Installation Problem

[leanmoha]

Hi
Sorry if this issue has been covered in the mass of previous installation problem threads, but I can't seem to find anything close to what I've got.

Basically I've installed windows 7 on my Acer laptop and a selfbuild desktop and both work perfectly. However when it comes to my main desktop. I can't get it to work 64bit, I've not tried 32bit. It installs fine gets to the post install welcome screen after the forms are filled and reboots.

However upon rebooting, BIOS suddenly is unable to find it and just stops at the point where its searching for a boot device. i.e. It doesn't even get as far as the Windows boot splash. Its like the hard drive is missing. I checked the boot order and everything is fine.

One thing I did notice during install which was very strange was that the boot splash used was the Windows Vista splash not the Windows 7 splash. And I'm using the same DVD as with the previous 2 installs.

My system specs are

AMD Phenom 9850 quad-core 2.5gHz
A-Bit A-S78H motherbord
SB Audigy Platinum
Ge-force 8800GT
200GIG Maxtor (IDE)
250GIG Hitachi (SATA)
LG DL-DVD-RW (SATA)

The installation is on the IDE drive.

 

[zigzag3143]

lean

Is the clock c orrect or does it lose time? Im thinking CMOS battery. how old is the mobo?

ken

 

[myzr7]

Welcome to SevenForums
Are you dual booting or is this the only os on the pc?

 

[leanmoha]

lean

Is the clock c orrect or does it lose time? Im thinking CMOS battery. how old is the mobo?

ken

Thanks,

I got the board around this time last year closer to November last year.
O! re the CPU I just looked at the bios again and its actually an AMD Phenom 9850 quad-core 2.5gHz the operating speed is set to default and I have the cool n quiet function enabled
I'm running on 4gigs of Ram
The system clock is fine as far as I can tell.
SATA type is set to Native IDE combined mode. Anything else and the sata drives don't work. HPET is enabled. I know for some linux distros this has to be disabled otherwise they don't boot

 

[leanmoha]

Welcome to SevenForums
Are you dual booting or is this the only os on the pc?

Its the only OS on this box.

I did try installing Ubuntu 9.04 and kinda same thing happened. It would install but wouldn't boot. But it said unable to find boot drive windows 7 just does nothing so not sure if its the same issue.

I did originally have Vista 32bit installed but I deleted the partition formated using Windows 7 partitioner, then GParted and an acornis disk director I got a few years back. But no difference. Still installing with the Vista boot splash/logo thing and not Windows 7 and not finding the boot drive after install is complete.

Will try disabling HPET and cool n quiet and see if it makes a difference....just tired this, made no difference.

 

[myzr7]

Have you tried to remove the sata's and installing? and also some have had to remove memory to install?

 

[leanmoha]

Have you tried to remove the sata's and installing? and also some have had to remove memory to install?

Will give that a try and see. I think my modo will complain if I took out the memory

 

[DocBrown]

You say you have 4gb ram. How much per each ram stick ?

A lot of members have had the best luck with the initial install of win7 with 2gb ram.

Then add the other 2gb later, like 24 to 48 hours later after any updates have loaded. Also disconnect any peripherials not needed for the Win7 install.
No printers, gamepads, second monitors, scanners, external devices, flash drives etc...

 

[leanmoha]

Myzr7 tried reinstalling without SATAs installed fine but on the post install reboot it came back with

Cdboot: couldn’t find bootmgr

I restart and just same as before asks to press any key to boot from cd. If I press nothing then it just hangs, if I press a key it goes to the installation process again.

 

[leanmoha]

You say you have 4gb ram. How much per each ram stick ?

A lot of members have had the best luck with the initial install of win7 with 2gb ram.

Then add the other 2gb later, like 24 to 48 hours later after any updates have loaded. Also disconnect any peripherials not needed for the Win7 install.
No printers, gamepads, second monitors, scanners, external devices, flash drives etc...

Ram is 2gig per stick.

Will try again taking out the extra 2gig and disconnect the periphs and report back

 

[leanmoha]

You say you have 4gb ram. How much per each ram stick ?

A lot of members have had the best luck with the initial install of win7 with 2gb ram.

Then add the other 2gb later, like 24 to 48 hours later after any updates have loaded. Also disconnect any peripherials not needed for the Win7 install.
No printers, gamepads, second monitors, scanners, external devices, flash drives etc...

Ram is 2gig per stick.

Will try again taking out the extra 2gig and disconnect the periphs and report back

just completed another install with only the bare bones and still refusing to boot. The installer also still had the Windows Vista boot splash

 

[DocBrown]

What is the boot order set at in the Bios setup ?

Also the win vista boot splash sometimes indicates a problem with the video adapter.

Does the Motherboard have an onboard video plug, so that you could take out your graphics card for the initial install ?

Looks like this one is going to be another REAL Trial & Error Test

" Doc "

 

[leanmoha]

Thanks DocBrown

The boot order is
usb-cdrom
cdrom
hhd

Yes it does have an onboard video card ATI HD3200

 

[myzr7]

leanmoha, When the install hangs how long are you waiting before you restart. Have you let it sit for awhile, say hours?

 

[leanmoha]

Thanks DocBrown

The boot order is
usb-cdrom
cdrom
hhd

Yes it does have an onboard video card ATI HD3200

Just tried without the nvidia graphics card, and it still does the same thing. But DocBrown you are correct about the graphics card. With the onboard card I get the Windows 7 boot splash.
The really baffling thing is that all reboots during installation work but the moment it finishes the first time use setup, starts running the welcome screen then reboots itself it stops working.

 

[leanmoha]

leanmoha, When the install hangs how long are you waiting before you restart. Have you let it sit for awhile, say hours?

Nope, once nothing happens at the boot disk search part of startup I restart or turn off. Although to do this I physically have to use the buttons on the box. ctrl+alt+del doesn't work.

The long break between my posts was because I fell asleep. Haven't slept in over 24hrs working on a program I have to get some kinda functionality out of by Monday.

I just noticed the screen on the computer has gone blank, the monitor is still picking up a signal from the box, the keyboard is still locked though.

 

[leanmoha]

Hi guys,

I think I've worked out the issue now, well know what is causing the problem even if I don't know how to fix it.

I just tried a friends Vista 64bit and it too did the exact same thing, it would run the installation successfully, start configuring the system for first time use get to the welcome message just before opening the desktop and then shutdown and the shut down is so quick it can't have done so properly.
Anyway after this shutdown I restart and unlike Windows 7 which just hangs the 64bit Vista starts trying to boot but then goes into a bios command prompt screen and shows the message

acpi
windows loader

From this, I'm guessing its the ACPI settings on my motherboard causing all the problems. Unfortunately I don't know how to change this. Very strange because my 32bit vista works fine.
I'd rather use a 64bit OS since all the components and periphs all come with 64bit support.
Perhaps my best bet is to VMWare Windows through a working linux OS, at least till I can solve the problem or replace the motherboard. Hopefully a lot of the things I need to use windows for will run smoothly loading Windows through VMWare.

Or is there actually a way to get windows to install without ACPI

 

[leanmoha]

can Vista 32bit be upgraded to 7 64bit?

 

[wallyinnc]

can Vista 32bit be upgraded to 7 64bit?

Nope

 

[DocBrown]

Try messing with the ACPI settings in the Bios Setup, ON vs. Off, etc when you re-try the install.