Help: Installing W7 to a new HDD from an XP installation

darael · 28 Jul 2012 at 15:56

What I want to do is install Windows 7 onto a new harddrive. NP you say, just use the install DVD. The problem is the computer's BIOS is too old to boot from a Windows 7 DVD!

Motherboard: Gigabyte 7IXE4 with FAd BIOS version installed
CPU: AMD Duron 1300
RAM: 512mb (I know!)
HDD: 80GB
ODD: Pioneer DVD-121 with v1.07 firmware installed

Okay I know the machine is old and needs upgrading - but it's someone's make do machine, and I want to see if W7 will go on it.

It had XP on a 20GB HDD before, but I just pulled it out and plonked a 80GB in it's place. It did have a CD-ROM before, but again plonked the DVD-ROM drive in it's place.

When trying to boot from the W7 DVD I get the error "CDBOOT: Cannot boot from CD - Code: 5". Googling this, tells me it's the motherboard's BIOS.

Surely there must be a way of booting up from an XP CD, copying the W7 files to the HDD and restarting? A bit like when you could boot from a Windows 98 floppy, format and FDISK the HDD and copy the setup files across, before restarting the machine from the HDD to run W98 setup.

Please help - I have no blank CDs, but I do have a Windows XP CD and some blank DVDs.

KIA · 28 Jul 2012 at 17:08

Why run Win7 on ancient hardware?

Use XP or a lightweight Linux distro.

darael · 28 Jul 2012 at 20:51

KIA said:
Why run Win7 on ancient hardware?

Use XP or a lightweight Linux distro.

Purely for the fun of it, really. The machine isn't seriously enough used for anyone to mind.

I did get Windows 7 running on it, after following this guide: http://www.unawave.de/windows-7-tipps/code5-error.html?lang=EN

Duke · 28 Jul 2012 at 20:58

How does it run lol? I would say 'you only need to upgrade X Y or Z and it would be useable for basic things' but the cpu will be really laggy on it, ram is very small and the HD will be very slow as well

darael · 28 Jul 2012 at 22:55

Actually it doesn't run all that badly! I think if I spent any money upgrading it, it would be money badly spent.

The most RAM the motherboard can take is 768MB:- http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/listparts.aspx?model=GA-7IXE4&Cat=RAM

I might try and hunt out an AGP graphic card for it to lessen the CPU load.

The harddrive is 7200rpm, so that's as good as it gets.

Duke · 29 Jul 2012 at 09:06

I have loads of 256MB SDR ram if you need another stick, can pop one in the post. Just let me know whether the existing ones are single or double sided so it is more likely to work together.

The HD shouldn't be too bad then being 7200.

BrianB · 29 Jul 2012 at 09:48

The Win7 licence worth more than the pc itself.

deusexlumina · 29 Jul 2012 at 10:30

you really need more RAM in that machine

and to be honest you should be able to get the install files on hdd, ive done it before but forgotten how (had to do it on a netbook), a quick google will probably help.