Windows 7 stuck at "setup is preparing your computer for first use"

2gb RAM is where the minimum is normally set, however I have a laptop which runs Win7 pretty smoothly with 1gb RAM, although I don't use gadgets on it and only protect with Defender.

I prefer 32 bit for 4gb RAM or less for better performance.

That said, on newer hardware 4gb sometimes seems too skimpy depending upon your needs. If it hangs or bogs at all I would not hesitate to upgrade to 6-8 or more if needed. Win7 should never hang or bog at all on adequate hardware with a perfect install.

I am using a genuine installation disk. I have also tried another windows 7 disk that I know have been working in the past and i got the same results. Currently I am trieng to instal "Win Home Prem 7 SP1 64-bit English 1pk DSP OIE 611 DVD" or at lest that’s what it says on the box it came in.

To gregrocker
Thanks for trying to help, but I already tried doing a clean installation, and instilling in both UEFI and legacy mode. non of it made any difference.

I am using the RAM from my old PC. it's a set of two corsair CM3X2G1600C9DHX and they worked fine a few days ago on another pc running windows 7 64bit.

Try the steps I gave you which overcome 90% of install failures.

gregrock I already tried the step you are describing (in fact I think I originally got the idea from another of your posts on this web page) with no luck so I have little hope of it working on a second try, but I will try again as I have few other ideas what to do.

How exactly does Setup fail in the final steps? Does it just quit working, give an error, go blank?

If it's in the Drivers-loading phase it needs to be using a VGA monitor to be sure it will load driver and continue displaying. There is also a workaround for checking for drivers which may be failing in Device Manager during the install: Device Manager - Access During Windows 7 Installation

The screen keeps displaying "Setup is preparing your computer for first use" it is not frozen. It just doesn't move on. It sometimes it gets to the next step "setup is checking video performance" but then it halts there. One time I got as far as the desktop, but the pathfinder did not work, and I have not been able to get that far ever since.

In the device manager all drivers appears to be okay, I ran the memory test with no errors, and it did not help to use a VGA monitor.

See what happens if you give it more time to complete.

What pathfinder didn't work the time you got to the desktop?

Can you get to Windows UPdates to run all Important and Optional, with reboots, keep checking for more Updates until there are no more. You may need a performance Update for that unit, or a driver.

Read over the steps in the Clean Reinstall tutorial in my signature pic below to see what works best.

I only got that fare once and I was basically unable to do anything. When I tried accessing any drive or folder I got an error message stating something like "pathfinder is not working"

I am try the clean install again right now and crossing my fingers that it will work this time.

Still no luck. The installation won't move on from "setup is preparing your computer for first use". If i wait a few hours the computer reboots with a black screen where nothing is happening.