Problem with installing

MrSkippy · 23 Dec 2009

Hello,
I recently purchased Windows 7 Home Upgrade for my computer. I had been using Vista. I started the installation of Windows 7 and after it restarted once the computer would start crashing at the start-up screen. After fooling around with it for a little bit I managed to get it to load off of the Windows 7 disk, but now it says to install it I must restart the computer and let Vista load then start over again.

But, I cannot get the computer to load without the Windows 7 disk, it keeps telling me to insert Boot Media. Vista came with the computer and it didnt come with a vista disk.

So my question, is there any way to force the installation of Windows 7, and if not, what now? I only purchased the upgrade version of 7 so doing a system wipe isnt the way to go. I had a computer backup saved onto a disk, but when I put it in the computer doesnt read anything on it.

Any help would be appreciated, and thanks in advance.

richc46 · 23 Dec 2009

MrSkippy said:

Hello,
I recently purchased Windows 7 Home Upgrade for my computer. I had been using Vista. I started the installation of Windows 7 and after it restarted once the computer would start crashing at the start-up screen. After fooling around with it for a little bit I managed to get it to load off of the Windows 7 disk, but now it says to install it I must restart the computer and let Vista load then start over again.

But, I cannot get the computer to load without the Windows 7 disk, it keeps telling me to insert Boot Media. Vista came with the computer and it didnt come with a vista disk.

So my question, is there any way to force the installation of Windows 7, and if not, what now? I only purchased the upgrade version of 7 so doing a system wipe isnt the way to go. I had a computer backup saved onto a disk, but when I put it in the computer doesnt read anything on it.

Any help would be appreciated, and thanks in advance.

You are in luck. Go to BIOS, and make sure you will boot from the DVD. Then insert the DVD, when you get to the screen that asks you to put in your key number, don't, just continue. When you are all installed try it for a while, if happy insert yournumber at that point. As long as you own a legit copy of vista you are ok. We have tutorials to explain the procedure. And I cheated with mine, I watched how to perform a clean install on u tube.

Botton line, MS put us on the honor system with the upgrade, this time

To avoid problems, disconnect everything, but monitor, mouse and keyboard. Use the Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft, first, to find any incompatablities.

MrSkippy · 23 Dec 2009

Thanks for the quick replay, but I am booting from the disk (even changed it around to where it boots from the disk first), but when Windows 7 installation screen comes up and I click install and upgrade it tells me that the upgrade was started wit the Windows 7 installation disk and to upgrade the computer I need to restart the computer without the 7 disk in the drive, but when I restart the comp it just keeps telling me to Insert Boot Media

When I try to perform a custom installation(?) (clean install) it tells me that I must select a location to install Windows 7, but nothing pops up.

My Vista was a legal copy, but I dont have any way to bring it back up, my back-updisk is saying its blank so I messed up somewhere there. (I checked it on my laptop which I'm using to write this).

Sorry, but I'm computer illiterate for the most part, as far as your suggestion went, I went to BIOS setting and tryed a bunch of different settings out, including disabling the harddrive boot and only allowing it to boot from DVD, but it just kept taking me back to the installation menu which told me I needed to start the computer without using the Windows 7 disk. Like I said, sorry if the advice you gave me was the right thing and I got it wrong, also, like I said, I cant get back to my main computer to change the stuff in regedit to do a clean installation. Thanks again for your time, and thanks for the first response.

richc46 · 23 Dec 2009

MrSkippy said:

Thanks for the quick replay, but I am booting from the disk (even changed it around to where it boots from the disk first), but when Windows 7 installation screen comes up and I click install and upgrade it tells me that the upgrade was started wit the Windows 7 installation disk and to upgrade the computer I need to restart the computer without the 7 disk in the drive, but when I restart the comp it just keeps telling me to Insert Boot Media

When I try to perform a custom installation(?) (clean install) it tells me that I must select a location to install Windows 7, but nothing pops up.

My Vista was a legal copy, but I dont have any way to bring it back up, my back-updisk is saying its blank so I messed up somewhere there. (I checked it on my laptop which I'm using to write this).

Sorry, but I'm computer illiterate for the most part, as far as your suggestion went, I went to BIOS setting and tryed a bunch of different settings out, including disabling the harddrive boot and only allowing it to boot from DVD, but it just kept taking me back to the installation menu which told me I needed to start the computer without using the Windows 7 disk. Like I said, sorry if the advice you gave me was the right thing and I got it wrong, also, like I said, I cant get back to my main computer to change the stuff in regedit to do a clean installation. Thanks again for your time, and thanks for the first response.

Thats your mistake, try again, but this time do a custom install and follow the instructions that I gave you, above it should work. Just do not give your number until installed, and you are sure that you are satisfied.

Our Administrator Brink has put together a valuable tutorial on the subject, take a look. I can almost guarantee, you will be up and running in no time. This does not seem like a big problem.

MrSkippy · 23 Dec 2009

Thanks once again for the quick response.

I'm going to Custom Install and it is asking to select where I wish to install Windows... and there is nothing there. I goto advanced and it asks me to select a driver to install, after searching around I couldnt find any.

Thanks again for your help. Sorry for being complicated, but it never lets me get to the screen to ask me to put in my key number.

richc46 · 24 Dec 2009

Try to install from safe mode, while the computer is booting up, repeatedly press f8. This merely stops some programs from loading, it may avoid the conflict that seems to be going on. If you can boot from safe mode, try to do a custom install. In the future, if I or anyone else uses any other term, he means custom or clean, not an upgrade.

richc46 · 24 Dec 2009

While you are reading my prior post, I just want to say that I appreciate your concern about your being complicated, well you are not. We, at this forum, are volunteers, time is not of the essence. Everyone here gets satisfaction from helping other.

Its getting late, so I do not know if we will get this corrected before I have to leave. But, I will watch this post and will pick up with you tomorrow. If someone gets here before me, I can asssure you he will have expertise in the area of Win 7 and one of us will get you running.

gregrocker · 24 Dec 2009

You said earlier you booted from the disk and selected Upgrade which cannot be done and would have prompted an error similar to what you report.

It sounds like you got at least a partial install since Vista will not start. How was this commenced? Did you run the installer from Vista at all? Or did you finally figure out that you need to use Custom install when booting from the DVD?

Are you trying to dual boot with Vista, or do you want to overwrite the Vista partition?

If you want to dual boot, you needed to prepare a second partition in Vista Disk Management. It can only be done now using free Partition Wizard bootable CD, which can also show us what has happened .

You also say you went into BIOS and disconnected Hard drive to force DVD to boot? This would cause the partitions to fail to show up. You need to have your HD set to boot after DVD. While in BIOS check the SATA controller setting. Try AHCI, and report its previous setting.

Try now to boot from the DVD, select Custom install and tell us what you see on the drive screen where you select which partition to install Win7.

MrSkippy · 24 Dec 2009

Well, I ran it in safe mode and now it keeps crashing no matter what I do. I'm not sure if this is the problem but it says on the bluescreen "Unmountable_Boot_Volume". Like you said, its getting kinda late so ima head to bed, thanks for your help and I will check back in the morning to see if you or anyone else has anymore ideals.

MrSkippy · 24 Dec 2009

Heya greg, I managed to get the computer to the installation screen, but when I tried to do a clean install it asks me to select a location to install windows, and it lists no option. I tried running it in safe mode and it just crashes no matter what now at "Starting Windows" screen. If you have any ideals for the installation screen that would help, I can probably get it to stop crashing, but if you have any ideals on that, that would be helpful too.