, simply click on the button Come on. In this case Windows will be activated in trial mode, for which you will have a period of 30 days, after which you must enter a valid "Product Key".

    

    Step 4. Configure the Windows Update service settings

    You can choose one of the following options: "Use recommended settings", "Install important updates only" or "Request later".

    • Use recommended settings: the configuration settings recommended by Microsoft will be adopted automatically for the management of data security and updates.
    • Install only important updates: Your system will be configured to only allow automatic installation of important updates.
    • Request later- Setting up the Windows Update service will be postponed until you make a decision.

    

    Step 5. Set the system clock, date and time zone

    Use the drop-down menu to select the time zone of the area you live in, then use the calendar visible in the window to set the current date and finally set the current time.

    

    Step 6. Configure the network connection

    When the computer is correctly connected to the local network, Windows will complete the desktop configuration.

    • If your system is connected to a private local network (for example your home network), select the Home network option.
    • If your computer is connected to a corporate network, choose the Corporate Network option.
    • If your computer is connected to a public LAN, such as a restaurant or shop, select the Public Network option.