Stuck at "Starting Windows"

[CreativeAnarchy]

I just bought my system and it will load the data but when it gets to the "Starting Windows" screen, it just sits there. I'm trying to do a clean instal of Windows 7 Ultimate Full 64.

I did hit the reset button the first time around. I'm feeling like that might be it but it still goes through the process like it is going to load then sits at the "Starting Windows" screen.

I did wait an hour before I began to think maybe something was not right in my BIOS but everything is regestering there. I'll even see the HD light up when it is first loading data but then it stops at the "Starting Windows" screen and doesn't ask for any info from me.

AMD Phenom II X6 Black Eddition
XFX5970 Black Eddition
MSI 890FXA
Crucial Ballistix DDR3 4 gig
Western Digital Caviar 1.5T Sata

I had to use a older DVD player but it works. It is a Sony DVD/CD-RW.

So...did the reset muck thing up so that it won't load or is it something else?

 

[MilesAhead]

You could try "last known good"

Using Last Known Good Configuration

 

[CreativeAnarchy]

You could try "last known good"

Using Last Known Good Configuration

That is just it though. I had no configuration on the system at all.

This is a completly clean install. Brand new everything with nothing installed.

The last time I had to do something like this was DOS and I had to format the drive.

Do I still have to do that? I'm under the impression that they are automatically done or not needed to do anymore.

 

[yowanvista]

You could try "last known good"

Using Last Known Good Configuration

That is just it though. I had no configuration on the system at all.

This is a completly clean install. Brand new everything with nothing installed.

The last time I had to do something like this was DOS and I had to format the drive.

Do I still have to do that? I'm under the impression that they are automatically done or not needed to do anymore.

Do a repair of your installation using your win7 DVD
Boot from the DVD and select repair

 

[electrotune1200]

I am not too sure about this but I remember a few recommendations on problems like this.

Is your drive partitioned at all? Maybe try dividing the drive up into 2 or even 3 partitions. There were a few problems I remember reading about Windows having a hard time installing on large drives.

Have you tried removing a stick of RAM untill the install is completed?

 

[electrotune1200]

Another thing you can try is copying the contents of your Windows disc to a bootable flash drive.

All is explained here
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2432-usb-windows-7-installation-key-drive-create.html?filter[2]=General Tips

If you don't want to install any third party software, use method two.

 

[gregrocker]

Do you have the latest BIOS version update for your mobo or computer model?

Try clearing the CMOS: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS

Remove all but 2gb of RAM, swap RAM, test your RAM.

Try wiping your HD using DVD Repair Console Command Line to get cleanest possible slate: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/52129-disk-clean-clean-all-diskpart-command.html

Then create 2 or more partitions, format and install to first partition.

 

[madtownidiot]

You shouldn't have to remove RAM or any other hardware to get windows to install. If it's freezing at the start up, it's probably a driver conflict which can be most easily fixed by reinstalling windows, especially if you can't get windows to boot. Another cause for that particular problem is any change in the hardware configuration in BIOS. For example, enabling a serial port after installing windows 7 will cause it to freeze at the starting windows screen.

 

[MilesAhead]

What disk controller do you have? Maybe the CDROM isn't compatible and is getting half way up until the Windows driver tries to take over. I have an HP with some kind of unspecified AMD Raid controller that also runs the CDROM. The boot part will work from the bios but once it tries to see the HD, say from an image restore boot CD, if it doesn't load the Windows driver, it can only use "compatibility mode." A newer Linux boot CD had the driver, but it's just an example where a CDROM will seem to work because the BIOS knows how to boot it. But when it tries to load the HD that can be another story.

edit: But since this is a build I guess I'll leave it to those experienced putting systems together. I'm just guessing. No sense adding to the confusion.

 

[CreativeAnarchy]

Have you tried removing a stick of RAM untill the install is completed?

This is what fixed it. I really don't understand why that worked but it did.

Being a system that is supposed to be able to handle quite a bit of memory, this shouldn't have really been a problem.

Once I removed the stick and started up, it went past the starting screen in what looked like a safe mode...really bad graphics.

Answered my questions and got things installed. I swaped that stick to see if it was good and it is good.

This is just really odd.

 

[gregrocker]

Not odd at all - it is one of the most common fixes for failed installation with Win7.

It doesn't like to think so hard when it's doing its easy-breezy installation. The little birdy gets fried.