Need computer help!
 

Any help from PC techs would be greatly appreciated!

Issue: Windows 7 installation keeps hanging (ie dots stop moving, mouse frozen, no HD or CD/DVD movement) at various points -- e.g. expanding windows files, or during initial Windows 4 color icon screen.

-Bought new motherboard, same problem
-Bought new RAM, same problem,
-Tried different downloads off torrent, same problem
-Booted off USB iso image, same problem
-Set BIOS to fail-safe settings, same problem,
-Removed all USB devices, removed video card (Mobo has onboard video),same problem (only things connected are VGA cable, and keyboard serial port)
-Borrowed another buddy's spare HD (only one drive plugged in at any time), same problem.
-Bought new DVD reader, same problem
-Got frustrated and downloaded REAL windows 7 iso off the microsoft digital river site, then hash checked it to ensure it wasn't corrupt, burned to a DVD, same problem, installed onto USB key, same problem.

The only remaining variables are CPU, but I doubt it as the computer boots up fine etc, or somehow power supply?
Thanx!

Is this a newly built system? and installing win7 for the first time?
old computer and upgrading from winxp or vista?

Problem looks like issue between the source (USB/dvd holding win7 files) and destination (HDD) or motherboard sata controller.

It's now a new system -- the only old parts are the HDD and PS and case.

I just remounted the CPU and checked the temperature, it goes up to 49C, so well below max op temp of 60C.
I also adjusted some of the RAM settings in the bios to go with what was on the RAM labels.
The motherboard also seems fine, the diagnostic LEDs read FF which is supposed to be A-OK.

Gonna go grab an all-new HD from the store later to see if anything changes. Argh.

try to clear cmos and load optimized default settings.. reboot and try to install again

Maybe try looking up for bios updates for the motherboard and see if the new updates will fix said problem

Chances are a new HD will work too. SSD time ?
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^^already loaded the fail-safe settings
^i'm gonna go out and grab a new PSU later; i've been using it for 5? years and some forums say the power output drops with time, and that freezing is one of the symptoms. Will update later!

there should be other options other then fail-safe..

give us some specs of the hardware...

I know you tried the Bios fail-safe settings, but do you know if that adjusts the SATA settings? Try changing the SATA mode: Disable AHCI/Enable IDE emulation.

I've pulled my hair out trying to find out why my Windows deployment would deploy fine to every machine except a few, and those would BSOD or freeze during boot. It turned out that my deployment image didn't have SATA drivers for that particular hardware.

Before buying any more parts, I would try running
Memtest86.com - Memory Diagnostic
or
Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
You might want to make sure you are supplying the RAM with the voltage on the RAM label. A lot of RAM require 0.1V over the normal spec. Using higher latency numbers might also help.

Your problem could be anywhere, so you will have to check everything.

^^Tried disabling the AHCI, still same problem. I also increased the ram voltage to +0.1, no change.

Will try a new PSU tm; if it doesnt work at least I can still return it lol. Thanx for the pointers!

The RAM is also brand-new; the Windows install Memory Diagnostic sensed no errors through 3 passes.....

dont know if this is the same issue


but when i install my copy of win7 it'll hang and take forever i just leave it on and leave and eventually it installs (2hrs-ish)

As in the mouse is frozen as well and the screen is totally frozen?

Alright, I think I know what's happening, on your motherboard, there are some slots for the SATA cable right? Try installing one hard drive first and connect the second one later. Happened to me before. I think it's called MASTER DRIVE or something like that. I plug 2 hard drives into the slots side by side and it crashes everytime. Plug the other hard drive (not the main) into the other sata slots.

I'll show you a picture later if you don't quite understand my explanation, sorry.

^i don't think that exist anymore with sata drives. you just set the boot order in bios.

yep nothing was happening and i kept force rebooting and trying again and it was the same thing so i just decided to leave it and do something else when i came back to it it was finally doing something

Just happened to me (:

ya, with SATA it's all auto sensing; there's no jumpers for master/slave anymore like the IDE days...
I'm gonna try to leave it hanging now and see what happens.

K, I think it's unquestionably the PSU that's failed. Computer won't even power on now lol.

EDIT: System fully working. PSU was the problem. Thx for all the help!

ouch...you don't have spare parts to test the system?

It would piss me off after spending all the money and found out it was something else.
I encountered similar situation, all the parts work fine, but the HTPC won't start up. I RMA my "fail-to-start" mobo, but MSI replied me nothing wrong with it. =/

Reminds me when I installed all the parts into the computer, with a brand new graphics card which requires a 6-pin power cord... Forgot to plug that in.. Nothing showed up haha

Btw; I was googling the slow/frozen windows boot/install -- it occurs because newer computers dont use A: floppies, and the mobo BIOS default looks for the A:, so you gotta disable A: drive in the MOBO