Windows 7: cannot install windows 7 64 bit

Hi, i just tried installing 7 64bit on my system, but it wont work.

iam running XP sp3 32bit, and when i insert the cd it comes up with an error about upgrading or formatting and reinstalling.

i have backed everything up and have no problem to format and reinstall. so i changed the loading settings for cd rom first in the bios and when it goes to read from the disc, sometimes it goes straight to windows xp or it comes up with the safe mode menu saying windows didnt load properly...

what is going on? should i buy a new drive and then a fresh install of windows 7 will work?

cheers!

Hello jpetrou and welcome to the forums!

Unfortunately you are going to have to format and perform a clean install.. Upgrading from XP to Windows 7 is not supported... Clean Install Windows 7

You have to boot from a DVD, not a CD. Perhaps that is the problem???

no thats not the problem, i meant dvd...

ok so basically i have to format the drive and do a fresh install. thats fine. what about doing a dual op system install? leave xp on the drive and install 7 on a new partition? that way if 7 doesnt run my apps properly i can easily just delete that partition?

is this dual op easy to setup i have never done this before. if its too complicated i will just format it. i have a drive image saved anyway...

cheers

Common Installation Problems and Their Solutions

Hi

Welcome to Seven Forums
Couple of things to do first:

1. Be sure to back up all your critical data (photos, music etc) preferably to a removable drive or media
2. Download and run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor - be sure that you address any driver upgrade issues etc for your existing hardware (while some work fine on XP there may not be driver versions for 7)
3. For Dual-Boot, have a look at this tutorial - Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

Hope this helps and regards

Where did you get Windows 7? Did you burn the DVD yourself? If so, burn another using ImgBurn at 4x speed.

Boot the DVD after setting DVD drive as first to boot in BIOS setup, or using the one-time BIOS Boot menu key given on first boot screen. Select Custom Install. Delete the partition if you created it using XP as the partition table differs slightly, Create and Format the 7 partition, Install.

Windows 7 should auto-configure the Dual Boot Menu.

Let us know if probs persist. You may need a BIOS updates, resetting the CMOS, removing all but 2gb of RAM, testing your RAM and HD, other steps depending upon exact failure point and any error message posted back here verbatim.

its the oem version i bought with my latest pc build... i havent tried the format method yet cause i need my pc for work for the next couple weeks but im pretty sure that will work.

thanks

Hello jpetrou, welcome to Seven Forums!



If you are attempting to install an OEM version of Windows to a different machine (motherboard) than it was originally installed to it will not work, an OEM is tied to the first mobo that it is installed to and will not activate on another, different one.

An OEM version of Windows lives and dies with the first mobo it was installed to.