PC keeps rebooting at last step of install

Everything about the install appears to be going fine, but at the last step when it says completing installation, i have problems.

It says it's going to reboot and then does. When it's starting back up, is says setup is updating the registry. Then it says setup is starting services. It restarts again and when it gets to the same spot, out of nowhere the PC reboots and gets to the same point before endless rebooting.

I tried installing both 32 and 64 bit versions but the same problem with both of them. The 32 bit version I was able to get installed just fine on 2 old XP computers my friend had, so I know the disc itself is good.

I've tried just about everything I can think of but can't get past this issue. And every attempt is a big deal because I have to then restore my PC back to the original factory condition and it takes time. I don't have another PC of my own to troubleshoot with either. I've tried raising the RAM to 4GB but that had no effect. I'm sorta a beginner so any help is greatly appreciated.

Funny, it took on the XP machines like nothing but on the Vista machine it's a no go.

Hello garbagedrew and welcome to the Se7enforums!

If you are trying to update and not use the custom install option to replace the existing installations this is where you are running into problems from the start.

The custom install option will pack everything up from the existing XP or Vista installation into the Windows.old folder while the upgrade will stall every time until the finished retail upgrade disks are out on 10/22. At this point MS recommends installing the 7 RCs on a separate partition when you have the free drive space as well as an existing installation already running on the system. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/win...tructions.aspx

With that in mind you will want to look at the tutorial right here on how to go about setting up a dual boot of XP with 7, Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

To see 7 in a dual boot with an existing Vista installation, Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista

For simply seeing a nice clean install of 7 by itself, Clean Install Windows 7

I think you want to look over those last 3 three as well as the information seen on the MS page for deciding on which option you will go with in order to see working results.

Follow this tutorial and you are done: Solved Hard Drive - Unable to Select or Delete during Installation - Vista Forums

Actually you have to consider all the options available if you still want to run XP or Vista on the system 7 goes on. If you simply want 7 only the best option is simply to reformat the entire drive to see a totally fresh clean install of 7 by itself.

In fact that's the usual recommendation MS provides for setting up a test machine while leaving your main drive/OS untouched. A clean install to a second partition later allows you to simply reformat when wanting to remove the temporary install of 7 that would be going on at this time.

You are likely going to find out that you are seeing a hardware problem or bios setting off like ide or ACHI mode stalling the works on you if the dvd saw a good burn and the optical is in good working order. If the burn wasn't complete that will gum up the works simply for having a few setup files missing or incomplete on the disk.

From the problem description it sounds more like one setup file isn't being copied fully to the drive which results in the installation hanging just before you reach the desktop. When you added the new memory in that may have been a mismatch seen there which can hamper things fast! That seems to be the one thing mentioned right off compared to the other XP systems that saw results.

Thanks for the tip! joey2007ua and welcome to the Se7enforums!

The problem with rushing into the native HD resolution with the DVI cable is what you are saying there then. That would be something to consider if garbagedrew is presently using the DVI and not the standard vga depending on the monitor in use there which would likely be an HP model.