Dell Inspiron E1405

I am failing at any attempts to install Windows 7 on this machine.

So, customer comes in with an XP machine, for a Win7 upgrade. Simple? No.... Not to boast, but I've done hundreds of Win7 installs over the years, and this one has me stumped. I keep getting this error, and the screenshot is attached. This is what I've attempted thus far:

• Test RAM - works fine
• Test HDD - no bad sectors
• Upgrade BIOS - updated to latest A10
• Try all acoustic settings for HDD in BIOS - to change
• Try installing to different hard drive
• Try installing windows on a similar machine, then swapping the hard drive. For this I used a Dell Latitude D610, laptops from the same year, with the same CPU, and same chipset - Windows doesn't boot, just says "windows loading files" then restarts, continues in this boot loop
• Try 64-Bit Windows - incompatible CPU
• Try installing technet Windows 7 - same error
• Try installing updated Windows 7 - same error
• Try installing from internal DVD-Drive - same error
• Try installing from external DVD-Drive - same error
• Try installing from flash drive - same error

Specs:
Dell Inspiron E1405
Core Duo - 1.6Ghz
4GB RAM - 677Mhz
40GB SATA HDD
DVD-ROM

I've successfully installed Windows XP, as well as Linux (elementary OS) on it just as a test, and they work fine. I'm tempted to tell the customer that it's not possible, and they have to use Linux. Can anyone help?

I doubt that this will help, but I saw that same screen when checking ISO downloads mentioned in this thread:
Something wrong at Digital River ?
I've never seen that screen during a real install.

I didn't get mine from DigitalRiver, I got mine from TechNet, and also TPB. But I get the same error either way. I'm putting Linux back onto it as we speak, but would prefer Win7.

The error is almost always a bad installer. Try another ISO burned to DVD, and then if necessary to flash stick to eliminate media.

Otherwise here are steps for Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums

gregrocker said:

The error is almost always a bad installer. Try another ISO burned to DVD, and then if necessary to flash stick to eliminate media.

Otherwise here are steps for Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums

If you check what I've done, then you'll see that I've already tried installed from a USB disk. Also, the disk I used was a freshly-burned DVD, as I don't usually need to install 32-Bit Win7. Also, I tried taking the hard drive out, putting it in a similar machine, and tried to use the same installation disk on another laptop, and it worked fine. It installed fine, and it booted fine. Then I took that same hard drive out and put it into the E1405, and Windows failed to boot.

SO... I've already eliminated the possibility of bad installation media.

EDIT: I already did that partitioning thing. Bare in mind I've installed Win7 before.

Then it wll be the second case I remember out of thousands where the error wasn't the installation media. In the other case it was indeed the SATA driver missing. But if the HD is seen then that wouldn't be it.

You mentioned only partitioning. There are a bunch of other steps in the tutorial which compiles what works best to get past these failures, based on tens of thousands of cases we've seen here since beta.

If you have a working install done on the other PC, you can move it back to the problem PC to Adjust Win7 to boot on new hardware with Paragon Adaptive Restore CD.
If it still won't start, confirm the Partition Marked Active and run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times