Windows 7 on a new partition

[casanova]

Hi.

I have been attempting to install Windows 7 on my Dell Latitude E6400. I created a new partition (I am dual booting with XP, or well, trying to.) using the Ubuntu live CD. I restarted my computer and booted from CD drive w/Windows 7 installation disk in it. The installation gets up, I choose the new partition, format it, and then click next. It gets to the 'expanding windows files' point, and then just ceases to do anything. My machine has a 160 GB HDD and the partition I created for 7 is 120 GBs, so that is more than enough space. I cannot install over XP(I have to use it for work) so Windows 7 must be run on a different partition. Please help.

 

[sup3rsprt]

hello,

how long did you wait for expanding files? if you waited a very long time, try and rewrite the install media (if you wrote it yourself) at 4x speed and verify it.

 

[casanova]

I didn't write the disk. I got it from my supervisor at work, and it has been installed on many machines, the same type I have. No one has ever had a problem with the disk, so it is not that. I actually tried running a Vista install disk earlier, and it did the same thing. It got to 'expanding files' and just stopped. We tested my disk drive and it is functioning properly also..

 

[sup3rsprt]

well then, I would do this:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/7943-install-windows-7-fast-without-dvd-usb-device.html

 

[Night Hawk]

Hello casanova Welcome to the Se7enforums!

When creating the new partition with the lve ubuntu's version of GParted there did you make sure to select the NTFS option or simply miss that part? The default file system will the Linux ext2 file journaling system. You have to select ntfs from the dropdown list before clicking on the apply button once you are to format any new MS partition or end up with a Linux native volume instead.

One way to correct that fast would be booting back up live and going into GParted a second time to select the new primary making sure it wasn't created as an extended type as another thought and right click on it again. This time select the ntfs item when selecting the file system option to verify it will be ready for 7.

 

[sup3rsprt]

or you could just format the partition using the Windows 7 DVD itself. I think Windows would complain if you try to install it on a Linux filesystem.

 

[casanova]

I have formatted the partition with the 7 disk, still the same thing happens. I tried the steps in the link you sent me, but couldn't get imagex to run correctly for some reason. Any other ideas? The partition was originally set to be NTFS, and has been checked several times, so that's not the problem either, unfortunately.

 

[Night Hawk]

With the NTFS primary verified and ready to go as well as a good disk and working optical drive you now have to consider a memory problem. Bad ram will stall the installer for any version of Windows. Yet at other times an optical drive can seem to be working well and simply won't fully load even a live cd let alone complete a fresh install of Windows.

 

[casanova]

My ram is okay. We tested that earlier as well. I am at a loss here.

 

[Night Hawk]

How much memory on what type of system might hold a clue. Some have run into problems installing 7 on a system with over 4gb installed. The problem descriptions were similar to those first reported for Vista there until removing all but 2gb for the install if no defects were found.

The next item on the list would point at the hard drive itself possibly seeing bad sectors or now having problems with the read/write heads. Everything already on can be read as well as run while any large scale copying to the drive like the unpacking of the setup files stalls right away pointing to a worn drive there.

Another concern while slight would be a supply starting to fail if this is being seen on an older system. When first starting up as well as going to install any OS the demand on power is generally the largest. If the supply is now lacking good regulation and being pulled down that would be another item to look at.