BleepingComputer.com: Windows 7 clean install - ERRORS

Trying to do a clean install of Windows 7. I formated the hard drive (using the Win 7 install disc) but then it asks for drivers. What drivers does it need. I've tried every disc I can find that may remotely have anything to do with this PC and none of them fix the issue. I end up with a screen that tells me windows can't install to my hard drive (even though there is almost a terrabyte of unused space (minus the 100 m it reserves for the system files.)

What in the name of Gates am I doing wrong???

(and please speak slowly and use small words, it's been a long day)

Thanks in advance

KK

Well

Finally got windows to start loading but it hung up with 1% "expanded"
Got an error message that reads

Windows cannot install required files. Make sure all the files for installation are available and restart the installation Error Code 0x8007045D

How can I NOT have all the files? This is a store bought Windows 7 Home Premium FULL INSTALL version (purchased for $199 at Fry's today) not a download or an upgrade version.

I have read some posts where cleaning the install DVD sometimes clears up the problem, I used DiscDr and no luck.

Should I try a different (new) Hard drive?

STUMPED IN TEXAS

Hi -

What kind of HD(s) do you have in the system? If you have SATA or SCSI you have to hit the F6 key when prompted to install drivers for those type HDs. There should be nothing wrong with your Windows disc though.

Boot to the disc, choose your location, and do a "custom" install. I've put the 32 and 64 bit versions of Ultimate on 3 computers and use the "Custom" install. Also, there is an area where you select what partition you want to install it on when it makes the 100meg partition. There's a link on the right side of that box that will expand so you can make partitions in that area or use the full-size HD. There's also a "format" button so you can format the HD there.

Did you run the Windows 7 Advisor on your system before you bought it? If so, did it pass everything so you could install it on that system?

I give up for tonight

new error code

error code 0x80070002

KK

This is a media center PC I had built at Frys about 2 years ago. It froze up about 3 weeks ago and nothing I tried could get it to load XP. I finally gave up, bought Windows 7 and have been trying to install the new OS on a different HD so I could (maybe) go back to the other two HDs and get to my 13,000 song collection. I formatted the HD (sata Maxtor 1 terrabyte I think) and now it won't load the Win 7.

I haven't tried the F6 key. Is that driver on the MaxBlast5 Disk that came with the HD??

The problem there is that there is no operating system and I can't boot to that CD.

I am beginning to wonder if I have a motherboard issue or some other gremlin in this Frankenstein POS.

(It has three one terrabyte HDs that were working fine on XP until the crash a few weeks ago),

any suggestions for how to trouble shoot this?

Did you run the Windows Upgrade Advisor before you started?
I think your install will be expecting drivers for items such as your Display card, ethernet card etc which you should have downloaded before starting your install - the following sites may help:
http://www.pctipsbox.com/how-to-install-vi...s-on-windows-7/
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/driverssuppo...s-7-drivers.htm

NOT AN UPGRADE....

CLEAN INSTALL OF A NEW OPERATING SYSTEM

(sorry for shouting but its been a long day)

no way to "download" anything......

I don't have a working operating system on the PC

SURELY ITS NOT THIS HARD TO INSTALL WINDOWS ON A BLANK HARD DRIVE

OP -

I had mega problems trying to install 7 on two brand new SATA HDs and had to give up because my system was too old, I couldn't update the BIOS and thus the controller for the SATA HDs wasn't being seen. After over a week of fighting with this I shipped the parts back to Tiger today and am going back to an IDE HD.

How are your BIOS? Latest update on them?

You said it crashed 3 weeks ago - what did it do?

I've been looking around the net and am getting all sorts of reasons for that first error you posted. Dirty media; bad ISO burn on the download (you don't have that); DVD drive is not functioning right; and the biggie: bad retail media. Only thing that concerns me is the crash you spoke of and what could have caused that. Have you tried your XP disc at all to see if that will work given that you had it running before?

It was frozen while on youtube. I rebooted and it wouldnt load windows xp. I tried the XP disc, command prompt, every possible way into the PC, nothing. Everytime it would get to the point where you would normally see the windows splash screen but ....nothing.


I guessed the HD may be bad so I switched to a different HD and tried the win 7 install.

(There is a whole thread on this in the XP forum)

now the dumb a s s computer can't even find the HD (no drives were found)

maybe you are right about the sata drivers

KK

I think I have an IDE drive here somewhere. I'll try to use it tomorrow. I need sleep for my day job.

Thanks

Oh, how do I check if my BIOS is updated???

KK

Disconnect everything you don't need and keep just your video, KB, mouse connected. If you have another HD around disconnect the 3 you had using XP and try to install XP on that. If it doesn't install then you know it's not the HDs and something else going on. I think you'd be better using one HD for now until you can isolate what caused the problem on YouTube because whatever caused that is most likely stopping any install of an operating system.

Did you run the Advisor on the system before trying 7? That's really a moot point right now given that you can't install XP either but that, at least, would tell you if your system can run 7.

Are you getting any beeps when you turn the system on? I know you have no HDs running but you should get at least one beep without them in there or connected. Do you see a "normal" post outside of the HDs being missing? Lastly, can you get into the BIOS and see if anything in there has changed, like your boot order?

In order to find out if it's your HDs or another piece of hardware you have to start with a pretty "empty" system and then add one piece back at a time. Sometimes something like this is caused by something as ridiculous as reseating memory or a loose cable somewhere. Because the results of the searches I've been doing on your error are all different it's hard to tell what this could be. I have to say the majority tho were bad ISO burns but again, that doesn't apply to you.

OP - was cross-posting and just saw your popst about the SATA HDs. Sounds like the errors I was getting because my BIOS were outdated. In my case I'm dealing with a 7+ year old system that I can't find BIOS updates for but yours is only 2 years old, already set up for SATA.

When the system starts to boot hit the F1, F2 or Del key (depending on which one gets you in the BIOS). The first "page" will have the version you have running on your system. Write it down and then you'll have to find out what kind of motherboard you have - exactly - and then see if there's an update for your BIOS. I'm going by the 99 things I tried to get my system to accept these two brand new SATAs but in my case I have no option in the BIOS to enable SATA or SCSI HDs - just IDEs.

Check the BIOS to make sure your SATA's are enabled - get the BIOS version and motherboard. If you don't want to start pulling the system apart try returning the package to Frys and tell them it was defective and try again with a new disc. It very well could be a bad DVD and before you start ripping the system apart make sure your media is good - also your ROM drive you're using for the install.

One more thing before I turn in myself.

If you're getting "HD not found" that tells me your HDs are not being seen by the controller (be it onboard or a card). I was getting that because the drivers for the controller card I bought wouldn't load because of old BIOS. One thing depended on the other and in the end nothing worked. But you should be able to hit F6 during the install (either 7 or Xp to try to get the system back up) and it will ask you to put in a floppy disc with the controller drivers on it. If you don't have a floppy drive in the system you'll either need a USB one or sometimes these drivers will install off a thumb drive depending on the controller, board and HDs.

I'll check back in the morning. Get some zzzzz's - you've been at this all day. I was going day and night for a week and thought I was going to lose my mind over this!