Installing Windows 7 over Faulty Ubuntu Install

[Marin83]

Hi

I have been trying to install Windows 7 onto an Asus X5DIJ with Ubuntu installed on it. The Ubuntu install was on the laptop when I got it but won't get passed the login screen. My only other computer is an HP Mini Netbook which I used to make bootable USB. The USB is a brand new 32gb SanDisk Cruzer Extreme 3.0 and I used the Windows USB Installer tool to make a bootable version of Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit from a legal iso downloaded from heidoc.net. I've set the BIOS to boot from Removable Disk but whenever I start the laptop up it just goes ahead with the faulty Ubuntu boot. I checked the POST and the usb is showing there and the light on the usb blinks at startup. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Golden]

Hi,

Can you double-check to see that the bootable USB drive is inserted into a USB2.0 port, not a USB3.0 port?

Regards,
Golden

 

[Marin83]

Yes

Hi

Thanks for the fast response and yes it is the Asus X5DIJ only has 2.0 ports.

Thanks

 

[theog]

Try using Option two in this tutorial to make USB drive.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html

 

[gregrocker]

Unplug all other HD's and peripherals,

Boot into BIOS setup, reset to defaults, save changes. If an EFI BIOS, enable Legacy BIOS or Compatibility Support Module, set DVD drive first to boot, HD second. Then set SATA controller to AHCI. Save changes and Exit.

Then boot into Win7 installer DVD or flash stick burned or written using tool and latest ISO for your licensed OS version here.

At first installer screen Press Shift + F10 to open a Command Box, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0 (after confirming Windows 7 target HD #)
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=102400 (for 100gb partition, adjust as desired)
FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="WINDOWS 7"
ACTIVE
EXIT
EXIT

Next click Install Now, then Custom install to Clean Install Windows 7 to the partition you created. If it fails then report back at which step and the verbatim error message.

In addition read over these steps to understand the tools and methods which work best to get and maintain a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. The steps are the same for retail.

After install you can adjust partition size or Create new partitions for data, etc. in Disk Mgmt.You are creating the partition here for the purpose of marking it Active which overcomes certain install failures.

 

[Marin83]

Update

Had the wrong BIOS option selected. Had only selected Removeable Disk in the first menu. After selecting the USB drive in the Hard Drive section of the Boot menu the installer fired up. Now it won't get past the Custom Install Step. Says: "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information." There were partitions there originally which I deleted and still got the above message then I tried making a new partition and still got the above message. Currently I have no partitions but keep getting the above message.

 

[gregrocker]

Did you follow all of the steps I gave you above? It doesn't sound like it if you only deleted partitions.

If you have a UEFI BIOS you first need to decide if you want to install to UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with or enable Legacy BIOS or Compatibility Support Module.

 

[Marin83]

I solved my initial problem by correctly navigating the BIOS Boot options so I followed the regular USB Install instructions which involved deleting the original partitions. That did not work so I then followed gregrocker's instructions which still returned the error message as detailed above. The system is a BIOS system and not a UEFI system.

 

[gregrocker]

You completed every step in Post #5? The step missed is almost always the solution.

There is a step to post back the exact verbatim error message if you receive one.

 

[Marin83]

Tried again making sure I did exactly everything advised and I still can't get past the Custom Install screen where you select a drive or partition to install on. When select the partition I just created and click the Next button I get and error message:

"Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information."

 

[gregrocker]

Did you reset BIOS to defaults? Confirm SATA controller is set to AHCI, and the disk is set to be booted from. Set HD first to boot, use one-time BIOS boot menu key to trigger install media.

If so and it errors again, change SATA controller to another mode like IDE to test that.

Confirm no other HD's or peripherals are plugged in. What is left that is plugged in?

Try unplugging DVD drive and use flash stick installer from step 1 and 2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Try Diskpart "Clean All" to wipe the HD more completely which takes around an hour for each 320gb. This has worked in the past for removing badly corrupted code.

The add the command "Convert Basic" to make sure you're not working with a Dynamic disk.

Next try testing the HD with the maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan.

If these all fail, try another HD.

 

[Marin83]

Yeah I reset the BIOS to defaults and have tried the SATA at the two available settings although neither of them say anything about AHCI. Did I mention it's a laptop? Is that important? Also I read somewhere else that installing an upgrade version might not work, is that true? I 'm using Win7 Home Edition with the SP1 updates should I try with just Win7 and no updates?

 

[gregrocker]

Use the licensed version you own shown on the COA sticker on machine.

Stick with the steps we've given you to get a perfect reinstall, ignoring misinfomation from other sites. This is the top tech forums on the net, specialize in these having helped countless thousands do them.

 

[Marin83]

I'm kind of doing this by intuition as yr instructions don't completely match what's available in my BIOS and I don't know what most of the things you've mentioned are or do. What i have failed to mention till now is that the only way I can get the USB stick to boot is to go into the BIOS go to Boot and then to Hard Disk Drives and set the USB to first and the HD to second. Otherwise the stick doesn't boot and I get the follwing message:

Check cable connection!
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel PXE ROM.


BOOTMGR is missing
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart

This has only started coming up since formatting the disk, previously Ubuntu would load to the login screen if the stick wasn't set to boot first. Is this part of the problem? Also I tried Clean All and Convert Basic and neither made any difference.

 

[gregrocker]

The errors you quote above occur when it skips the media you're trying to boot and attempts to boot an empty HD.

You say you have figured out how to set the stick first to boot in BIOS. So what is the problem with doing the Clean Install Windows 7?

If the stick is showing up under HD's in BIOS boot order that normally means its going to boot. But if not I'd rewrite it using UltraISO Software To Create Bootable USB Flash Drive
which always works when the others don't as long as the ISO is intact.

 

[Marin83]

Like I said, the problem is that I can't get past the "Where do you want to install Windows?" screen. No matter what I do when I click Next I always get the message "Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information." .

 

[gregrocker]

Alright then retry the steps in Post #5 but use the Clean All command to wipe the HD more thoroughly.

Test the HD with maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan, followed by Disk Check from the installer's Command Line on the full disk partition you've created.

Are you able to use a DVD to compare it for install?

Are you using the latest official Installer from Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7?

Go back over all steps if these fail to make sure everything has been tried at least twice. If this still ends in failure we will help you install to another PC and transfer the OS by image to the laptop while adjusting it to boot on changed hardware.

 

[Marin83]

As I have already said, my only other computer is a netbook which means I can't use the CD scan HD diagnostic or do a DVD install. If I could I wouldn't be trying to use a USB stick. I have as I already said already tried the Clean All command which made no difference. For my last attempt I used the most recent Home Premium ISO copied using UltraISO which was less successful and errored before even getting to the "Which Drive to Install on?" screen with a message saying a driver was missing. I then tried to use the Windows USB Tool again as at least it created a USB that was a partial success but now it seems not to work either saying that it can't install anything on the USB stick or that the downloaded ISO file is not valid. I did manage to use Disk Check and it seemed to think everything was fine.

 

[gregrocker]

There's something wrong with the installers you're creating, either the ISO is not complete or you are not writing them correctly to stick. UltraISO has never been reported not to work that I have seen. It's the one I use when the others fail. Did you leave all of the settings at default, load the ISO, click the Format and then Write buttons? I'd try another flash stick.

I'm sorry but I can't find where you said that you did the Diskpart CLean All command. The original steps had the Clean command.

If you have another Win7 install for your licensed version we can help you image it over to the problem netbook using an imaging app and then boot Paragon Adaptive Restore CD to adjust it to boot on different hardware. This is how I often apply installs to other PC's.

 

[Marin83]

I was trying to install from the netbook to a laptop not the other way round. As such I have decided to give up on the usb install and use someone else's pc to make an install dvd. Can you make an install disk using a rw dvd or does it have to be a regular dvd?