System doesn't start despite having a Windows 7 installation
System doesn't start despite having a Windows 7 installation
I recently upgraded my PC from an AMD board & CPU to a Skylake system. The specs are as follows... CPU: i7 6700k MB: MSI Z170 Krait Gaming 3x GPU: Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 1080 SSD: Corsair 525GB MX300 (and a 1TB seagate hybrid drive) PSU: EVGA Supernova NEX 650w RAM: Corsair DDR4 16GB Vengeance LPX Problem: My hard drive, being leftover from the other computer, still has Windows 7 on it (which won't boot because of the old drivers). This shouldn't be a problem though, as I want to install a fresh copy of Windows on my SSD. However, every time I try to launch the windows 7 setup (either in the form of a bootable USB or a bootable CD) it crashes after "Windows is Loading Files", around the time the four dots come together on the starting windows page. No crash message, just a sudden shutdown. I've tried to: Boot with one Ram Stick Boot with XMP turned on Boot with integrated graphics Boot setup in safe mode (which worked, but it can't complete the installation in safe mode and it won't boot outside of it) Format my SSD to GPT Boot old HDD in safe mode (which does work, but only for about a minute until it freezes and becomes inoperable) Install the latest version of BIOS on my MB I'm at a bit of a loss... Not sure if this is hardware or software related; in fact, I have not the slightest clue what this is related to at all. Am I missing anything? Thanks in advance!
You have three options:
1- Obtain an ISO for Vista or XP, install Windows via it, and move files while using Vista/XP. This method worked for me when booting from a Vista/XP DVD on my Mac. No need for a Vista key.
2- Transfer the SSD to another machine, copy the files, and power off the original PC before reinserting the drive. This helped get our family computer running. I kept the product key until Windows was fully installed, so it wouldn’t activate before the drive was back in place.
3- Create a fresh Windows ISO and test it. The first method is slower but guarantees proper default drivers. The second is quicker but requires careful handling after copying. The third is easiest but might not succeed.
Hope this assists!
It seems the problem isn’t related to software. The install media worked on another machine, yet it didn’t launch. With everything disconnected, the setup still fails. If memory is the issue, testing with minimal RAM helps—like using a single RAM stick. Need more advice?
Use built-in commands directly in the command prompt. Avoid external tools or scripts unless explicitly allowed.