Solved Win 7 install problem HELP!

[TexasBelle]

Installing Win7 and it has hung up at 6% on Gathering Files. Any suggestions on how to get it going would be profoundly apprciated.

 

[bigmck]

On some occasions, if you have more than 2 GB of RAM installed, it requires removing the excess. This is a rare situation but can stop Windows 7 from installing. If you feel comfortable doing that, it would be the first thing to try. == If you would fill out your System Specs so that we know more about your PC, it would be helpful.

 

[theog]

Installing Windows 7

Are you installing to a NEW HDD?

 

[TexasBelle]

I only have 2 Gig of Ram and I updated all my specs.

 

[TexasBelle]

Not installing a new hard drive. I am 67 and am a pretty good ordinary everyday computer user - my brother is very savy and is here trying to help me with the upgrade from Vista to Windows 7.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Describe what you are installing from.

DVD or USB?

If DVD, what is its pedigree? Bought at Ebay? Best Buy? Newegg? Downloaded from where? Burned to a DVD on your own equipment? DVD found in the street? Burned with what application?

What is the fine print on the DVD label? OEM? Service Pack 1? Upgrade version?

If DVD, do you have any reason at all to suspect your DVD reader is haywire?

 

[TexasBelle]

I bought it from Amazon and it was brand new in original pkging. No suspicion of any problems with the software.

Includes service pack 1

 

[ignatzatsonic]

What was previously on this hard drive?

A Windows XP or Vista installation? Just data, no Windows? Some other operating system?

Your specs say you have a "second hard drive for Norton Ghost". It should be disconnected.

If the Norton Ghost drive was connected during your attempts to install Windows 7, was it shown as Disk 0 in Windows Disk Management?

 

[TexasBelle]

Originally it had XP and was upgraded to Vista.
We have disconnected the second drive

 

[ignatzatsonic]

If you're inside the case, I'd probably ensure that the drive intended to receive Windows 7 was shown as Disk 0 in Windows Disk Management. If it isn't, attach that drive's cables to another port on the motherboard--whichever port equates to disk 0. You may have to do some trial and error to find the right port or look in your Dell manual. Port 0 isn't mandatory, but it's something of a standard.

Do that and leave the Ghost drive unconnected and try again. Let us know how far you get and at what point it stalls. You have relatively modern hardware, so I'd expect the installation to take maybe 30 or 40 minutes if I remember correctly from when I had similar hardware.

If that fails, you might want to consider wiping the hard drive. Easily done.

Do you in fact have a 25 character Product Key that should have been included with your Amazon purchase of that DVD?

 

[TexasBelle]

Yes i have the product key. I never buy or bootleg software - I always buy from the product maker.
I appreciate your input.

 

[gregrocker]

It sounds from the term "Gathering files" that you're doing an in-place Upgrade install from Vista. I would recommend instead doing a Clean Install Windows 7 which is a much better install since you're not carrying over a boatload of settings many of which may be corrupt. This is the same reason we recommend never reimporting AppData settings into a fresh install since it is a corruption path.

With Upgrade version during the booted install it will see the underlying OS to allow use of Upgrade key even if you then go on to delete all partitions to create and format new ones as is recommended, using the Drive Options pictured in Steps 7 and 8 of the tutorial in blue link above.

If it still fails then work through these steps which overcome 90% of installation failures: Overcoming Windows 7 Installation Failures - Windows 7 Help Forums. If you end up wiping the disk to get it to install then for Upgrade version leave the key blank and after install do the quick registry workaround shown in Option 3 of Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version to activate Upgrade version on a wiped HD.

 

[TexasBelle]

Solved all the problems and got Win 7 upgrade installed and running. When the Win7 advisor says certain programs may not run in Win7 don't wait to find out, after backing up delete those programs. Once that was done finishing the upgrade became very easy with no more hang ups.