HELP - Windows 7 won't install....

kevpuk

kevpuk

kevpuk

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Kinda run out of ideas, and hair !, so reaching out for advice.....

I am building a PC for someone, and am having absolutely no joy installing Windows 7 (or Vista - had to try !) on it - each and every time, boot from Windows CD, wipe the HDD (partitions and all) and try to install. The setup gets so far, then reboots and tries to fire up the installation before the PC just powers down and reboots.

Specs :

Asus P7P55D deluxe motherboard
i5 750 CPU

2x 2GB Corsair XMS3 1333MHz RAM
500GB WD HDD (SATA)
Asus DVD burner (SATA)
ATi 5450 GPU (Sapphire)

generic PSU (500w)
Coolermaster case (Elite 3xx)

Now the Mobo, CPU and Asus optical drive were taken fresh out of my own main PC, to be replaced by some Z68 goodness, and have never skipped a beat.
The RAM, case and PSU are all spangly new and the WD HDD had been used as a archive/backup drive in a caddy for a year or so. The GFX card was bought for an upgrade which never happened, but no reason to suspect it...(?)

I have reset BIOS to defaults, got SATA controller set to IDE (Enhanced), and the RAM/CPU appear to be picking up correct timings.

Everytime I attempt to install Windows 7 (have tried both the 64-bit and 32-bit discs), the installation gets to reboot stage, fires up to Starting Windows and then (occasionally saying "Updating Registry settings" or "Starting Services") the PC shuts down, then powers up again.
With the Vista (Ultimate 64-bit) disc, similar situation but when it reboots there is an error message about the BOOTMGR or some NTLDR missing - to which startup repair does not help.

I have tried a combination of different SATA ports on the board, to no avail. I have tried 1 stick of RAM at a time; I have tried disconnecting the DVD drive and using a USB one; I have tried an old 80GB IDE HDD.....nothing has helped.

Really don't have any ideas left, the mobo/cpu was working fine 2 days ago in my own PC ! The only suggestions I have seen are around :

Memtest86 - fair idea, will try, but seeing as my own Patriot RAM also doesn't help......
Switch GFX output to VGA cable - read somewhere that this fixed someone's similar problems :confused:
Pull everything out of case and try - in case of some far-too-convenient short or something; suspect this is unlikely, as system fails at same place every time !
Try different gfx card - I have a GTS 250 in my PC I can try.....

Please, please, please - any other thoughts/suggestions/advice warmly received :rolleyes:
 
Like you said try a differen't graphics card or use onboard if you have it.

Also is your PSU working correctly? Try a differen't PSU, it maybe that your computer isn't getting enough power.
 
No onboard on P55 chipset, unfortunately, so going to have to be the other card....
As for PSU, I did wonder, but not really sure why this problem would manifest at exactly the same point in an install every time, were PSU the issue....
 
It's just a thought. Usually if a computer wouldn't get enough power from the PSU it would either shutdown when loading windows or at BIOS i've experienced but still...
 
Yep, tried swapping both SATA cables for new ones - as for power, did try running from different combinations of PSU outputs :(

But thanks for the suggestions so far :) Sure there is a logical explanation......
 
OK, all sorted :)
Simply turned off all *fancy* CPU functions (C1E, EIST and so on) and disabled pretty much all controllers not needed in BIOS....installed first time !
Then, re-activated controllers as necessary (e.g. Ethernet) and all seems fine.

Meh !

Thanks for all the assistance :)
 
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