Win 7 install doesn't finish

Hello All,

I have a HP XW8600 that already has one partition with 2008R2 64bit installed, and I am trying to install Win 7 home premium 64bit on the same disk in an empty space of the disk.

The problem I am running into is that after the initial install of Win7, it does that without issue. When it reboots to finish the install, is shows the splash screen and then stop on a black screen and all I can see is the mouse and that's it. The drive light is on solid and can't do anything with it.

Any suggestions would help!

Thanks in advance!

Back up an image of the existing partition if you must save it. Unplug all other HD's and peripherals,

Boot into BIOS setup, reset to defaults, save changes. (If an EFI BIOS you'll need to decide if you want UEFI BIOS vs. Legacy BIOS. If UEFI follow these special steps for Install, otherwise enable Legacy BIOS or Compatibility Support Module to proceed with normal install.) Set DVD drive first to boot, HD second, set SATA controller to AHCI, Save changes and Exit.

Then boot into Windows 7 installer DVD or flash stick burned or written using tool and latest ISO for your licensed OS version here.

At first installer screen Press Shift + F10, or enter System Recovery Options to open a Command Box, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0 (after confirming Windows 7 target HD #)
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=102400 (for 100gb partition, adjust as desired)
FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="WINDOWS 7"
ACTIVE
EXIT
EXIT

Next click Install Now, then Custom install to Clean Install Windows 7 to the partition you created. If it fails then report back at which step and the verbatim error message.

In addition read over these steps to understand the tools and methods which work best to get and maintain a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. The steps are the same for retail.

After install you can adjust partition size or Create new partitions for data, etc. in Disk Mgmt. You are creating the partition here for the purpose of wiping the HD and marking Active which overcomes certain install failures.

@AddRAM - I got the disk from Newegg.

@gregrocker - Thanks for the info. I'll try what you suggested and report back when I get a chance. Hopefully it is just bad media. I don't see why I could install 2K8R2 and not Win7.

Well...pulled a n00b on this one. After playing with it some more, I was able to figure it out.

Under my 2008R2 install, the monitor 1 port is different than the Win7 install. So the black screen that I was seeing after the reboots was because I was looking at the second monitor out. I figured it out because I was moving the mouse around and I saw that it didn't stop at the edge of the monitor on the left side, but it just kept going. So, just to try it, I moved the monitor over to the other port and I was able to see the install screens.

Everything is fine now and I was able to get Win7 installed.

Thanks for your help and time anyways!

Had we known you were using multiple monitors it would have alerted us to what was going wrong at reboot during install. The same thing can happen if ported to a TV or projector.