Windows 7: Install hangs at 'Setup loading windows files'

As the thread name suggests, my installation of 7 is not going smoothly. While on the black screen with 'setup is loading windows files' and the progress bar, it keeps stopping around the same place (the bar flashes, completes once, then as it is going the second time gets to about the 'W', or a third of the way and stops). My DVD drive goes dead and it doesnt do anything. i've left it for hours and come back, only for it to be in the same place, unchanged. I've stripped it down to the mobo, cpu and 1 stick of ram and still the same problem.

the weird thing is, ages ago I installed the beta win 7 no problems, and the only difference was the PSU. Now I have a retail version of ultimate, i seem to be unable to get past this point, regardless of whether i use the x64 or x86 discs.

Anybody able to weigh in as to what might cause it to stop at this point? I've ran the Windows 7 upgrade advisor, which didn't tell me anything was wrong. I was thinking it could be the harddrive, but I reinstalled xp so I could write this post, so it seems like at least one version of windows is able to be installed...



I'll run memtest tonight, but my ram is fairly new and hasn't been causing any problems that i know of.

Welcome!

See my post http://www.sevenforums.com/installat...-problems.html.

Note the part about disconnecting hardware.

Where did you get your copy of Windows 7? Could you have received a bad DVD?

Try creating a bootable installation key: USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

Let's start with that, and if it doesn't work still, we can work on other solutions.

I've read through that thread, and tried what it suggested: disconnecting all hardware except what's needed for the install - and still no dice. I'll try the USB boot method as a last resort, as I don't have a large enough flash drive handy. I thought it might be the disc, but it does this on both the 32 and 64 bit discs at the same point, so it seems a little too coincidental for both discs to be faulty.

One thing to note, which i need to try when i get back from work is: If I install xp, and then insert the 7 dvd to do a custom install, it appears to work up until the point that it boots up into the os for the first time, in which I'm greeted by a blank screen after the windows logo. If I reset it here, it tells me to restart the installation, as it was interupted.

On some of my older machines I had to clear the cmos to get the installation started. It's worked a few times now. Looks like you know what your doing so I won't bother explaining how to clear the cmos.

I haven't done a manual cmos clear via the jumpers yet, but i did restore factory settings when in the bios setup, will it make a difference?

I'd say do actually clear the CMOS. It is possible the factory defaults differ from the motherboard defaults.

Test your RAM 5-6 passes with memtest86. Reseat RAM sticks, swap them around, try only one at a time.

Test your HD using maker's diagnostics/repair full CD scan: Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

Update your BIOS to latest version, try AHCI setting for SATA controlller, then IDE.

Try copying DVD files to XP, running setup from desktop.

Borrow/buy a flashstick to try booted install via USB: USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

As a last resort, remove HD to another machine to install Windows 7. When you return HD to problem machine, if it will start up it will swap out all drivers, requesting several restarts.