Windows 7 Install Crashing (No BSOD)

[llDemonll]

Answer: You need to boot from the Windows 7 installer and select Custom>Advanced Tools to delete, create and format your desired partitions (even one).

Make sure you click 'Format' on the partition you want to install Windows 7 to, don't just create the new partition and press 'Go'

I have a Core i7 920, Gigabyte EX58-UD3R, Radeon HD 4870 512MB, 3GB DDR3 G.Skill 1333 RAM (exact specs can be seen in profile) and I'm having issues trying to install Windwos 7.

I backed up all my stuff from XP onto my external, got ready to reformat like normal tossed the Windows 7 x64 Professional disc into the drive and booted from CD. Everything worked like normal, Windows 7 is a bit different in that it doesn't run in a BIOS-type setting like XP but rather has its own little graphical install interface. Figured out what I wanted (custom install, "deleted" the old partition), and pressed go. I thought it was weird that it didnt "format" the hard drive like XP installation does, I know I can get a boot disc with 'Book and Nuke' to wipe the hard drive which I may do, but I figured since Windows 7 didn't want to format that it wasn't entirely necessary. Goes through the expanding files fine, whatever else it does on the first isntall screen, and then it gets to the restart phase.

Restart goes well, automatically shuts down and boots back up, getting to the screen that says 'Starting Windows...' and then crashes. Monitor gets the 'No Signal' message, computer stays shut off for a few seconds and then powers back up. It gives me the 'Windows crashed and recovered from an error' selection where I can choose how I want to boot (Safe Mode, Last Good Configuration, etc.) and I've tried the 'Boot like Normal' configuration and it will just continue this cycle.

The first time I tried installing Windows 7 it got past this screen, got to the portion of the installation where it automatically adjusts the resolution, and then after that it crashed. Since then I have not been able to get past the first reboot without a constant restart loop.

I tried 32-bit with the exact same results.

I have disabled all but 1 core and disabled hyperthreading (this was required to install XP beacuse I don't have a SP2 disc) to see if it worked but the same thing happened. Reset BIOS to factory defaults, same thing. Changed back to 1 core, no hyperthreading and same thing happened again. I have no extra video cards I can try but I could ask my brother if I can borrow his 23" widescreen HANNS-G monitor but unless I'm mistaken I don't think this is an issue that a monitor would fix.

I'm not the most computer-savvy person but I can work my way around. I don't know if there is a log file I can access and post here to see what the last thing that happened (the error) is, but I never get a BSOD with an error I can post, just a restart and Windows telling me there was an error and asking how I want to boot.

If there is any additional information I can post to help with this I will provide it as best I can. Just want to get 7 up and running, wouldn't have imagined it would be this hard :-/.

 

[gregrocker]

I thought it was weird that it didnt "format" the hard drive like XP installation does,.

You need to boot from the Win7 installer and select Custom>Advanced Tools to delete, create and format your desired partitions (even one).

Changed back to 1 core, no hyperthreading and same thing happened again.

Do not do this. XP was last-century in that regard.


You can boot from the installer and in Repair console try Startup Repair 3 times to be sure.

I have re-read your post 3 times and what I would do is a clean reinstall with formatting. In fact, I would delete all, then create new partition(s) and format then install to the first.

 

[zezasu]

When you installed Windows 7 with its own GUI, did you select an an option to format the drive? I think you did but knowing me I didn't understand how you meant it. When you format it when your selecting a disk you should have seen the option to format:
Based on my experience when you format the drive it tells you it will make a system reserved spot on your drive since the install will say this is a new drive and it will take precautions and such.

On another note, you can try to set your motherboard to on-board graphics if it has any and with only one drive connected. Or safe mood since you said you managed to at least install Windows 7 successfully. I am about to re install because force of habit i picked up since vista. I hope I could help a bit.

 

[llDemonll]

I deleted all the partitions and created a new partition with the max allocated space I can. After deleting all the partitions I have one partition, click 'new' in advanced tools, give it max allocated space (~465gb) and it creates that one. I then have two, one that says system memory or something and is 100mb and says it's a secondary, the other is ~465gb and says its primary. i click the 465gb one, click format, and it takes about 5 seconds and then it's done. is this right? to me that seems to be the only option to format the drive

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, starting with Vista MS decided a full (writing zeroes) format is overkill and only offered quick on installer. You can get full format in Disk Management or by using a third party partition manager in advance.

I was once a full format guy all the way, but have come to realize it isn't necessary except where you want to destroy traces of data or virus.

 

[zezasu]

I just installed mine ^_^ zero effort. i tired it out the usb way this time and I been done for quite a while.

If it does happen get a live cd for a hard drive wiper and do a full overwrite just incase something is wrong. Or if worst of the worst, is you got a bad CD which I hardly thing ever happens.

 

[llDemonll]

Well I've no idea what I changed. Before trying this last install (after I posted this) I changed the RAM timing in BIOS back to what it used to be (not factory BIOS setting) but everything else was the same as the other times I'd tried windows 7 install, so i dont think that had anything to do with it.

I don't believe that I tried to format the hard drive before this attempt, and I didn't sit and watch the computer but rather went to eat dinner after it started expanding windows files. I came back to the user and password setup screen and low-and-behold it is now sitting at the desktop.

lesson here (I think) is that you need to click 'format' in the advanced options before installing, because as far as i know that's the only thing different i did this time around.

Thank you for the help guys, topic solved =)