Windows 7 installation problems

What make and model is the CPU and mother board?

see attached.
photo-3.JPG

You should run the windows7advisor to see whether your hardware is suitable.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15

IN case you cant read it, its ASUS A7N8X-E motherboard.  It has been updated with the latest firmware, but its still many years old.

Do you have the newest bios for your mainboard?

Check if your hardwar is listed -> http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

Perhabs on of the resolutions from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff560129%28v=VS.85%29.aspx can help you.

i've run the advisor before the install, and no problems detected.
I just found the following post, which makes sense as the silicon raid driver gave me problems years ago whe installing windows xp.  

http://forums.pcper.com/showthread.php?t=467977

If that doesnt solve it, I'll come back here.

Not sure if this is an option in the BIOS setting of your motherboard, but you might try putting it into PATA/COMPAT/IDE mode instead of RAID if you are not using the RAID functionality...

This might alleviate the need to worry about the drivers and get past the BSOD...

I only have 2 options in my motherboard bios setup, RAID or SCSI, so I have to default to RAID

Backup all your data from windows.old  and format the hard drive. Install windows 7.  Could be some old driver in windows.old folder that is creating this blue screen. Try format reinstall. Should resolve your problem.

Try it.


Ded9

If I have 2 partitions, C and D drive, can anyone confirm whether Windows 7 offers me the ability to format only the c drive during installation and have a clean install if I either do it via windows xp or via a boot up?  I want to make sure my D drive does not get wiped (even though I have backed it up).

yes you can back up all of your files on D drive and wipe and install Windows 7 fresh on C:.  There is no OS currently installed on D yes?

thats correct, no OS on d drive (there is only one physical drive).  but how to format c drive

from Windows 7 installation, after you accept license terms and hit next you will be given the option for updade install or custom (advanced).  Choose custom (advanced) and in the next screen select "drive options (advanced)" on the right hand side.  That will show you all available partitions and free space.  You can then delete the C partition, recreate it, and then format and install windows 7 on top of it without touching the D partition.
 

That option to format does not show during my installation from win xp.

When I try and load from cd bootup I don't get those options.

How else can I format the c drive?

That option to format does not show during my installation from win xp.

When I try and load from cd bootup I don't get those options.

How else can I format the c drive?

i thought you were trying to install Win 7?  The options i specified were from the Windows 7 installation process.  Are you trying to install Windows XP now?

if what you mean is that you are running the Windows 7 install from within XP, what I would recommend instead is booting from the Windows 7 disk, running the install process from there and you would get those options i specified above.

No, I said that I'm installing win 7 FROM within my windows xp. If I try and install from the Cd after boot up I get the blue screen after the "windows is loading files" status bar

I should have added added that I need to install a silicon raid driver which I cannot do during the CD bootup because it does not offer me the F8 advance options.

when you say you ran the install from the CD after boot up, does that mean you've already ran the Win 7 install, completely removed the C partition, recreated, and THEN installed Win 7 on the fresh partition?  Or did you just install it over the current Windows XP install that existed on C: partition?

> I need to install a silicon raid driver which I cannot do during the CD
> bootup because it does not offer me the F8 advance options.
Actually you can, not by F6, but Win7 (unlike XP) provides a clear prompt to provide storage drivers.  If you READ the screen it should have a "LOAD DRIVER" button - see http://images.programming4.us/2010/9/Install%20Windows%20Server%202008_5.jpg

Issues happen all over the EE site regarding the upgrade of XP to 7 and Vista to 7.
Why people continue to do these types of installs is beyond me.

Best thing to do.
Install the system from scratch.
If you have any issues from there, then you most likely have a hardware issue that Win7 does not like.
BUT
Doing upgrades, you are asking for problems like this and others.
Just blow the system out and do a clean install of Win7 and you "should hopefully" be good to go.

Good Luck
Carrzkiss

Guys, look here.  Please dont second guess why I've done it this way or that way.  There's a reason to my approach and I'd rather not give a long history to why I have done it this way.

Perhaps Im using the wrong terminology here, upgrade, fresh install, WHATEVER.  I used the Windows 7 installation CD from WITHIN Windows XP because my aim was to do a FRESH INSTALL via this route rather than having to format my C Drive and do a full install from Boot Up with an empty C drive.  The win 7 install options when installing from windows xp, TRUST ME, does not offer me the option of a format C: etc, despite choosing advanced yada yada.  I know you probably dont believe, you think you know better etc etc, its just not there.  I have to load a particular RAID driver called SI3112r.sys which is part of the reason why I wanted to do the install from XP.

After I select the driver from a saved area, it starts the install process, downloads some new files, but then when the system reboots and I get the windows 7 load screen, I get the blue screen images as per my first post.  It then loops.  I HAVE NO OPTION DURING THE REBOOT TO PRESS F6 OR F8 to load the SI3112r.sys driver again.  However, when I restart the machine again and it detects it didnt load properly the previous time, I am offered to option to load my existing windows xp version again or goto anothe menu, which if I do so, I am presented with more options including safe mode, and 6 other options.  None of the 6 options do anything for me though I still get the blue screen.

THAT carzkiss, IS WHY I DONT DO A CLEAN INSTALL, because I still have access to my old win xp otherwise I would not be in a position to be typing this right now.

Nobody has answered the simple question of all, why is HOW DO I FORMAT MY C Drive when I cannot do a FULL CLEAN INSTALL?  You dont seem to understand, I cannot even get past the blue screen even if I wanted to do a clean install because I still need to be given the option to load the SI3112r.sys silicon RAID drivers.

Ieew,

You're WRONG, because as I explained, WHEN I BOOT with the CD in the drive from start up, it goes straight through and does not offer me any options.  You're probably missing the point because even during the cd boot up, its probably recognising that I have tried the installation from win xp already and tries to continue that installation.  its not treating it as a new one and therefore does NOT prompt me with the options as you describe.  Trust me, I have been able to read for the last 30 years as far as I can remember and see for that matter too!

How can remove the previous "installaton attempt" so that when I reboot, it does not try to continue the existing installation?  If I can remove the appropiate files or config, I can then attempt the clean install from bootup as suggested.  I have deleted some folders on my c drive which contained the files, but the system still seems to know there was a previous installation attempt.

Do yourself a favor...
1) change BIOS to SCSI

2) try boot from DVD and see if you still get BSOD

You can proceed with a normal install if this works!

Still no luck after changing to scsi in bios.  I just don't understand why it goes straight into the "loading files" and then starting win 7 logo screen before getting the blue screen.

If it's still trying to run the existing install, how to prevent that from happening.

Again out of all the comments nobody has been able to say how to format a drive with win xp on there since I am not presented with an option to do then during bootup cd mode.

Because you DID NOT BOOT FROM THE DVD!!

Dude... if you want help, you gotta follow the instructions!

Fresh Install IS "Formatting" the C:\ Drive.
You are not doing a Fresh Install, you are doing an Upgrade (or) you are installing ontop of an already installed system.
So, since you are NOT formatting C:\ drive, whatever might be bad on your original installation is going to carry over to the new installation if you ever get it installed.

Fresh Install Meaning:
Format of Drive to install OS on it.

Download the Win98 boot disk
Put that on a Floppy and boot from it.
Format your Drive with it.

(OR) better yet.
Download the Drive Utility from the Hard Drive manufacture and run all the test on the drive, and then do a LOWLEVEL format on the drive.
(THIS will DELETE everything on the drive, so backup whatever you need to backup before running this test)
Then
After the LowLevel format completed (This will also let you know if the drive is good or bad as well)
If GOOD, then reboot the computer with your Win7 CD in the drive and install the system with a FRESH INSTALL, Format your drive and go about your business.

Good Luck
Carrzkiss

First you should check asus' site to see whether they have the windows 7 RAID/SCSI drivers for this MB.

One thing you can try is to slipstream the windwos 7 drivers for this mother board to create a windows 7 install disk.
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=120729
www.vlite.net

Try loading defaults in the BIOS and see whether the issue persists.
Running windows 7 from within XP could be an issue with driver incompatibility.
If you only have a single drive in the system, change the option to SCSI and see whether you have a different result. RAID implies that there are two drives that will be handled in a particular way.  The, "it worked this way under windows XP, so this is why I am leaving it this way" is not a valid excuse given with windows 7 you are getting a blue screen.

Listen, I came here for help after trying to do the install from win xp.  The instructions abt doing a fresh install from bootup came after I had already done this and the system recognising a previous install attempt.

My last post was directed to n2fc

Do as I suggested in my last post http:#a34934702
This "Should Hopefully" correct your issue, and you will also find out if your drive is good as well.
Sometimes a failing drive will cause you issues like you are experiancing here.

do you have a Windows XP CD available?  If so, run the Windows XP install from boot, and from there you can wipe the C partition and recreate it.  

After that, the previous install of Win 7 should be removed in the process, so you can boot from the Win 7 DVD and proceed as instructed by other posts here.

If you are still booting into previous Win 7 install with the Win XP CD inserted, you are not forcing boot to CD.  Hit the function key that chooses boot order selection and make sure you "hit any key to start windows setup."

> Ieew,
> 
> You're WRONG, because as I explained, WHEN I BOOT with the CD in the
> drive from start up, it goes straight through and does not offer me any
> options.  You're probably missing the point because even during the cd
> boot up, its probably recognising that I have tried the installation from
> win xp already and tries to continue that installation.  its not treating it
> as a new one and therefore does NOT prompt me with the options as
> you describe.  Trust me, I have been able to read for the last 30 years
> as far as I can remember and see for that matter too!

n2fc is correct.  You did not boot from the DVD - you may think you did, but you did not.

To me, it's clear you are not paying attention to the details.

I have told you - with illustration in a related image - how to install and others have contributed significantly as well.  It's up to you to take a step back.  Let the frustration die down, and try again with a clear head.

I don't think there's anything more any of us can do for you until that happens.

good luck.

-LEEW

hedgeselect,

just having the Windows 7 DVD in the drive and booting doesn't mean you are booting to the DVD.  You have to make sure your first boot device is your DVD drive (do this from either the BIOS boot order selection, or from the boot menu by hitting F12 or another function during during POST).  

Even if you have a previous installation of Windows 7 going, it will ONLY continue if you decide to boot to your hard drive.  If you select to boot from your DVD drive, you will first get the option to "press any key to begin Windows setup", in which case you will enter a fresh Windows 7 install setup.  If you do not do this, your computer will attempt to boot into the hard drive, which still has the previous Windows 7 install process.

Hope that helps.

My interpretation of a fresh install INCLUDES a format. The only difference is whether I did this from within win xp or from a boot up cd without loading into won xp.

In any case I figured out what the problem was.  It appeard to be a faulty memory module that's creating the problem.  I have 3 banks of 1gb each, if I remove one of them, it seems to get past the blue screen and offer me the options if formatting the c drive that you mention.  

Ded9

I just saw your posting after I submitted my last post.  This was the problem. I don't think it was a faulty ram module but rather something about the way the banks work.  3 out of 3 were working previously with win xp but now any 2 of 3 ram sticks will work so I've settled with 2gb ram and windows 7 has now fully installed.  


Given that this was the problem, I'll accept this as the solution.  Thanks to everyone for their comments.  Time for me to sleep zzzzzz

My guess. Remove all the ram from your system and insert only one ram module to start with. You might want to perform a memory test too.

I performed a memory test using the DVD about a week ago and it passed all the tests fine.  I think it may be a prob with the motherboard as I remember having the same problem a few years back when installing win xp.