Windows fails to start after clean install

I am not certain what solution is shown. Maybe adding the extra memory allowed Win 7 to install normally.

The 100 mb partition being present or not would not seem to be a factor.

Memory was not a factor. In an effort to determine what was going on, I removed a stick after I had a stable OS and it still booted.

The solution to this particular problem was simply to create a single partition.

I stumbled upon the thought when I was going to try and install vista on the drive (do an upgrade through that route to win7). What I had observed was, unlike win7, vista did not "force" a 100mb partition creation when I created the new partition. In most cases, instead of simply formatting a disk, I just clear the partition and make a new one. Win7 in this situation would force a second partition for some system files. Vista however, doesn't do this.

So going on a hunch, I stopped the vista install and rebooted with the win7 DVD and did the install without clearing the partition I created in Vista.

This worked. Why, I haven't figured out. I assumed the 100mb partition was something similar to what EFI (electronics for imaging) does when installing Fiery print controller OS...there is a boot partition created.

The 100mb Sys Reserved partition is not offered if the HD is pre-formatted.

You can also bail out of it when offered by deleting the partition for Win7, expanding the Sys Reserved size from 100mb to a full size partition, then installing Win7 there.