Windows 7: Trouble Installing Windows 7 after Clean Format

Hi
Basically I guess I screwed up. First what I did was use the command prompt (after using system repair disc) to completely reformat my drive c partition on my laptop. Then when I tried to install Windows with the installer cd, it just simply didnt want to boot up. I already tried setting up the BIOS so that it would start the cd/dvd drive first, and I also tried using my windows vista cd. When I used the vista cd and tried to install it on the partition some message shows up on the bottom saying "theres a problem with the hard ware" or something like that...I dunno, I tried everything I could, if anyone has been through this or knows how to deal with it, please help.

Was your Windows 7 disc purchased at a retail store, is it a burned disc, or what?

What was previously on your hard drive?

Does your hard drive have any history of having problems?

Please provide an EXACT quote of any error messages you get.

You don't need to format a drive from a command prompt before installing Windows.

I used the command prompt because I saw a link online that said i could, my installer cd's didnt want to work to reformat it i used the command prompt. I only have burnt cd's given to me by my uncle. and I wanted to reformat it because my laptop was slowing down and I thought it would have been better to have it wiped. I had windows 7 ultimate on it before i reformatted. The cd I used to install the windows 7a re the same ones my uncle gave me.

I'd suspect a problem with the burned disc unless your hard drive is bad.

You might try it again with the bare minimum hardware connected: 1 hard drive, 1 DVD drive, 1 stick of RAM, video card, monitor, keyboard, mouse.

You could test the hard drive with the manufacturer's utility.

You could use the clean command in Diskpart to wipe the hard drive before beginning the install.

You don't choose to format a disk with the installer. Formatting is done automatically after you have chosen where to install Windows. If the partition is already formatted, you can delete it and create a new one, which will be formatted automatically at the next step.

how do i test the hard drive without an os?

Some hard drive utilities can be used from a bootable disk.

But I doubt if that is your problem. I'd guess the problem is with your uncle's discs, which I'm guessing are burned discs rather than retail or OEM.

Particularly because you get different results when you use a Vista disc.

I tried burning a new cd but its i not reading. and my vista disc is also burned so shouldnt that mean it should work too?

What version of Windows 7 is your license for??

You can download a legal ISO for that version, burn it to a disc yourself, and install. Then activate it with your existing product key. That way, you don't have to use your uncle's disc, which may be bad.

Burn the confirmed ISO to DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed. Unplug all other HD's and peripherals, boot DVD to Clean Install Windows 7

Or write to flash stick using Universal USB Installer with Windows 7 in dropdown menu. Boot under USB, REmovable, or HD's using one-time BIOS Boot Menu key, with HD set first to boot in BIOS setup.

How do you plan to activate Windows 7?