Trying to install Win 7 to an old system.

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  1. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 Professional x64
       #1

    Trying to install Win 7 to an old system.


    The system has an ECS K7S5A motherboard, about 2001-ish, I think. Before anybody ask's why I'm undertaking such a thing, I'm doing it as an experiment and to see if I could possibly use it as a thin client or media centre. It has a 2ghz Athlon XP2400+ which should still be capable of giving it a good run, plus 1GB of RAM.

    Anyways, upon booting the DVD I get the "CDBOOT Code 5 Can not boot from CD" error. I've looked at some solutions on the internet but most require the use of a floppy drive which, although it has one, I'm not sure if it even works anymore, nor do I have any disks to do it with.

    Tried making a bootable USB which doesn't boot either. Also tried making a Windows 7 recovery CD (also a Vista x86 recovery CD) and neither seems to want to boot either. Also tried a Windows 98 startup with CD ROM support option but that won't start the DVD either.

    So are there any other ways I can get this booting up?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 664
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #2

    yeah, i think your older PC just has a CD drive, so it can't read DVDs. I had this problem with an old machine, so I just swapped the CD drive out for a DVD drive from my new computer. I think this would be the only way to get it working, as i'm guessing that an external USB DVD drive wouldn't work either.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Drive is a Plextor PX-116A DVD-ROM drive PATA. I do have a Plextor DVD-RW drive PATA in the garage somewhere so I'll give that a go.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 664
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #4

    odd. well, good luck with it :)
    I fear the BIOS may not support DVD drives, but I've never heard of that problem before. Did the Plextor that isn't working come with the computer?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    No, most of this system has been made from recycled old parts that I had over the years. It reads CD/DVD's fine through Windows XP and the system also runs XP without issue.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 664
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #6

    phew. just a thought, you could try running the 'Upgrade' option from the windows 7 disc in XP, but I'm not sure what to do when it goes to the 'restarting your system to continue' parts.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #7

    I don't want to do that. Still want the XP partition to be usable whilst I'm trying this so was going to use a dual boot set up. Plus doesn't 7 require a clean install from the boot media if upgrading from XP?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 664
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #8

    ah. you may need something to partition your hard drive as I can't remember if the windows 7 installer can do that.
    probably, never personally used upgrade as I don't see the point. I either start afresh or dual boot
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 664
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #9

    you will probably want to follow point one of method one for dual booting here: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 24
    Windows 7 Professional x64
    Thread Starter
       #10

    I've never done an upgrade either. Always wiped the drive and clean installed.
    Think my only shot here is to make a bootable USB/CD that has all the relevant tools to boot the drive but no idea where to begin tbh.
      My Computer


 
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