Windows 7: 7 only starts to recovery options

Hi everyone and thanks in advance. Ill try to explain my whole issue as clearly as possible.

System is factory emachines t3626. HD is partitioned. 10 gig is listed as "primary" and is restore partition. 2nd is "system" and is 139.1 g.

Attempted install of 7. At end it got to desktop then automatically rebooted. Only started to recovery options. Tried another after formatting c: (139g one) to same result. Restored vista via recovery. Had emachines install of vista. Next, I deleted the 139g from install and recreated. It created 100mb it called "system" and 139 partition. I couldn't make it only create one. Installed 7. It installed ok all the way to desktop then rebooted to same problem. At command prompt in recovery, c: was empty. I deleted the 100mb partition and quick formatted the 139 gb one. Installed again. Got to end and desktop, rebooted and same issue. This time it could not find recovery partition. But it did have windows files on c:. I reinstalled vista from disk. The partition tool allowed me to create one partition of 139.1 gb. Installed fine and currently have clean vista without emachines crap.

I am considering next deleting all partitions and trying without any since I have an actual vista disk should I need it. If this doesn't work I'll be trying to get xp running on it. Any advice?



Sorry if other threads, I couldn't find anything about only booting to recovery options.

Suggest you forget Vista now and boot from Windows 7 installer select Custom>Advanced tools and delete all, create one New partition, format and install.

If it rejects your product key, install anyway to see if it will complete. If it does, use this workaround to activate without prior OS on HDD: http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/cle...rade_media.asp

The other way to do the workaround is to install again as an Upgrade over itself, then it will take the key.

If this fails, then you have other issues which more advanced guys can help you with.

Thanks! That will be my next course for sure then. Taking the key has not been an issue. I should mention that it is not an upgrade but full version.

Should I run the disk from vista or boot to cd and run setup?

Boot from your win 7 disc

Thanks!

Forgot to mention. When I tried to let recovery repair it, it said it couldn't. Error said "osversionmismatch" in the signature 06 spot. When I let it report, all tests passed but the last line said "windows version not compatible with the recovery option" or something very near that. Same every attempt