Cannot install Windows 7

There's definatley an error with that partition. You told windows 7 to delete the partition?

And you've tried it again since freeing some disc space? Hmmmm...perhaps you should try gparted: Download GParted from SourceForge.net burn it, run the disc and format the partition

brad1377 said:

Hey guys, I did some searching around the internet for some smart folks and landed here. I decided to go with the downloadable upgrade of Windows 7, and I've been having nothing but problems. I've been reading all over here and other sites and frankly my head hurts. First, the ever so important specs:

Dell Vostro 1500 laptop
Current OS: Windows Vista Home Premium
Upgrading to: Windows 7 Home Premium
Intel Core2 Duo CPU T7250 @ 2.00 GHz
2.00 GB RAM
Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Family

Basically, it won't allow me to do a clean install. It gives me Error Code 0xE0000100. So I gave up on that route and decided to go with the upgrade. Well, it goes through the first 2 steps fine, but it messes up on the expanding files part. Basically it gets to 21%, the computer restarts back into the setup and after a few minutes of "Gathering Files", a popup comes up and tells me that it can't be installed and that I have to go back to my recovered version of Vista and try again.

Does anyone have any clues as to how I can get around this and install 7?

Welcome to Seven Forums.

How did you install the ISO file? Burn to DVD?
If you burned it, what speed did you use?
Which burning program?
What DVD did you use?

We've seen a lot of errors due to burning DVDs.
Searching this error code, several people said that re-burning the ISO at slow speed 2x fixed the problem.

If you have a 4GB USB memory stick, try putting it on there.
USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create

There are several common issues that should be checked, See the sticky thread:

Questions to use for help with Installation Issues

A quick reference to Seven Forums tutorials:

Tutorial quick reference list for Installing Windows 7

You can run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if there are any hardware or driver issues.

The Error Code 0xE0000100 does indicate a partition error as tw33k mentioned, but it doesn't hurt to check the other possibilities since you've tried the custom and upgrade methods.

You are using the Win7 Home Premium upgrade version, correct?

Let us know how it's going.

gregrocker said:

The problem could be that the small partition at the end of the drive is marked Active. Try marking your Vista part Active and run the installer from there.

I agree with Dave that it sounds like a DVD burn failure. I use ImgBurn at slow (4x) burn and verify and it never fails.

I was just looking at that partition on the end.

Are you using that for anything? It's hidden and almost empty. It's got your MBR in it now.

Since the error code concerns partitioning, It could have been trying to install to that too-small partition which is marked Active like it might have started installing there?

That looks like what it was trying to do.

gregrocker said:

The problem could be that the small partition at the end of the drive is marked Active.

Try marking your Vista part Active and run the installer from there.

Since the error code concerns partitioning, It could have been trying to install to that too-small partition which is marked Active like it might have started installing there?

Yeah...I was just thinking the same thing. He should change that when he runs gparted