never finishes installation

[Bare Foot Kid]

So there is still the 3 active partitions?

 

[gregrocker]

Unplug DISK0 with the incorrectly-marked System Active H partition. Make sure Win7 HD is set first HD to boot in BIOS setup, after DVD drive.

Now run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts up.

Do you now have a Dual Boot Menu with Vista, or would you like to boot Vista by using the Dell F12 key at bootup to choose the Vista HD to boot? Try it and see if it works.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Thanks Greg, I was going there next.

 

[gripshift]

With disk 0 unplugged, and the Win 7 disk in the DVD drive:

1. When you try to boot into the Win 7 disk to do the start up repair, you don't get to the language screen. Instead, it freezes on the "Starting Windows" screen.

2. If you instead try to boot into Win 7, it says "BOOTMGR missing" (this is new - haven't gotten this before with the Win 7 disk in the DVD drive).

3. When I plug disk O back in, I do get a screen asking whether I want to boot to Win 7 or Vista, with the default being Win 7 (but of course to get here you have to have both the disk 0 plugged in and the Win 7 disk in the DVD drive).

 

[gregrocker]

Try unplugging all other HD's, move Win7 HD into DISK0. Now try Startup Repair with Win7 DVD.

Try burning a Repair CD to boot: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

Next try writing Repair CD ISO to flash stick: Open ISO on File tab using UltraISO trial version, on Bootable Tab select Write Image File, Format button, Write button. Boot flash stick under USB or Hard drive choices on BIOS Boot menu.

 

[gripshift]

Problem solved. I inadvertantly had the power cable unplugged for Disk 2 when I tried gregrocker's suggestion (2nd to last) to startup with disk 0 unplugged and do a 3X startup repair.

(With the Disk 2 cable plugged in) the suggestion worked. The PC boots to a boot menu, with the default being Win 7, without having to have Win 7 disk in DVD drive.

Thank you kind and esteemed gentlemen, may bohemian culture live forever.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Glad to see you got it sorted and thanks for yhe update.