Strange Install Problem

Are you trying to install Win7 or start the OS on the PC now? The steps I gave you for Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums are to get Win7 installed. I asked you to complete each step without skipping any and report back as you went. Where did it say anything about trying to boot into the XP you have on the drive now?

Please continue with the steps if you want to install Win7. You'll need to make a bootable Win7 installation DVD or flash stick. For this make sure you have an intact ISO by downloading another at Win7 Home Premium x86 SP1 English Official ISO download - with 2gb RAM you want to install 32 bit (x86) Win7 for best performance.

Then burn to DVD or flash stick using the tool provided, boot the disk as shown in How to Boot your Computer from a Bootable CD or DVD and proceed with the steps in Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums

I am trying to install Windows 7,as I said in my original post "I already have XP installed" and I am having problems trying to install Windows 7.I was just keeping you up to date with what is happening.I altered the BIOS ( as mentioned above ) and now I can only boot into XP ( in safe mode )when I altered the BIOS it automatically made the first boot the HDD thats why when Win 7 wont install I have the option of booting XP ( because it is already installed )
So to recap, everything is as I said above except that F12 ( Boot Options ) dont work so I cant boot from CD/DVD or USB.







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What brand PC or mobo do you have? If you know for sure the key for Boot Menu is F12 then what is not working about it? Can you get the BOot Menu? Does it have the DVD or flash stick listed to choose? What happens then if you choose it?

If the DVD or flash stick isn't listed or doesn't boot, then download and burn another from Steps 1 and 2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 because they may not be burned correctly. This is one of the steps in Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums so it should already have been done if you are working through the steps.

As a last resort you can shrink XP using Partition Wizard bootable CD:Partition Wizard Resize Partition - Video Help.

Then rightclick the Win7 installer's Setup .exe file to Run as Adminstrator from XP. Clean Install Windows 7

As mentioned above my Mobo is a gigabyte H55M-UD2H.Before setting the BIOS I was able to access the boot menu with F12 its only after I set the BIOS to AHCI that I can no longer get the boot menu.Should I reset the BIOS ? and which option is that.
When I could access the boot menu I could boot from DVD ( thats when the win 7 instilation would hang on " starting windows" I could also boot from USB.
I have Partition manager on USB which has a lot of HDD options and when I could boot from DVD I could also boot into Linux. The only OS that would not boot/install was windows 7

I've never heard of changing the BIOS SATA controller setting to the preferred AHCI causing the one-time Boot Menu to stop working. It must be something else. You have tried also booting known-good media like your partition manager? If it boots then I would definitely try another Win7 installer from Steps 1/2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. If the DVD boot doesn't work then change to flash stick. This almost always solves failure to boot, providing you are correctly accessing the Menu and finding the correct listing - flash stick might be under HD's, Removable, USB requiring you to expand the listing to see it.

If you cannot get the Boot Menu to work with AHCI you can always change it back but since you had a problem with the 7 media before I'd bet that is the likely issue.

You can also shrink XP using the Partition Manager mentioned to run Win7 Setup file from XP, choose the space you made to install create and format a partition for install.

If you don't care about wiping XP you can also wipe the drive with Diskpart Clean Command which also overcomes many installation failures, but at least will force the Win7 installation media to autostart to begin the install providing it is burned correctly, which I seriously doubt.

All I can say is that I had the F12 boot options before ( I booted Linux,I booted partition manager from USB and I tried to boot/install windows 7 ) after changing the BIOS I still have F12 boot options BUT whichever option I choose the PC loads from HDD ( wich is my XP instalation) it then goes back to the mobo screen UNLESS I start XP in safe mode.
The bottom line is: I had XP up and running and I want to have windows 7 in a dual boot system.At the moment all I have is XP BUT only in safe mode.
As far as media is concerned.I have the original ( shop bought ) windows 7 DVD I made 1 copy and tried that I downloaded 2 copies from the MS backup site and tried them as well. I burnt these copies using Imgburn and variefied the disk each time.
I am not into pulling PCs apart BUT I am quite comfortable using the command prompt, the BIOS and various commands from the disk management option.
How do I get the BIOS back to default ?
Because as I said after going to AHCI all I have now is XP in safe mode,at least before I changed the BIOS I could load XP,Linux and Partition manager which gives me more options to try and fix this problem.

Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS

I must have missed your reply to the option I've given repeatedly now to run the Win7 installation Setup (as Administrator) from XP, after shrinking XP Partition using Partition Wizard.

You can also use the Partition Wizard CD which will autostart on its own, to Quick Wipe the Hard drive. THis will in turn force the installer to autostart on a blank hard drive.

I've now written these last two steps out several times. Please reply to all of the steps I propose and not just the ones which interest you. This type of troubleshooting requires the utmost thoroughness, missing nothing.

I did what you suggested,I booted into XP then I put the Win 7 disk in the DVD drive.I then explored the disk in the drive and clicked on "run setup" and I was able to ibstall windows 7.
So thank you for all the help you have given,there is one thing I would like to know though......What caused this problem and how did booting into XP and installing from there work ?
After your reply I will mark this thread as Solved.
Thank you very much again.

You were unable to boot the disk for some reason. We know the disk is working now that it installed from XP, but that is only a workaround since the Disk should be booted to install.

I would be concerned about whether you can boot a disk now for repairs if needed. Try another bootable disk like XP to see if it will still boot, then make your System Repair Disk to see if it will boot if repairs are necessary from disk System Recovery Options.

Did you try making a bootable Win7 installation Flash stick from Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 to see if that would boot and install?

No, I didnt make a win 7 USB.I was going to but as you can see it wasnt needed.
Ok, I will see if I can make a repair disk,I will have to read your instructions on how to do it.