How do I re-install Windows with or without recovery partition?

Hello,
I accidentally installed grub onto my windows partition and erased the whole thing while trying to perform a Linux install. My laptop shipped with win 8, but I upgraded it to win 10 a few months ago. Now, there are no operating systems detected. I am using a dell laptop, which is why I am worried about burning installation media on this device as it may not be compatible.
Anyway, does anybody have a good reference for gateway recovery media? I'm not sure how to access the partition, as F8 and other windows related keys do not work anymore.

This is what my PC shows me-
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I can't seem to get any other replies on other forums, so I thought I'd try here. I just want to re-install windows and reformat the partitions back to their normal state.

Thanks

From an operating computer, make a Kyhi recovery bootable USB flash drive:
Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - Windows 10 Forums

There is also a little utility on that recovery drive that will let you connect to WiFi. Please post a screenshot of disk management and we can help you more:
Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of - Windows 10 Forums

Please make sure to widen then columns so we can see all the info in them.

This is a disk management view that I had taken from gparted in Linux. I forgot to mention that I am able to run a live version of Linux off a USB drive, but otherwise I get a black screen. Also, the laptop is a Gateway NE46RU.

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It looks like you still have the Windows partitions there. sda2 should be your Windows boot partition, and sda4 should be your Windows OS partition. I also happen to have 2 Gateway NE46RU laptops at my house , but I'm not a home.

A couple things come to mind. First would be to go into Bios setup and see if there is a selection there to set the boot order for the different UEFI partitions available and point it to the Windows boot partition. It might be listed as Windows Management. There might also be a key to press during the initial boot screen to select what to boot from. I'll have to experiment when I get home.

Second would be to go back to Post #2 above. Make the Kyhi recovery disk (USB flash drive or DVD/CD). Boot the computer from that. Run Macrium Reflect. Under the restore menu is an utility to fix windows startup/boot problems. Run that utility and see if that fixes it.

Hi there
I'd go this route -- since W10 has already been activated on your machine you can do a clean install.

1)On another machine download from Ms site the Media creation tool and create according to the instructions a bootable USB stick.
2) Boot it up ----> Repair windows--->command
3) now re-formnat the HDD in Cmd mode :
DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK nn where nn is the HDD you want to install windows on
CLEAN
CREATE Partition Primary
LIST PARTITION
SELECT PARTION nn
FORMAT fs=ntfs quick
(Convert GPT ------> if you want GPT / UEFI boot)
EXIT

now re-boot the USB drive and install clean Windows -- it will be activated if you already activated your previous W10 version.

Job done

If you don't want to do a complete clean install - if the old HDD was MBR then from the command mode as before simply type FIXMBR which will get rid of the GRUB stuff - now you can then do RECOVER WINDOWS also from the USB stick --it should re-create the boot partition and recover your existing Windows installation.

BTW once you've recovered Windows - get MACRIUM FREE and IMAGE the OS on to some sort of external media --makes recovery really simple if you get the OS hosed up again.

Cheers
jimbo

I never could understand why people always want to create a partition before installing Windows? Why not just delete all the partitions, install to the unallocated space and let Windows create what it wants to for partitions?

And isn't Convert GPT in DISKPART just going to erase the partitions there anyway? So why create one that is just going to be deleted with the next command (if you are going to convert to GPT)?

NavyLCDR said:

I never could understand why people always want to create a partition before installing Windows? Why not just delete all the partitions, install to the unallocated space and let Windows create what it wants to for partitions?

And isn't Convert GPT in DISKPART just going to erase the partitions there anyway? So why create one that is just going to be deleted with the next command (if you are going to convert to GPT)?

Hi there.

if it's an MBR HDD Windows doesn't re-write the Boot master record (track 0) --the MBR so when you boot up windows you'll get a message like GRUB >
and that's all.

Windows won't fix that on install on MBR HDD's. If you've got a spare machine --try it !!!! set the machine if it's UEFI enabled to boot in legacy mode and have a go !!!!. Ensure originally it was a dual boot system Linux / Windows.

GPT enabled HDD's might do it differently - but I've seen too many systems where on boot you just get the message GRUB> with the system waiting for you to enter commands.

Erasing the HDD if you are going to clean install Windows takes about 25 secs so no problem and you are 100% certain you are starting with an HDD with no junk left on it.

Cheers
jimbo

You are not understanding what I am asking. You go through this:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK nn where nn is the HDD you want to install windows on
CLEAN

Now, my point is: Why not just stop right there? Go back to the custom install option in Windows setup and point Windows to install to the unallocated space. Windows will not only make it's own partitions to install to, but it will also select MBR or GPT as well.

NavyLCDR said:

You are not understanding what I am asking. You go through this:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK nn where nn is the HDD you want to install windows on
CLEAN

Now, my point is: Why not just stop right there? Go back to the custom install option in Windows setup and point Windows to install to the unallocated space. Windows will not only make it's own partitions to install to, but it will also select MBR or GPT as well.

Hi there

You might want to Manually create partition sizes - rather than mess around afterwards with Partition re-sizing software etc.
CLEAN of it's own doesn't re-write the MBR in any case on non GPT drives -- the MBR is written BEFORE the partition table in sector 0 which is where Windows starts when Windows creates the partition table.

On bootable MACRIUM there's an option to restore the MBR without touching the partition table too (if you need to use it). Windows on MBR systems won't write the MBR if one exists even when it creates a brand new partition table on the HDD..

Anyway I'm not getting involved in this anymore over a couple of lines in a script which take a few seconds to execute in any case.

Cheers
jimbo