Installing Win7 OEM on second HD

[brenobacci]

Hi guys,

First of all, I'd like to thank you for all the help - I've been using these forums for the past few days and it's been really helpful.

I've tried looking everywhere for ways to fix my problem, but now I'm about to give up or try something drastic. I thought I should ask you first if you have any good advice to give me.

Here's the situation:

• I bought a brand new computer WITHOUT HDs, as I planned to use my own old HDs (1 Seagate Barracuda 160GB and 1 Seagate 80GB).
• The 80GB (heretofore named BBSG) used to be the system/boot HD for XP.
• The 160GB (heretofore named BBSB) was used for backups and just a repository for files.
• I bought Win7 Home Basic OEM (64 bit, I assume) alongside the new computer. I have also paid the store to install everything.
• The store technicians failed to install everything as planned. They've only managed to deliver the computer with Win7 installed on BBSG. BBSB stood for a month on the store for the technicians to make it work.
• As it took too long, I thought I could do a better job than those technicians. I brought BBSB home and decided to do it myself.
• The computer was working fine with only BBSG w/ Win7 installed.
• When I first connected BBSB, what happened was the same thing the technicians reported: Win7 wouldn't load or recognize the new HD (BBSB), although the Asus BIOS would see the drive fine.
• After some headaches, I solved the problem. Have in mind both HDs are IDE. As modern motherboards only have 1 IDE slot, they're connected on the same flat cable.
• I don't think this is relevant, but BBSB is the slave and BBSG is the master. Both are jumpered accordingly.
• The solution for this was quite simple. I told the BIOS to not install/recognize the drive. Proceed to boot and voilà, Win7 recognizes the new hardware and installs it automatically.
• System got a bit slow after that. Fearing the worst, I've moved all my files from BBSB to my Mac through the home network.
• Now I got green light to wipe off completely BBSB. Please note BBSG had been formatted prior to having Win7 installed by the technicians at the store.
• Full format (writing zeroes) takes ridiculously too long. "Clean all" too. After letting it sit there for over 18 hours, I decided to skip it.
• I "clean"ed BBSB then used quick format. In order to prevent future headaches, I decided to create two partitions. One primary with about 100GB, one extended with the remainder.

Now what I want to do is install Win7 into BBSB, so I can later format BBSG and use it as a backup drive. The reason for this is... I reckon IDE HDs are already way too slow for my machine, so I better have Win7 running on the fastest, newer HD (BBSB).

Here's where I'm stuck:

• My Win7 OPK disc won't boot to whatever the Win7 Install Setup program might look like (I never got to see it).
• It does says "Windows is loading files..." then "Starting up Windows", then it boots to a Command Line, runs 'wpeinit' then sits there placidly on X:\windows\system32\.
• Funny thing is... When I first tried booting from DVD, both HDs were connected - sometimes I had them both recognized by the BIOS, sometimes only one of them. I thought this weird behavior was OK, as I have read somewhere here that the Win7 boot acts funny whenever you have two HDs connected, specially when they're sharing the same IDE flatcable.
• So I physically disconnected BBSG and booted from the DVD, thus there was no way the already-installed Win7 could interfere in the process.
• Still the same. I can see all drives (two partitions in one HD, one system-partition in another, one DVD drive) and access them freely, manipulate with DiskPart or whatever. I can even try to run StartCD. I'm then taken to the Win7 OPK thingy, but when I click on Install OPK it gives me a msiexec.exe /l not found.
• Oh, I have also tried things like Win7 Restore & Backup, Saving an Image File and Win7 Easy Transfer (which was named ironically, I suppose). Seriously though, once Win7 is properly installed on BBSB, I hope I can use EasyTransfer to have the OS exactly as it is now on BBSG.

Now that I'm describing to you the problem so thoroughly, I'm a bit more willing to concede that the DVD has a problem, so I'm willing to give it a try making a bootable USB stick. FYI, the DVD is on an external DVD reader, which otherwise seems to be working quite alright.

But anyways, I hope you can shed some light on something I might eventually be doing wrong. Also, if you have any easier way to accomplish what I want, I'd be delighted.

So for a quick summing up of what I'm asking and what I have available.

1 Internal IDE HD running Win7
1 wiped-off Internal IDE HD, hoping to one day become Win7
1 Win7 OEM DVD, not helping much right now
Several USB ports waiting for a bootable USB stick on my next test
A functioning home network with a variety of other computers and operational systems, including my Macbook hooked with an external drive
1 External DVD reader (i.e. no internal DVD reader, after all it's 2011)


Oh, and I'd love to avoid touching anything else inside the computer besides the HDs. What I mean by that is, please only give me the suggestion to remove a RAM stick if necessary. I have 2 2GB sticks by the way.

Well, let's see if the bootable USB thing will work. I get back to you soon.

 

[Bill2]

I lost you somewhere in the middle of the post. But you said you're using the OPK disk. Do you actually mean the OPK disk? or are you using that term for the win7 install disk. OPK is meant for (real) system builders, you're not required to use it. Did you get 2 disks with the pack you bought- the opk disk and the install disk?

 

[brenobacci]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Just checked the box in which it came, it reads:

Win Home Basic 7 64-bit Brazilian LATAM 1pk DSP OEI DVD

I reckon it's not an OPK disc then?

 

[brenobacci]

Oh, I just ran bootsect /fixmbr and similar commands, then rebooted it. Still the same, back to X:\windows\system32.

Booting from the DVD on Safe Mode, same results.

 

[brenobacci]

Oh, and I got just this one disk. I've connected back the HD with Win7 now so I can try to do a bootable USB stick, and something unexpected happen.

Like I said, Windows wouldn't boot properly if both HDs were automatically recognized on the BIOS. Now it is (correction: it is taking awfully too long and I might resort to pressing the reset button, making the non-Windows HD unrecognizable by BIOS, just as before).

 

[theog]

Take a look at those two tutorials:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/91339-ssd-hdd-optimize-windows-reinstallation.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html?ltr=C
& report back.

 

[brenobacci]

Hi Theog, thanks for the reply.

I plan to follow all tutorials suggested, but just to prevent repeating some time-consuming tasks, I'd like to ask you something.

Can I skip Step 1, Item 4 (Cleanall) of the first tutorial? The reason I ask is because I've tried it yesterday and let it linger there for almost 20 hours, to no avail. That could be a hardware issue, I assume, that could be slowing down the zero-writing process when going over bad blocks. That still shouldn't be much of an issue for installing windows, right? I mean, many HDs have a few bad blocks here and there.

 

[theog]

I would Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
HD Diagnostic

 

[brenobacci]

I downloaded SeaTools for Windows and started checking.

So far I've ran these tests, all returned ok:

SMART (both HDs)
Short DST (both HDs)
Identify (formatted)
Quick Generic Test (formatted)

Now I'm running the Complete Generic Test on the formatted HD and it appears to be working, but if it keeps at this rate, it's going to take hours, perhaps days or weeks.

Is there anything else I should be looking for in the meanwhile, or is this already a symptom of something bad going on? The HD is only 160GB... How long would it take to verify a 2TB HD? Years?

 

[Bill2]

I still cant get over the earlier pe like behaviour of that disk. If possible, borrow or download a 64 bit home basic disk and try installing from that.

 

[brenobacci]

Wouldn't it be the same to create a bootable Install on an USB stick, or on the other HD, or somewhere in the network?

The reason why I ask is because the system is extremely unstable while running the HD test, just like it was when I was try a full format or clean all. I've monitored the process for hours yesterday. I've just got a 1-milimiter wide blue bar on the HD test now. In this pace, it shall take about 100 hours to complete.

I'm afraid I'll be wasting time again if I interrupt the HD test to download Windows Home Basic installation. Also, how do I that? Microsoft's website isn't very intuitive to find the download for customers that already own the product.

 

[brenobacci]

I'm BUMPing this to see if anyone has any suggestion or input on the matter.

As of now, Win7 can only see the empty HD when the BIOS is set to not automatically detect it. If I set the BIOS to detect it, Win7 won't boot (gets stuck on drive.sys or no Windows logo, Starting Windows screen - if POST messages are not visible).

Even when the Win7 sees the empty drive, it seems it's not saving any formatting or created partitions or volumes. I checked and both the HD firmwares seem to be updated.

 

[theog]

I would also check that the MOBO, CPU, & Ram are matching.

 

[brenobacci]

All parts are brand new but the HDs, so I don't think there's any hardware issue on them. To be honest, I don't think there's anything wrong with the HDs either. It's just that Windows 7 is terrible when it comes to reverse compatibility. Both HDs, despite being a bit old, were functioning perfectly fine before all this.

But answering your question, I have that checked before I bought the new parts. CPU (Phenom II), MOBO (Asus M4A77T/USB3) and RAM (4GB Kingston DDR3-1333) are compatible. The GPU is a Geforce GT 430.

I didn't need all the parts I've bought but to prevent any problems like the one I'm having now, I opted for the full package. I didn't even need to buy Windows 7, since I had a perfectly good XP running - but I decided to buy it so I could use the shop's warranty (which I now voided, since they were being useless) and because I believed I would face less problems and count with good support options.

Ironic how it all turned out, right?

 

[brenobacci]

OK, so now I exhausted all possibilities that it's a hardware issue. Just finished running CHKDSK and after processing over 30 million free clusters, no errors at all.

So it's definitely a Windows issue.

So now I want to change the focus of this thread. The support for one of the best-selling products in the world could be a tad better.

I called Microsoft, they told me to call the manufacturer since it's an OEM OS. I called the manufacturer, but they were the ones who originally couldn't even get my HD to be installed by Windows (something I managed to do myself). So this is it for me? If the manufacturer partnering with Microsoft to sell an OEM Windows 7 doesn't meet the skills you'd expect them to have, what are your options? I didn't know OEM stood for no-support.

Well, anyways, I hope a bored employee runs by this thread and takes interest on it. For now the OEM Disc still is acting funny, no one was able to tell me how and if I can get a new DVD to be shipped to me. I'm on a limbo.

I'll leave you now hoping one day Asus, Microsoft, Seagate and local manufacturers start working together, instead of pushing the "burden" of support to one another. Some people just don't have money to spare.

 

[gregrocker]

Would you like to finish troubleshooting your install now?

Make sure you have the latest BIOS update. If so, reset the CMOS: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS.

Unplug all other HD's and periperhals. Boot the Win7 installer, select Custom Install, use Drive options to delete all partitions, create new ones and format before installing. Illustrated steps here: Clean Install Windows 7

What exactly happens next? Give full text of any error messages.

Your installer appears to be unusual. Try writing to flash stick using Universal USB Installer with Win7 in dropdown menu, then boot stick from one-time BIOS Boot Menu under USB, Removable, HD's.

If same occurs, borrow or download another ISO of Win7 searching "Official Win7 ISO downloads" from My Digital Life, unlock all versions in ISO using eicfg removal tool then burn to DVD or write to flash stick to try install for your licensed version.

Test your RAM using Memtest86+ for 5-6 passes or overnight. Remove all but 2gb of RAM, swap RAM sticks.

Finally try install on another computer to target HD, then SysPrep install before moving back to problem machine: SysPrep to move HD to another computer

 

[theog]

Well, anyways, I hope a bored employee runs by this thread and takes interest on it. For now the OEM Disc still is acting funny, no one was able to tell me how and if I can get a new DVD to be shipped to me. I'm on a limbo.

You can order MS Replacment disks from here:
Help and Support

 

[brenobacci]

Thanks for all the hints, guys. I'm sorrry if I don't rush into a new clean install every time one suggests that to me, but I have already done so several times.

More and more, this seems to be solely a Windows 7 issue and not anything hardware-related, which would be the most simple explanation for anything.

Despite all the problems and the slowdowns, I managed to check the memory and hard disks, and they've all been approved with honors. Of course, they're still IDE and therefore are hogging the performance of my new computer down. I plan to have this solved by next month when I'll be able to purchase a SATA drive.

But even so now it's personal. The computer is working and I'm using Windows 7 with both HDs. I can see them both, I'm even installing games on the second HD. So for the sake of science, if anyone is interested please give me your two cents.

The symptoms now are:

• Computer is overall slow, even before BIOS boot. But more than that, it appears to work normally as a high-end gaming rig for a while, then all of a sudden something like a bad process starts running and brings Windows to a massive hang. I barely can do anything while it's hanging, but after a few minutes the hang stops and everything is back to normal. Only to hang again after a few minutes.
• The hangs seem to happen more often while I'm browsing the Internet. Apparently running it as Administrator makes the hangs rarer. I"m not sure I'm running it on 32-bit or not, but I heard FF 64 doesn't go well with Win 7 64.
• Did I mention disks were verified and have shown no errors?
• I did follow your advice and downloaded an update for my Asus M4A77/USB3 MOBO. Flashing the ROM might not have been the smartest thing to do, as now I'm back on previous state, where I have to set the 2nd HD as "Not Installed" on BIOS so Windows can start it. I hope I haven't sent the files I've just installed on the 2nd HD to the limbo once again. (Just checked, 2nd HD is mounted and as before).
• Oh, with the HD automatically installed on BIOS, Windows 7 just won't take it. Hangs on "Starting Windows" message with no Windows logo above.
• After updating the BIOS I also cleaned the CMOS as suggested. Not sure if it was the smartest thing doing it concomitantly but what the hey - can't get any worse than this. Now I'm not sure if the BIOS is updated or not. (Just checked, I've got the latest BIOS now).

Since the computer is now working again, with pretty much most of the basic troubleshooting requirements met, I'd like to change the focus of my thread.

Forget about fixing the Install DVD or getting Win 7 installed on the 2nd HD. I will order a replacement DVD definitely (thanks theog, btw), probably to get everything re-done properly in a month when I get a better HD. But right now I just want to use my computer like a normal person who's severely poorer now with this non-functioning and very expensive toy.

What are you thoughts on the current slowdowns? Don't be afraid to say even the most absurd things you think it could be happening. Let your imagination fly free on this one.

Since I barely can game with the computer as it is now, I'm willing to add a few more weeks to these 4 days I've been looking at diagnosis screens and scrolling through log messages.

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these troubleshooting steps

 

[brenobacci]

Oh and I just checked what I have is an OPK DVD. Still, shouldn't it boot properly?