Home Built Computer, Fresh Install Failing due to "unexpected error"

[Unisizo]

Home Built Computer, Fresh Install Failing due to "unexpected error"

"The computer restarted unexpectedly or encountered and unexpected error. Windows installation cannot proceed. To install Windows, click "OK" to restart the computer, and the restart installation."

I have a home built computer using parts from Frys electronics. This is my second home built computer and is intended to be a game machine. I've managed to reach this point of the install. Windows 7 has been giving me trouble every step of the way, but this one has stumped me. This error message (above) appears right around the time I would expect to see my desktop. After loading as though everything is going fine, the error box shows up. I received a copy of windows 7 as an ISO file from a University of Washington faculty download, which I then mounted with daemon tools lite to find the setup1.box setup2.box and windows 7 exe file. After copying those files to my laptop's hard drive, running the exe, I then executed:
oscdimg.exe –bC:\expandedSetup\boot\etfsboot.com –u2 –h -m -lWIN_EN_DVD C:\expandedSetup\ C:\Win7.iso
to create the bootable file, I finally got a bootable copy of windows 7 burned to disk with imgburn @ 1x speed (tried initially with 8x and decided to do everything by the book after it gave me troubles). I then used that to install on a fresh and totally empty hard drive. The computer returned numerous error messages, which I have forgotten. After troubleshooting each one (one solution included wiping the hard drive with my media computer (the only other computer in the house running with SATA drives) and doing a long format.) I finally reached this point. The bios settings have been changed to "Optimal defaults" and "fail-safe defaults" at various points in this two day old computer's history. The motherboard has been replaced.
CPU: i5 750
MOBO: MSI H55M-E33 (bios appears to be from AMI)
GPU: GeForce 7200gs (stand in until ATI 4850 arrives in mail)
RAM: Corsair tw3x4g1333c9a 2x2gb
HDD: WD10EALS 1tb (purchased OEM)
DVD Drive: ASUS DRW24B1ST
AUDIO: Realtek ALC889 (on board)
PSU: Earthwatts 650W
Case: Zalman Z7 plus


I don't want to tell you what I've done for fear of causing you to overlook whatever it is I am overlooking. I'd rate myself as an avid hobbyist, but this problem appears to require a professional. Any and all help greatly appreciated. I have five days to fix this before we leave town and the hardware becomes non returnable (be out of town for too long, 30 days expires). Any and all help is greatly appreciated, I'll be at the computer for 100% of the next five days until this is up and running. Please feel free to ask anything at all, and thanks so much for the help!

 

[Unisizo]

Literally as I finished typing this, the problem was resolved by my dad (we'd been tag teaming the issue for two days now.) He read about an issue involving having over two gigabytes of ram installed while trying to install windows 7. He used the custom install, chose advanced options and reformatted as he installed with only two gigs of ram (a single stick in the #1 slot). As the computer finally worked he uttered a line I'll remember always: "buddy, we have a recycling bin"

 

[Petey7]

Edit: never mind. I might want to use that line in my sig. Yes, it is that awesome.

I don't understand the process you used for making the disc. All you had to due was use imgburn to burn the iso file directly to a DVD. Did you do what you did for a particular reason. We love playing around with 7 here, and don't care what you might have changed.

 

[Unisizo]

The file i received when written to disk using imgburn did not produce a bootable disk. I had to get the files that came out of the iso on to my computer in order to create a bootable disk. Those files (setup1.box setup2.box and en_windows blah blah.exe) were supposed to create a folder called expandedSetup in their own directory, which I would then use to create the bootable disk. I should note that I did exactly what you said at first, which was only the first of many problems. More on that here: How to Create and Make Bootable Windows 7 ISO from EXE Plus Setup1.Box and Setup2.Box Files » My Digital Life


And to clarify, my problem is RESOLVED and confirmed, the 2gb of ram (single stick) during install solved it. Nothing else was changed.