Win7 install help needed please

Hi, i bought a second hand laptop (Dell Inspiron dual core 80GB) with Windows 7 already on it but no disk. I liked it so i purchased a genuine copy, i installed it using custom as it wasn't an upgrade. Now the comp keeps stalling requiring me to pull the battery to shut it off. In addition, i think the old version is still on the hard drive as i only have 38% of the hard drive available and very little on it.
I've tried defragging and the like to no avail.


1. Why is it stalling?
2. If i reinstall Windows, how do i get it to overwrite everything else?

TIA

Edit: 32 Bit disk, never had any problems until the new install.

Welcome to the forums

The first thing I'd do is back up all of your data, then format the drive and perform a fresh install. The freezing could be down to many things, so if you are willing to re-install that will save troubleshooting the problem .

If you boot from the Windows 7 install CD, you should be given an option to perform a custom installation. Once you have selected this option, look for your main hard drive and click the "Drive Options (advanced)" button. Now click "format" when your drive is selected, this will clear everything off it (just be sure you have backups of any data you need).

Don't forget to back up your drivers too.

Thanks for the welcome

I have no probs reinstalling, i've kept apps down to a minimum until i know i'm happy with everything else, saves time and bandwidth.

If i do a normal back up to DVDR, will it back up my drivers automatically?, (DVDR's my only option right now)

Cheers for that, it wouldn't have even occured too me, i know a little, but no where near enough. I was even wary of the install.

To complete your installation you may need to go to the Dell Website and download drivers and utilities for your laptop.