Question Can't install Windows 7 due to virus I think

[888888]

So I installed Windows 7 on a computer using USB, no issues some time later the computer got infected with viruses and constantly getting pop-ups



So I was going to simply re-install Windows 7 to remove the viruses as there was really nothing on the computer besides Google Chrome.



But instead when I went to boot from USB I get a black screen with the "Error loading operating system"



Can someone help me please I need to get this computer back to a working state asap.

 

[SchizTech]

Is it the same USB stick used before? How was it prepared? What kind of system is this (make and model, or that of motherboard if home built)?

 

[888888]

Is it the same USB stick used before? How was it prepared? What kind of system is this (make and model, or that of motherboard if home built)?

Yeah, Rufus, Dell inspiron 1501 laptop

 

[SchizTech]

OK. So you can get the boot menu with F12, select the flash drive and then the error comes up? Have you tried different USB ports?

Also, a note on Windows, Windows 7 will reach end of support in about a year. That means no more updates - though they can be a PITA they are important to keep the system secure against new threats. Windows 10 will still activate with the key from 7 (it's one of those 'badly kept secrets' that this still happens well after the free upgrade offer officially ended)

 

[888888]

OK. So you can get the boot menu with F12, select the flash drive and then the error comes up? Have you tried different USB ports?

Also, a note on Windows, Windows 7 will reach end of support in about a year. That means no more updates - though they can be a PITA they are important to keep the system secure against new threats. Windows 10 will still activate with the key from 7 (it's one of those 'badly kept secrets' that this still happens well after the free upgrade offer officially ended)

Yep just like that, yeah tried different ports.

Yeah the laptop is really old though, just wanna stick with 7.

 

[SchizTech]

OK. Well, a couple of suggestions to try: restore the BIOS to defaults (in the BIOS under F2 there should be an option to reset to defaults somewhere). Refresh the flash drive installer - run Rufus on it again.

 

[howtobeironic]

Quick thing, try using a different program like Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool (psst, it's actually a bootable disk burner for Windows iso files from Windows) if you keep failing, and try booting some else OS like Ubuntu to see if it's Windows-specific.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

rufus does not work well at all. use the Microsoft Media Creation Tool only and an 8GB usb 2.0 stick.