Solved Error while installing Win7 64bit; 'Unexpected error'

[Auvic]

Hi, whoever's reading this.

I recently wiped my drive with both diskpart -> full clean and clean to try and fix up my drive so that I could use it again after a nasty virus infection, but nothing seems to be working right now, including my drive. After my most recently diskpart -> clean, I tried to reinstall Win7, and got an error during the installation; after rebooting, I got a different error that seems to loop in a reboot->error->reboot cycle.

The error title is "Install Windows", and the text reads:
The computer restarted unexpectedly or encountered an unexpected error. Windows installation cannot proceed. To install Windows, click "OK" to restart the computer, then restart the installation.

I got a Win7 repair .iso online and burned it to a USB and made a bootable USB. I also have my Win7 upgrade disk that I've been using to reinstall Win7, but regardless of which method I use, I get the error and get kicked right back out. I've tried to do as much as I possibly can to fix/diagnose/anything this issue, but I haven't figured much out, and google doesn't seem to have much either.

Help, anyone?

 

[karlsnooks]

wipe the disk once again with DiskPart and Clean.

Go to this website and download the desired ISO, burn the ISO to DVD and install Win 7.

Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

 

[Auvic]

I burned that .iso to a flash drive using the Win USB/DVD tool, and though I managed to use the drive to install Win7 before, I've been having issues with it attempting to boot from the flash drive over and over instead of finishing the installation.

Going to clean the HDD again and reset the boot order so that the HDD is on top again, and see if that'll fix it.

 

[karlsnooks]

auvic,
I've seen this problem on UFDs that go bad, which they will.

Recommend that your format the UFD as NTFS. Do NOT perform a Quick Format.

Run CHKDSK /R G: where G is the letter assigned to your UFD.

Now use that tool to put the ISO on to the UFD.

 

[Auvic]

Got a clean install to work, sort of. Win7 doesn't appreciate that I'm using an upgrade disk to do this, so I forked over the money for a real DVD. I feel disgusting.

In other news, I tried to install my graphics drivers - AMD Radeon HD card - and the first install failed.
Uninstalled, disabled UAC, and drivers installed correctly. Rebooted to finish installation, and it failed due to lack of .net framework.
Uninstalled, installed .net, reinstalling graphics drivers again.

My overall progress was
1. wireless adapter driver
2. MSE
3. directx

Is there some sort of order I should have tried to get my drivers in so that I wouldn't run into "oh, you don't have _____" issues?

 

[karlsnooks]

Perform a 100% clean install.

Win 7's built-in drivers are very complete. You shouldn't need any driver downloads.
As long as after a truly clean install of Win7, your system is usable, then:
1. MSE.
2. Update your Win 7 100% using following procedure and remember this is Win and not eXPired.

UPDATING YOUR WIN 7
1. ASSURE THAT YOU RECEIVE ALL UPDATES
WIN | type WINDOWS UPDATE | ENTER |
Change settings (left-hand column) |
checkmark all four of the boxes | OK button

Approve any dialog boxes presented. Let Windows install any update features.

WIN is the key with the Microsoft flag on top.

2. INSTALL CRITICAL UPDATES
Check for Updates (left-hand column)
Install ALL critical updates.
Restart your computer (even if not prompted)

Repeat this procedure until there are no more critical updates.

DO NOT TRUST the “Windows is up to date” in center of dialog. until you see that TWICE IN A ROW!

3. INSTALL IMPORTANT UPDATES
Use the “critical update” procedure until all important updates are installed.

4. INSTALL OPTIONAL UPDATES
Under Optional updates you will be presented with:
a) Microsoft Bing Desktop which is of questionable value
b) a list of about 34 language updates.

You can hide those updates so that aren't continually notified of those updates.
When you click on 34+ optional updates are available, then you
a) highlight all of the language updates,
b) right-click anywhere in the highlighted list.
c) click on Hide Updates,
d) OK button.
Install ALL other Optional Updates.
Use the “critical update” procedure.

UPDATE GOLDEN RULES
Install ALL, yes, ALL updates.
This is Win 7 and not Vista or XP (eXPired).

UPDATE IS HUNG –TAKING FOREVER
Hung is very doubtful unless you interrupted updates.

CTRL + SHIFT + ESC key combo will pop-up the Task Manager.
Lo and behold, Windows Update is still running!

You hold down the CTRL and SHIFT keys.
While holding them down, tap the ESC key once.

 

[Auvic]

I've got all the updates installed aside from SP1. I can't manage to install that through Windows Update, and now all my internet browsers are crashing; IE and Chrome, that is - I didn't have enough time to even try and install firefox.

...No idea how to get SP1 to install, and I don't really have any workarounds that're working, since I can't really access the internet right now.

 

[gregrocker]

Why don't you ask before you pay for an installer for a license you already own? We could have easily told you how to http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html.

You were given a link to the latest installer which has SP1 in it so why are you trying to install SP1?

Are you confused that this is XP and you must install a bunch of drivers? Win7 is driver-complete in the installer and quickly updated via optional Windows Updates when you enable to Automatically get recommended drivers and updates for your hardware. Only import drivers which are missing in Device Manager after all updates, or to get the Wireless or Ethernet driver installed to do updates.

The Best Practices are here for http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 based on countless thousands of installs we've helped with here , and pertain equally to retail installs.

If you've varied much from the steps given then I'd start over deleting all partitions during booted install with the installer we provided, not the one you paid for which ripped you off.

 

[Auvic]

As far as the clean install from Upgrade:
I did a clean install using the upgrade disk, and when I tried to verify my key after installation, it told me that it recognized it as an upgrade key, and so it wasn't valid for use after a clean installation. :/
I can run a custom install, and see if it works any better, though.

I got the link, checked the download for the 64bit .iso, and found that that's the same .iso I've been using for my bootable USB. I've been refreshing the programming on my bootable USB over this past week -since I've been attempting to debug this for a week now, with no success- and I've used that .iso to make the USB bootable fresh every couple days or so, including last night, which was my most recent install.

Regardless of which .iso I'm using, though, Windows Update tells me that I'm missing SP1, and that I need to download it.
Similarly, My Computer->Properties / Winver.exe confirms that I don't have SP1 installed, so I'm not sure why it's not recognizing it. If I have it, I mean.

Am I confused that this is XP? No.
Do I think I need to install a bunch of drivers? I'm not sure, honestly. I've installed pretty much nothing aside from MSE, DirectX, and my graphics drivers, and I can't even manage to get my browsers to work properly.

Pardon the tone of frustration here, but it's hardly as if I haven't been reading around and trying to solve this problem for a while now. The win7 install can be as driver-complete as you think, but when I boot up, install my internet, and find out that there's 96 different updates that I need to grab through Windows Update, it doesn't seem to be nearly as complete as people like to say it is.

96 recommended updates, that is. I had 50-60 optional updates to install, too.

 

[gregrocker]

I'm sorry we didn't have the chance to intervene before you paid for an installer which apparently didn't even have SP1 or the thousands of extra drivers in the latest official installer.

What we can do now for you is assure you get a perfect http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 using the installer given in Step 1. Read over the steps and ask back any questions to get the steps done correctly.

To get the cleanest possible slate I would first wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command to overwrite any conflicting boot code that can sometimes cause problems: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

 

[Auvic]

I just ordered the Win7 DVD from Amazon, so it actually wasn't that big of a deal for me to go back in and (attempt to) cancel the order. Since it's the weekend, it wouldn't arrive until Tuesday at the earliest anyway, so I doubt much has been done on their end to complicate things.

As I mentioned earlier, though, I'm already using that .iso, but for the sake of doing so, I'm downloading another copy that I'll use to re-do my bootable USB and try to clean install again.

Thus:
1. In progress.
2. Waiting on download to complete.
3. Wiping drive. Nothing I care to back up.
4. Don't have any recovery disks, so eh.
5. Got Belarc, will run after installation of Win7.
6. Key is on my CD case, next to me.
7. Necessary installers (read: adapter installer) already loaded on secondary USB device.
8. All other peripherals have long been disconnected, and I just ran diskpart clean, so there's nothing left to worry about anyway.
9 and on. Waiting on installation to complete further steps; I'll continue to update my progress as things go on.

 

[gregrocker]

Sounds good. Keep us posted.

 

[Auvic]

First download of the .iso registered as "invalid .iso" by the Win7 USB/DVD tool; tried renaming, didn't change anything. Deleted, downloading new copy.

Whee.

 

[Auvic]

After installing, I tried to install the driver for my wireless adapter, but Windows Explorer is crashing. Thoughts?

Or rather, as soon as I try to open anything, it immediately gives me "Windows Explorer is restarting".
I can open the start menu and my recycle bin, but that's about it. IE, WMP, My Documents are down.

 

[gregrocker]

Install the chipset drivers from your computer or mobo maker's Support Downloads webpage. See if that stabilizes Explorer enough to install Wireless/Ethernet driver and get online to Update.

 

[Auvic]

From here: GIGABYTE - Motherboard - Socket 775 - GA-EP45-UD3P (rev. 1.0) I grabbed the Intel Inf drivers.
I can't run the .exe from my USB, and I can't install from the desktop either.

Try it in safe mode, or will there be no difference?

 

[gregrocker]

Try it to see.

 

[Auvic]

Plain reboot seems to have reset the Explorer problems, but I installed the chipset drivers anyway, just in case.

Well, reset the explorer problems long enough for me to install my wireless, at least. Internet connection seems to be working, but Windows Update gives me error 8024001b, which google says is due to a pending update to windows update. Well and so, but my ability to restart the computer was having issues due to Explorer crashing again.

Task Manager -> Log Off; log off started going before Explorer crashed, but I didn't have enough time to copy down the error code before the log off finished.

When Explorer starts crashing, should I just try rebooting and hope it fixes itself?

 

[gregrocker]

Rebooting is good during setup.

Will it stabilize in Safe Mode with Networking?

 

[gregrocker]

Make sure you know the correct mobo version 1.1 or 1.6 then look in the small dropdown at BIOS updates to see if there is a newer one available than the one shown on BIOS splash screen or in Belarc Advisor.

Test your RAM and HD to clear hardware as well as other Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7.