Can't install anything anymore.

Elpants · 07 Nov 2009

Well, I thought I might actually try my hand at installing my Windows 7 x64 Pro student upgrade from Digital River finally today after I found the iso.

All has gone to hell.

First, I tried installing 7 to a second drive then activating it. Got the whole this license is for upgrades not clean installs.

So, I try some of the workarounds, which just ended up blue screening my computer and could no longer boot and a repair did nothing.

I tried installing 7 over my Vista install on the other Hard Drive, it failed during install and I had a half done 7 install on my Vista, which screwed up my MBR.

I tried reinstalling vista then installing 7 again (Note this is Vista 32bt HP to W7 64bit Pro, so no upgrades). Vista would just blue screen during install, each time I tried it would give a different error.

Now, I have two blank drives, so I try installing 7 back onto it like I had before, now the install fails every time with the error oxC0000005 in the installing features phase.

Seems that I am SOL?

This is a computer that has been running fine for the past year and never blue screened.

gregrocker · 07 Nov 2009

If the registry edit workaround to clean install Win7 upgrade is failing, it may have been incorrectly done which could also cause the bluescreen.

Boot from your Win7 installer and wipe the HDD using Custom>Advanced tools, then if necessary install without giving key - It might take the key when booting from installer since regedits would only affect the OS and you are no longer in the OS>

When you get to the desktop, if it has refused your key up to this point, run a repair (Upgrade) install over your new install from the desktop, which will allow you to give key and activate when online.

Here is the way to burn the student download if you haven't already: Make bootable iso from student d/l

Lordbob75 · 07 Nov 2009

Ouch, but fixable.

Put in your Vista disk, and boot into it. From there, just format all your drives, and then do a clean install of it.

~Lordbob

kegobeer · 07 Nov 2009

First, if you haven't already done so, review the installation sticky posts in this forum.

Second, remove all but one drive, boot from the DVD, do a custom install, select drive options (advanced), and delete any existing partitions. Make two partitions, one for your system and one for your data, then continue the install. You can do a clean install using upgrade media, if you follow the clean install using upgrade media thread:

Doing a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Elpants · 07 Nov 2009

Well, it finally went through the initial boot and install (custom, blank drive) without the error code (the disc is the .iso Digital River provided as an alt to the .exe they initially had)

Now It's on the 2nd boot and completing installation. I'll report back if it starts and I ever get it to activate or not with a 2nd install as the upgrade.

gregrocker · 07 Nov 2009

Did it take the Upgrade key yet?

The installer should have scanned the HDD at bootup and seen Vista, passed a flag to allow you to insert key.

If not, then run the repair install (Upgrade install) from the Win7 desktop and it will take key and later activate when online at Computer>Properties link.

Elpants · 08 Nov 2009

Ok, after a small break (had been wrestling blue screens and errors for 6 hours and decided to go hang out and have some drinks with some buddies for a while)

I came back, after the Windows 7 installed to the blank (no Vista present on either drive) terrabyte drive, before doing anything I inserted my 7 disc back in and ran an upgrade, took about 40 minutes and then tried my key from Digital River once back on the desktop and it was accepted.

Though I did swap the SATA plugs for the drives so the drive I was trying to install to was listed as "Disk 0" during initial install rather than "Disk 1", which may have been giving me the errors all along, but whatever.

Thanks for your help ya'll

DocBrown · 08 Nov 2009

Elpants said:

Ok, after a small break (had been wrestling blue screens and errors for 6 hours and decided to go hang out and have some drinks with some buddies for a while)

I came back, after the Windows 7 installed to the blank (no Vista present on either drive) terrabyte drive, before doing anything I inserted my 7 disc back in and ran an upgrade, took about 40 minutes and then tried my key from Digital River once back on the desktop and it was accepted.

Though I did swap the SATA plugs for the drives so the drive I was trying to install to was listed as "Disk 0" during initial install rather than "Disk 1", which may have been giving me the errors all along, but whatever.

Thanks for your help ya'll

Are you saying it is installed & solved ?

Elpants · 08 Nov 2009

DocBrown said:

Are you saying it is installed & solved ?

Yes sir.

DocBrown · 08 Nov 2009

Elpants said:

DocBrown said:

Are you saying it is installed & solved ?

Yes sir.

Congrats on a job well done