New Windows install, freeze on install boot

I'm having trouble installing windows on a new rig I just built. I'm not sure if its a driver error or maybe some other hardware error I'm overlooking. Here's the problem I'm encountering. I've tried to install 3 different windows. Windows 7 64bit(burned), Windows 7 32bit (burned), Windows Vista OEM. Upon the fresh install my computer goes to the "Loading files from disk" than will try to boot up to the install. When the boot up screen comes on with the horizontal bar it freezes after about 10-15 seconds, then nothing. Thusly being unable to install on a fresh HDD.

I have 3 hard drivesI've tried to install every copy on (2 SATA HDDs, and a SSD). Same symptom. My old HDD with windows still on it, I tried to boot it up and it still freezes(shouldn't boot up anyway right?). When I try to load safemode on the HDD with the old copy of windows already on it, I am able to. I tried installing the Vista copy through this safemode method and it is successful until the PC reboots during the install and freezes back up bootup. This made me think it was a driver error.

I also mistakenly tried installing windows with no HDD's attached to the motherboard.. That also made it to the bootup screen, but froze(duh) at the bootup screen too. So from that mistaken test, could this be a hardware issue if its freezing at the same spot with and without the HDD?

So in short, I'm unable to install windows on a HDD with a previous windows on it, or a new HDD with a new install.

Computer:
i7 2600k
P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
EVGA 560TI
Coolmaster 212 EVO
Lite-On iHAS124-04
Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F120GBGT-BK 2.5" 120GB SATA III
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL


I've also tried removing the video card and using the onboard video, leaving only one stick of ram in, and I've swapped ram from another PC to test(can't remember the model ram). I haven't tried swapping the dvd drive yet.

I've read that a heatsink could be causing this problem, but if I can get into safe mode on an old windows install could it be hardware such as the heatsink/cpu, or just drivers?

Kaktussoft said:

So multiple DVD's (vista, win7 x64, win7 x86) all fail.
You tried multiple harddisks... same problem (I hope only one attached[??])
Try to boot from usb Microsoft Store Online
same problem?

Correct,
Correct (only one attached)
I haven't tried to boot from USB yet.

Could there be any BIOS settings causing this?

Where did you get Win7? Did you burn the DVD yourself? Try burning another or writing to flash stick from Steps 1 and 2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which also has the Best Practices for handling drivers, etc. for Win7 installs.

Unplug all other HD's and peripherals, wipe the target HD with Diskpart Clean Command from Command line accessed from DISKPART At PC Startup. Then close Command Box, proceed to install using these illustrated steps: Clean Install Windows 7.

At what step does it fail, exactly how, is there a verbatim error message?

Enter BIOS setup to reset to defaults, set SATA controller to AHCI to try install.

Try unplugging all but 8gb RAM, swap RAM sticks, test your RAM - Test with Memtest86+.

Next pre-format a Primary NTFS partition marked Active using Step 2.2 in SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation.

gregrocker said:

Where did you get Win7? Did you burn the DVD yourself? Try burning another or writing to flash stick from Steps 1 and 2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which also has the Best Practices for handling drivers, etc. for Win7 installs.

Unplug all other HD's and peripherals, wipe the target HD with Diskpart Clean Command from Command line accessed from DISKPART At PC Startup. Then close Command Box, proceed to install using these illustrated steps: Clean Install Windows 7.

At what step does it fail, exactly how, is there a verbatim error message?

Enter BIOS setup to reset to defaults, set SATA controller to AHCI to try install.

Try unplugging all but 8gb RAM, swap RAM sticks, test your RAM - Test with Memtest86+.

Next pre-format a Primary NTFS partition marked Active using Step 2.2 in SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation.

I will try all those steps you have listed!

The exact step it fails I am unsure of. After the "Press any key to boot from disc" comes It'll load the information from the disc, right after the "loading information from CD" screen passes, it freezes. It does it to the two empty HDDs and the pre-existing windows HDD. The pre-existing windows HDD from another PC can boot to safe mode(freezes on normal) where it installs windows fine until the install has to reboot, in which case it freezes again on the windows loading screen.

I'll run the RAM test and reformat the SSD when I get home and see how that goes.

The installer is the first suspect but no reply to where you got it or how it is burned. Try those steps first.

Also no acknowledgement yet that you must always unplug all other HD's and peripherals during install.

Work through the steps in order reporting back on each.