Windows 7 Install fails over and over

[xanth]

Well here's the short story.

Have a Sony VGC-LT18E, Vista 64 bit, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD.

Vista crashed last week, the disks wouldnt recover it, couldn't find a system restore, wouldn't fix it, nothing. Picked up Windows 7 and did a clean install which worked great (64 bit). Spent the past week (with help from this board) finding the drivers to make everything work.

Today, out of the blue, received a blue screen that said an error in windows and shut down. Wouldn't restart windows, wouldn't find an operating system when I tried. Put in the Windows 7 did, tried a system repair and system restore (which failed). The computer wouldn't boot up without the Windows 7 CD, trying by itself just led to the no operating system error.

Used the installation CD to completely wipe the drive and tried to re-install Windows 7, made it to 99% then popped up with an error message "windows cannot access the installation sources"

If I didn't like the computer so much I'd just junk it and go buy a new one, but I really don't want to do that (but i'm really starting to think about the time i've invested this past week....)

My only last thought before I just buy a new machine is to buy a new hard drive (maybe the hard drive has issues?) It's about 3 years old, so not that old.

I've read some threads on here, but there's alot of info and not too sure where to start, or if I should just give up and go shopping.

Anyone have any thoughts? I know it's not much info to go on... How do you know if the HD is toast or not?

 

[theog]

Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
HD Diagnostic

 

[gregrocker]

What were the exact results of running the DVD Repair console's offered repair, Startup Repair and System Restore? Boot back in to try Startup Repair again a few times. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html

Follow HD diag/repair CD test (linked in post above) with Disk Check run from booted Install DVD Repair console Command Line: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html

Next test your RAM with memtest86 for 5-6 passes: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

Next try resetting the CMOS: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS

Check the SATA controller in BIOS setup, set to AHCI to try install: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS

 

[IT PRO]

boot from the windows 7 dvd
update your bios

 

[xanth]

What were the exact results of running the DVD Repair console's offered repair, Startup Repair and System Restore? Boot back in to try Startup Repair again a few times. Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

It would run the startup repair, report no errors, then when it restarted, the Vaio splash screen would come up for a few minutes, then it would just pop up no operating system found.

Thanks for the comments. I'll run some of those troubleshooting tests when I get home this afternoon. I tried the RAM test, but couldn't get the system to boot from that CD (boots from the windows 7 cd fine)

I wiped the drive again last night before I went to bed and tried to load Windows 7 this morning, just for grins I guess, and it still wouldn't boot.

Windows failed to start screen, required file missing/corrupt. WMILB.SYS Status 0xc000000f.

I'll run some more of the troubleshooting this afternoon.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello xanth.



When you use the term "wipe" are you referring to this method to over-write all the data on the entire HDD with zeroes?

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation



Try that and use the outline in Step Two #2 to create a single 100GB partition to try an install to.

 

[theog]

Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
HD Diagnostic

Did you check your HD?