Windows 7 Installation Stuck

[Senoska]

I had removed everything nonessential already leaving my HDD and disk drive connected and did get the lockup. I actually discovered the problem directly after my install which I had removed everything per a guide online... So...

The error most certainly was my DVD but I do not have a fucking clue as to why. The event log agrees with this. There are 23 errors connected to the DVD.

edit: These are the logs:

Audit events have been dropped by the transport. 0
The device, \Device\CdRom0, has a bad block.
An error was detected on device \Device\CdRom0 during a paging operation. < Managed to salvage a complete lockup on this one
The Windows Search Service is starting up and attempting to remove the old search index {Reason: Full Index Reset}.

[Pikarya]

I had removed everything nonessential already leaving my HDD and disk drive connected and did get the lockup. I actually discovered the problem directly after my install which I had removed everything per a guide online... So...

The error most certainly was my DVD but I do not have a fucking clue as to why. The event log agrees with this. There are 23 errors connected to the DVD.

What type of drive/etc. is it? Just got an AIM from a friend saying his Sony let him install 7 fine, then once in 7 hes tried to install some stuff from discs. But is unable to use the drive what-so-ever (Icon shows, can click, causes hard lock)...

Don't know what to tell him either lol.

[Senoska]

It's an Optiarc 7170s, I don't know if any CDs will cause a hard lock. Give me a minute, I'll see if I can find another dvd.

[Senoska]

I put in a random CD and had gotten three

The device, \Device\CdRom0, has a bad block.

errors in the event log. It took about 1:30 but it eventually let me into the CD.

[fishstix]

Occasionally, I actually like the windows search service/indexer in 7, but maybe try disabling it? :3

[Senoska]

Pikachu, is your friend getting anything in the event log? Have him check the admin. events, if he is getting something similar I'm sure we can figure out why and move on from there.

[Pikarya]

Just logged off to go to work, sent him a message to hit me back when he gets home later tonight.

[Freeko]

@Freeko, it shouldn't ever force you to completely format your harddrive unless it had a different filesystem or something. Normally, it'll move your old vista installation including user files and programs into a windows.old folder and then install 7 around that. If you want to though, just look around for a partition program. Windows has a built-in one, but I wouldn't trust it. It'll be pretty simple, create partition, move files to partition 2, start install, format partition 1, complete install, and then move files back if you wish. Personally, I don't like partitions though.
.

When trying to install 7 it shows the option to upgrade, when i hit the button and it starts it says, Windows cannot upgrade from this version of Windows Vista, you will have to do a clean install. I want to partition because my external HDD is full as well. What is the best and easy to use partition program.

[Pikarya]

Google "how to resize" a partition in Vista. It has a tool built in, for free.

[Freeko]

will do thanks for the help.

[Gokulo]

For other people that might have the same problem. For me disconnecting USB devices and turning AHCI didn't help, but I found another solution: I have a Gigabyte motherboard and what I had to do was connect the HDD to another SATA controller - there are 2: orange and purple and I think it was plugged into orange and I switched it to purple. The system installed w/o problems then.

[fishstix]

When trying to install 7 it shows the option to upgrade, when i hit the button and it starts it says, Windows cannot upgrade from this version of Windows Vista, you will have to do a clean install. I want to partition because my external HDD is full as well. What is the best and easy to use partition program.

A clean install doesn't mean that the hard drive will be cleaned. afaik, you'll only lose your data if it has the word format in there somewhere. It should give you an option to format or move files around. "clean" is referred to the OS installation, the programs from vista won't be installed for 7.

[bungiefan]

You can upgrade from any Vista version to any Windows 7 version, if thats what your first question is.

Not quite. You can upgrade in-place without a reformat if you're going from 32-bit Vista to 32-Bit Windows 7, or 64-bit Vista to 64-bit Windows 7. 32-bit to 64-bit installs require a clean install, which means a drive reformat. If your machine wasn't self built and shipped with less then 4 GB of RAM, they gave you 32-bit Vista, and you are likely trying to install 64-bit Win7 over it.

In-place upgrades can be messy, as they import all the configurations and program installs they can, including broken ones. Clean install is the best way to do an OS install and have it working, but you need to have all your program installers and know how to manually export any important preferences files you need to keep and don't want back to default.

I do a clean reinstall of Windows every year to keep it from getting bloated, and I only have one drive dedicated to OS installs, while the other 8 are for backup and documents.

[Izzy]

You can't upgrade Vista Ultimate to 7 Pro/Home. You have to go to 7 Ultimate. I have an Enterprise version I planned on using because it's a volume key, but I couldn't use it because I have Vista Ultimate. I had to get 7 Ultimate.

[dannyl]

Windows 7 is trash just like Vista. Everything has to be runned as administrator otherwise it doesn't work.

[Pikarya]

Yeah, you're right. Going back to Windows Me stat.

[fishstix]

never had "run as administrator" issues, but using ctrl+shift while opening a program is a shortcut

[Senoska]

Windows 7 is trash just like Vista. Everything has to be runned as administrator otherwise it doesn't work.

This is why you're wrong
http://i35.tinypic.com/246vrti.jpg

With full Aero and desktop effects turned on, running photoshop, visual studio, streaming radio, and reading the forums, my cpu usage is chilling nicely at 3-10% compared to 50% when on vista.

[Caiyuo]

haha, along with the forum post in background. Inspired by the Cracked.com Win7 article?

Also, I think Bungiefan hit the nail on the head as to why people aren't able to use the "Upgrade" option being that you can't swap from x86 (32-bit) to x64 (guess) without a clean install. If you want to know if you're elligible to upgrade to x64, try this link: GRC|SecurAble: Determine Processor Security Features|

[Kurokikaze]

My installation keeps freezing at Expanding Windows Files on my Desktop. I've tried upgrading my bios, changing to AHCI, disconnecting all USB components (except mouse and keyboard), and changing the SATA port of my hard drive but no dice on finding a remedy to the issue.