I'll repeat it again: you need to wipe the HD of boot sector code, not reformat it. There should be a Quick wipe function on Seagate Disk Wizard CD. If not do the quick wipe from the Disk tab of Partition Wizard boot CD which should also boot itself.
This should force the installer to boot itself so you can use Custom>Drive options to partition and format, or just click Next to let the installer do it for you: Clean Install Windows 7
YEAHHHH!!! It WORKED!! I reformatted the 1 TB HD and then disconnected that 750GB and connected the now, Clear, 1TB in its place.
I cleared the CMOS, (for the 4th or 5th time), for good measure and then installed the Windows OS DVD in the READER and Viola!! "I have fire!"
So now on to the truly arduous task of updates, updates, and more updates with many restarts and I'll be babysitting it for the next two days, (I hope it's only two days).
To anyone who's having a similar problem as I described, I will say that I attribute all of this trouble to the HP remnants that I had deleted from my new HD after I transferred a system Image to it from my 750GB HD.
The HP tools include startup and diagnostic software to mention just a very few!
HP had a hold of this OS pretty good and I would not have had trouble booting from the DVD if I hadn't deleted HP 'stuff' from the drive and even the registry I think, (CCleaner).
Let it be a lesson. Thank you Greg for sticking close.
Rich
I'm sorry Greg but I just don't think you understood, (or maybe read carefully), my post. I can't imagine what you think I was trying to do. But I can say that I succeeded doing it as I had stated and with no problems.
As a result, I succeeded installing the Windows OS DVD via boot-up through the Reader.
Thanks
Formatting does nothing to clear a HD of code which can conflict and cause installation problems. In these cases what works most often is to wipe the HD before install. That's all.
I'm glad you got it installed. Did the DVD boot itself once you formatted the HD and unplugged the other HD?
I see now. The Windows explanation of using the "long Format" method was that it wipes the drive once as well. It also checks the drive for defects and so I chose that method whcih was considerably longer to complete than the "Quick FormaT".
So I think that I did at least do a light 'wipe' in the process that may be all it needed.
Yes, the Windows DVD booted from the reader and it started immediately just as you would expect if you had placed an empty HD in your system.
I'm sure glad it's over because I lost 26.5 hours on that problem alone.
Thanks again, Rich
No you did not wipe the HD during any process of formatting.
I gave you multiple ways to wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command which you ignored and insist upon confusing with formatting. If you cannot get to the installer Command Line or slave the HD to another OS to run the command from an Elevated Command Prompt, then you can download and burn a DBAN or Partition Wizard bootable CD to boot it to wipe the HD, which will tell you if another disk can boot in the PC or not. If successful it will force the installer to boot itself on a wiped HD.
What was the result of resetting the CMOS, changing SATA controller setting to AHCI, checking for a newer BIOS update? All ignored.
Last edited by gregrocker; 10 Sep 2012 at 12:26.
I'm just too busy to argue the point Greg. I lost too much time with this problem and so I don't have the time to look up and copy & Paste the "Long Format/First light level wipe” that Windows formatting procedure does explain in various posts and topics. In other words, the details of this procedure are in at least two places on the web that I was at last night...
It does indeed do a light wipe, (I'm paraphrasing), the exact term used escapes me at the moment, (as I said, I'm pretty busy).
I have TWO Drive wiping programs of which one is payware. I've had and used them for at least 6 months. I know that I asked for help with this issue, which I will remind you was escaping every solution that we threw at it including the ones you offered.
Yes, there were some suggestions you made that I tried and others that I didn't for reasons that I think someone of your intelligence should easily understand.
I even explained that reason at least once before but once again, I think you were not reading some of my posts as carefully as you should have, (albeit, long as they were). Anyway, I had explained that I chose not to use SOME of your suggestions because they were going to take longer than more 'basic' approaches such as wiping/formatting the drive which WAS harboring the problem.
Other suggestions you made were just off the mark by quite a bit, (such as the Disc is scratched, the reader is bad), and any of the suggestions that focused on either of those two points were just not right.
You would have realized that if you read my posts regarding the fact that the DVD's , (two remember?), both worked properly in my wife’s computer as well as the USB's which didn't work on MY computer and the fact that my reader was able to read & write in the tests that I had done and then posted.
My point is obvious; if the DVD's and USB's work without hesitation in my wife's computer and DVD reader is doing everything it's supposed to do yet the OS DVD doesn't boot from the reader, then it's VERY unlikely, (not impossible), that the problem lies within either of those areas.
Therefore, pursuing suggestions in that area would be a waste of time, (which I did not have). So again, I thank you for sticking with me and I'm sorry that you apparently feel as if I wasn't trying the suggestions you made as some kind of insult.
It was not intended that way and in fact, I'm 56 years old, have a 138 IQ, (MENSA certified, not that online 20 question crap), and know more about computers than you seemed to have given me credit for.
My terminology of some of the procedures may not be exact but I make up for it with clear explanations in my posts. Just because someone asks for help on ANY subject that has such an unusual root problem as this did, does not mean they don't know anything about the subject at all.
It means that they know enough to understand that they don't have all the answers and want to hear opinions/suggestions from others who may or may not have the answer. But two heads on a difficult problem as this are better than one.
I didn't take offence when your statements implied somewhat less-than-flattering indications of my ability to grasp and understand the problem, nor did I get angry that you had apparently not read SOME of my posts carefully. That’s because it doesn't help me with the problem at hand and is unproductive.
If you should happen to read this post in its entirety, you should know that I appreciated your help on the matter and though I won't say that some your later suggestions would not have helped, I can say that my decision to use the Windows 'Long-Version' formatting worked and was the fastest solution to the problem.
Thanks again, Rich
I will TRY to mark this as "Solved" even though I didn't start this Topic, (again, that was something I mentioned in a post that I placed to you in the Topic I did start, (exact Title escapes me at the moment). However, if you see the Topic is still not listed as Resolved, it will mean that I don't have access to that option.
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