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Windows 7 install hangs at expanding files

Windows 7 install hangs at expanding files

Postby Cornflake » Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:17 am

Hi all,

So I would like to install Windows 7 on my PC, which right now has XP and several different partitions. But, when installing it always freezes at 'expanding files' after the first reboot. I have tried tens of times and it always occurs at ~49-67%. Now i have of course done a lot of googling, and tried a lot of different things to resolve this issue, it seems to be common. But so far no luck.

I have made sure my RAM is OK (and i've tried different ram), downloaded the image from Microsoft multiple times, tried installing by burning and simply from mounting the image, tried 2x and 4x burn, unplugged ALL USB devices. Nothing has helped so far. The installation always freezes meaning my mouse and the three animated periods (...) freeze completely, ie lock up.

Now i turn to you guys, as you are the experts at installation issues. What do I try next?
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Re: Windows 7 install hangs at expanding files

Postby Grav!ty » Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:05 am

Try deleting the W 7 partition and then creating it again with the W 7 install disc during installation. Also, make sure it's a primary partition (dark blue border) and not a secondary one. The mbr that Windows writes only allows for the creation of 4 primary partitions and only the partition tagged (System) which should be your XP partition should be marked Active.

I would also delete the boot system files of W 7 (bootmgr and the folder Boot) if they have already been placed on your System partition and delete any temporary files (usually identifiable by long alpha numerical names) if there are any on the partitions that you are not installing W 7on.
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Re: Windows 7 install hangs at expanding files

Postby Cornflake » Fri Sep 03, 2010 3:50 am

Alright, I think deleting the boot files got me a little bit further. This time the hang was at 99%...

This is the 2nd motherboard in a row to have fried USB ports, and i disabled the USB chipset altogether but it didn't seem to help the situation... So looking for any other suggestions.

On a side note, I noticed my Windows Vista discs are showing the same symptoms. Hanging at expanding files. So, whatever is effecting the installation of W7 is also effecting my Vista installation :-?
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Re: Windows 7 install hangs at expanding files

Postby yeshuas » Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:31 am

Have you tried cleaning the disk player?

What speed did you burn the disks at, they should be burned no faster than 4X for the best results
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Re: Windows 7 install hangs at expanding files

Postby Cornflake » Mon Sep 06, 2010 5:01 pm

Tried a CD cleaner, still same problem. I've used both a disc burned at 2x and 4x.

I thought I'd remove all of my SATA drives, and pop in one of my old IDE drives. Just one drive, one partition, completely clean to simplify things. Guess what!? W7 asks for drivers for the d*mn thing!!! This is starting to become just silly.
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Re: Windows 7 install hangs at expanding files

Postby yeshuas » Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:26 pm

All indications (at least to me) point toward a hardware issue, which you have seemed have eliminated, unless your luck just really stinks.

I would have done just as you have, different memory, different MB, different drive.

Have you tried just one stick of memory, that is if you are using more than one, and/or different slots


Just had a thought, When you tried the different MB did it already have a CPU installed, or did you have to put a CPU on the MB, If not maybe try removing and reinstalling the CPU, using of course something like Arctic Silver compound
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