MS-6585 motherboard installation

So I tried removing the extra RAM and the graphics card and attempted a clean installation - still no go.

So I took the formatted drive out of the offending machine and installed it in my primary PC - having first disconnected the two existing drives. Windows 7 installed from the upgrade DVD with no problems, so with mounting excitement I reinstalled the drive in the original machine along with the extra RAM and graphics card.

On first powering up the 'Starting Windows' text appeared but then the machine rebooted and announced that Windows had failed to load; offering the options of repairing the installation or continuing to load Windows as normal. Choosing the repair option gives 'Windows is loading files ...' followed by a blank screen - the machine is then locked up (no further disc activity and the only control that works is the power switch). Choosing to load Windows as normal results in a reboot and the same boot selector screen.

I'm grateful to Gregrocker for the idea of installing the OS using another machine - but have we now established that the PC is incapable of running Windows 7, or is there something else I could have missed?

Boot from the Windows 7 DVD select Repair my computer then click through to Recovery tools and run Startup Repair repeatedly until it starts Win7.

Failing that, tap F8 at bootup to try to get into Safe Mode, then run Repair Install from Win7 desktop in Safe mode to reacclimate OS to the new hardware.

Latest news:

The system won't boot from the MS Win 7 disc, nor from the one I created using the Vista boot sector. In the latter case it tries to load files, but then the screen goes blank and the system is locked - though the drive light remains lit.

Next I tried F8 at startup, and selected Safe Mode. A list of loaded files scrolled down the screen, until it stopped at 'Loaded: \windows\system32\DRIVERS\disk.sys'. Then, as usual, the system locked up and refused to respond to stimuli.

I'll see what else I can think of, but at the moment I need a drink!

Well, I was convinced that Gregrocker's technique - moving the target hard disk to an alternative machine and installing the Windows 7 OS there before returning the drive to its home machine - would have to work. In a sense it has, because it has ruled out any possibility that the problems I was experiencing were simply 'installation' problems. I know now that I have a working copy of Windows 7 on the C: drive of my machine, yet the OS still will not start - not even in safe mode - and I cannot boot from the Windows 7 DVD. I am back to thinking that the problem lies in some peculiarity of the hardware on the MS-6585 motherboard that is not picked up by the Windows Upgrade Advisor.

Anyway, on this side of the Atlantic it's time to celebrate the New Year so I'm off to do just that. Perhaps 2010 will bring new inspiration!

Happy New Year to you all!

Nothing will help if the hardware itself can't support the o/s.

Nevertheless, it's worth a try.

SIW2, which is the free Paragon download he would use to add-on Adaptive Restore?

Paragon Software: Download free partition software for home

Paragon Adaptive Restore (Add-on for Hard Disk Manager 2009 Suite and Pro) - Overview

Greg,

As it says - it an add on for HDM Suite or Pro.

You have to own the products to get it.

They were giving away to anybody a variation of it in RC form, I think it is called Virtualization Manager 2009 RC - don't know if they still are.

Did you install Win7 on a machine with same number of cores as problem machine? That has what's always worked for me when moving HD to another machine to install.

gregrocker said:

Did you install Win7 on a machine with same number of cores as problem machine? That has what's always worked for me when moving HD to another machine to install.

The machine I used to install Win 7 has a Pentium dual core processor, whereas the target machine has a single core Pentium 4. Not sure why that should make a difference ... Naturally I installed the 32-bit version.

To answer your earlier question, the Windows Upgrade Advisor gave the Pentium 4 system a clean bill of health, with the proviso that it wouldn't be able to run the Aero interface (no big deal).