Windows installation gets stuck on 87% HELP!

hi guys, i am no computer wiz so can help please be simple and not in too technical words :)
basically i have purchased windows 7 home premium and when i install it, it starts working until it gets stuck on 87% of "gathering files" in setup. i have tried installing this on another pc and it works so it is not a faulty disk, also i have tried another disk and i have the same problem.

what do i do. both times when installing on my alienware m9750 (the laptop i am talking about) i have tried doing an update coz i don't really want to lose microsoft word and other files, but will do a complete installation if people think that's the answer.

Please help!

p.s. i have tested my pc with the microsoft windows 7 compatability check it says it should work

Jonathan King said:

How long are you waiting? Try leaving it overnight, if you haven't already. Also try unplugging all unnecessary hardware before trying to install.

i have tried leaving it over night it it just wont move any more.
i don't know if this will have any affect but i am not installing it from a disk coz my laptop wouldn't recognize it so i went through the process of being able to boot it from a usb drive

thanks for quick response but what do i do?

Dave76 said:

Welcome to Seven Forums.

When your doing an upgrade install it can take a very long time depending on the files and programs you had installed on Vista.

It can take up to 20 hours in some cases.

Disconnect all peripherals (hardware), just leave the power cord plugged in to the laptop and the internet connected.

If waiting it out doesn't work and you decide to do a clean install you can check this Seven Forums tutorial.
Clean Installation with Windows 7

If you have any questions, reply here.

Let us know how it is going.

thanks for the sincerity so maybe i will try lwaving it fo more than 20hrs, however you said to disconnect all peripherals, but i an't do that i don't think because i am loading windows 7 from my external harddrive so if i disconnect it will it not stop the update.

Dave76 said:

Just leave the external connected.

Is it USB or eSATA?

umm usb but then i don't know what esata is. ys USBb i think because it is a normal external that plugs into the usb port in my laptop

and if i want to do a complete update don't i just click "custom". (if one can choose between "upgrade" or "custom" on the cheaper windows 7 update, why would people buy the more expensive full update?)

Togsy said:

Jonathan King said:

How long are you waiting? Try leaving it overnight, if you haven't already. Also try unplugging all unnecessary hardware before trying to install.

i have tried leaving it over night it it just wont move any more.
i don't know if this will have any affect but i am not installing it from a disk coz my laptop wouldn't recognize it so i went through the process of being able to boot it from a usb drive

thanks for quick response but what do i do?

Your post is about how long an in-place Upgrade is taking.

Then you say above that you found a way to boot USB drive installer.

If you are booting, there is no way to do an in place Upgrade. You must do a Custom clean install.

Back up your files and try using advanced tools to delete all, create a new partition to format and install. You will need to reinstall programs.

What is the reason your DVD will not boot? Did you burn it yourself?