After reading loads and loads of threads relating to windows 7 hanging during installation and trying everything I can find (to no avail) I've finally had to resort to asking for help!
The problem
I'm trying to install windows 7 PE 64 bit from an original Microsoft DVD. The setup file loads fine. I can get through the bit where you choose 'custom installation' and then the releavnt partition. It also completes 'copying windows files' almost instantly. It normally runs 'expanding windows files' for a minute or so, sometimes to 1%, but mostly 0% and then hangs, sometimes rebooting as well.
Other problems / indicators of what might be wrong
Firstly, I can install XP fine. And this works without problems, although i haven't used it extensively on this install (being desperate to install windows 7). On the win7 setup program run from boot, if you click on 'repair this computer' it hangs immediately with a long beep. I have only once received a bsod. This said 'Page fault in non paged area'
Solutions I have tried (without success)
Copying the DVD and trying to install from that. The DVD copied fine, but the results are exactly the same.
Using one stick of memory. I've tried just using one stick, swapping them round etc. No joy.
Running memtest. I've run a dos version of memtest86 from a boot flash usb. It's done several passes without any problems at all.
Updating bios. Have updated from 1.1 to 1.3.
Disabling almost everything in bios, including usb.
Upping the ram voltage in bios to 1.65v from the default 1.5v.
Installing to different hard drives, sata and IDE.
Installing from a different DVD drive (IDE) which I know is good. (Weirdly xp installed fine from the sata dvd drive, but it wouldn't start. I disconnected this dvd drive and it loaded fine. Maybe a coincidence, I don't know)
Suggested solutions I haven't tried
The only thing i haven't tried yet is installing win 7 from a usb flash disk, mostly because i don't have a 4gb flash disk. From what i've read, this method is relevant where people are burning bad dvds from the ISO. As I have an original ms disk surely this shouldn't be a problem?
I hope someone can think of something that I can't!
Thanks in advance, and let me know if you need any more info.
You might want to try the first part of the install in Safe-Mode to see if that helps. When prompted to 'Press any key to boot from CD/DVD...' press F8 a few times and select Safe Mode.
Note
It may run the Loading Windows Files first before showing the list
If you can get a USB key, try installing with it so we can rule out any issue with the DVD.
Still install with one RAM card, Win7 64bit is very touchy with RAM.
Are you using DVI or VGA cable?
Try VGA if you can.
You might need to try and borrow another graphics card from somewhere for the installation, if possible.
What is your Plug n Play settings in BIOS?
Dis-able any power saving or CPU usage fan speed control setting in BIOS.
With regards to installing win7 from a usb stick, I actually looked into this and tried to partition a 2gb usb disk and make it bootable using one of the many tutorials on the web. The problem that also seems to keep cropping up in the comments sections of these tutorials is that I want to install a 64 bit version but I'm making the disk in xp 32bit. The bootsect part of the process doesn't work.
People seem to refer to ways to get around this but none of them make sense to me. Is there a way to get round this?
I merely format the USB stick primary, copy the installation files into its root and it shows up in the BIOS Boot Menu (accessed by tapping F10 on my computer) under HDD's.
Right, so I managed to make a 64 bit flash boot disk whilst in vista and xp. You do have to download the 32 bit bootsect.exe file from somewhere. I then used this tutorial.
The flash disk worked fine, booted up and started installing. However, it still crashes at between 25-40 % on 'expanding windows files'. The difference is that it never hangs, just reboots. I tried it in safe mode, it hangs whilst loading the disk.sys driver for a few seconds, but i'm not sure if this is normal. It also managed to get a little further (around 50%) before rebooting.
I also tried installing to an ide hd rather than a sata one, and again this seems to get slightly further.
Could it be the PSU? It's a fairly cheap 500w one that worked fine in my old computer, but I'm thinking that maybe the new cpu, more memory and a better mobo are pushing it over the edge. Might also explain why it lasts longer installing from a usb flash disk rather than a dvd drive (less power?).
