Win 7 install hanging at 'expanding files'

I've just bought a 2TB drive and I'm installing win 7 home premium 64 onto it (or trying to). I've taken out my old drive with xp on, put in the new one and I'm booting off the install disk.
The motherboard is an asus M2N-VM DVI with 2Gb ram on board.

I've tried it several times, but each time it hangs on 'Expanding Windows Files (0%)...'

I tried swapping the sata cable on the dvd drive for a new one, because I've experienced cable problems a few times in the past, but that didn't affect it.

Any idea's please?

http://www.techsupportforum.com/foru...-a-453908.html

?

Good shout, but no. The floppy drive is in a box in the loft, and it's disabled in the bios.

saturdaygig--
This reference has several suggestions which one or more posters said fixed the problem
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/...ing-files.html

Another idea is to be sure you are running a clean install.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ndows-7-a.html

I did see that article on my own search, and it's what lead me to change the sata cable. The DVD I'm installing from is good, and there's only one RAM stick in, 2Gb - since I do fit the 'older motherboard' group.
I'm not sure why you're querying the clean install, I'm doing a first time to a new disk.

I've thought of trying an xp install first, then using the upgrade instead. I know clean is best, but it would be upgrade right on top of a fresh install. Worth a try?

Hardware problem maybe?

1) Test the RAM with Memtest+.

2) Run the HD manufacturer's diagnostics.

3) Reset the BIOS to factory defaults.

My, this is a stubborn one.

memtest comes up no errors.

WD HDD test comes up no errors

Reset bios, no change

I tried the same hdd, and the same install disk, on my laptop, and install progressed properly. So it's neither of those.

It must be hardware related in the desktop, but I guess it might just be spec related because I built this one quite a few years ago, so I don't mind building a new one.

Other suggestions still welcome, because from an acedemic point of view I'd still like to know.

Did you try updating the BIOS? What BIOS version are you using?
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M2N...Desk_Download/

Are you using AHCI or IDE for your SATA mode?

Are you using the entire 2TB as one partition or are you splitting it up?

If you can still boot the computer from the Windows XP HD, do so and run Microsoft's Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if it reveals any issues.

Doc - I ran it. It says my hardware is good, just lists a few programmes which may not be supported and is rather uncharitable about my printer.

Midknyte - Bios is 01/09/08. Since then there have been two updates, one to do with temperature management, and the other one is "Fix UUID might got lost". I don't know what that one is, but bios updates make me go all quakey.

The sata mode choices are Sata, Raid and AHCI, and it's set to Sata.

I'm installing into a 100Gb partition.

That tell us anything?

Disconnect the printer (especially if it has a card reader) and other USB devices, except KB/Mouse.

I would update to the latest BIOS, but that's your call.

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The sata mode choices are Sata, Raid and AHCI, and it's set to Sata.

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You'd get better performance from AHCI. Use that instead.

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I'm installing into a 100Gb partition.

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2TB is the cut off point for the boot partition on Win7, so using the full 2TB might have been an issue. 100GB is fine.

Ah, I can try that. There is an internal card reader installed, which is connected to the internal usb header.

As a bit of futher info, when I installed on the laptop, the DVD was spinning away merrily while setup was in the 'expanding files' bit. On this desktop (which I'm still using, swapping the disks around) the DVD is all quiet at that point. It does read to get to there, obviously. So it seems something prevents the DVD getting accessed at this point.

Disconnect the card reader too. I've had issues with those in the past.

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As a bit of futher info, when I installed on the laptop, the DVD was spinning away merrily while setup was in the 'expanding files' bit. On this desktop (which I'm still using, swapping the disks around) the DVD is all quiet at that point. It does read to get to there, obviously. So it seems something prevents the DVD getting accessed at this point.

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It may be that your desktop CD/DVD drive is having issues reading the install disc. If you have a different CD/DVD drive available, you might try using it.

Sensible call JDC. I don't have one to hand. I have an external, but the bios won't let me boot from it.

Great problem! I don't think it's the drive because 'Windows is copying files' comes before expanding the files.

Will it install from a USB flash/thumb drive?

1. Download an .ISO of the correct version of Windows:
   
   Windows 7 Direct Download Links
   
   
2. Install it to a USB key using Microsoft's:
   
   Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
   
   
3. And then set the BIOS to boot from the USB key.

Well, I'm glad you're finding this entertaining Reverend :-) To be honest so am I.

On to today's progress. I disconnected usb stuff included the card reader connected to the internal header and guess what....same result.

At lunch time I'd nipped out to the local computer store and splashed out 11 pounds on a new DVD drive and hey presto....windows started to install. BTW, that's one point to JDC2000.

Unfortunately it started but didn't finish. It got most of the way through, then at the 'configure components' stage it stopped and said this:
Windows could not configure one or more system components. To install windows, restart the computer and restart the computer.
I did this, and of course it just stopped at the same point.
Does the install routine create an install log that can be interrogated?

Hmm. I thought you tested the DVD drive already. Using known good hardware is a basic step.

You can try to capture the setup logs.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...=ws.10%29.aspx

What additional cards/hardware do you have connected? Remove any PCI/PCIe cards, except video. You could also go into the BIOS and disable audio or LAN, and then re-enable them after the Windows install completes.

I've had older low-powered computers take up to three hours to uncompress the install files in Win 7. Let the thing sit there overnight if need be. If that doesn't work try doing the install from a USB flash drive.

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Windows could not configure one or more system components.

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This message likely means that Windows could not set up a device driver properly. Follow Midknyte's instructions and try to install with a bare minimum of hardware connected or activated (BIOS).

I don't have any expansion cards in, I'll try the disable in bios approach. I also retrieved this file 'setupact.log' Any clues here?

link-to-file

I just tried disabling lan and audio at bootup. There's no bios options for this - according to this they auto-disable if a competing card is installed. So nothing to test there.

I assume that you are NOT attempting an upgrade installation, but are doing a new, clean install. If that is the case, try deleting ALL partitions on the drive you are installing to, then reformatting that drive, then proceed with the install. If that still does not work, it is possible that the install media has some files that cannot be read properly. Try a different install disc, or try copying the install disc to a new, blank (not RW) disc to see if the copy finishes. If it does, try installing from the new copy of the disc.

Link:

http://www.computing.net/answers/win...one/17422.html

And slow the burn down so all the files get put on the new disk in such a manner they can be read.

Thanks JDC but this is where I started, at the beginning of the thread. It's a clean in stall on a new hard drive with freshly created partitions. I did actually do a copy disc using image burn at 1x, so I really don't think it's the install disk.

Is there anything to be learned from the install log I posted?

I took a look at your error log, pressed [Ctrl-F] typed in "fail" (without the quotes), pressed [F3] and counted eight hits. You might try looking up each on Google and see if it turns up anything that might help.

Did you ever try it from a USB flash drive instead of a DVD?

My thought was that the failed installations will have left some, but not all, of the files needed by Windows in place, including potentially some bad ones. It could not hurt to try recreating the partitions.

Also, it may be that the reason the first CD/DVD drive could not read the install disc was that there were problems with it. The new drive did better, but still had trouble.

Installing from a flash drive would eliminate the disc and the CD/DVD drive as potential problems, and might help narrow down the possible causes.

I tried to do that, but diskpart doesn't see my usb drive, just the hdd.

Did you try the Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool? You shouldn't need diskpart for that.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...load-tool.html

I have never understood the need for the Win 7 USB/DVD Tool.
I see MS's explanation here
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/...usbdvd_dwnTool
but I have always just been able to download a Windows/Office .iso file (not from the MS Store), burn it to a DVD and run the installation from the burned .iso DVD. Is the Tool only for downloads from the MS Store?

I know I am butting in saturdaygig's thread so just ignore if I am being disruptive.

Some people don't know how to use .isos, so the MS tool is supposed to make it easier to download the .iso and create a boot DVD or USB drive. You can use other apps if you want; the MS tool is just one option.

Well, the install from USB failed in exactly the same way. I've bought some new hardware now so I'll put win7 on a new machine - surely that has to work :-)
Thanks for all the suggestions.

I agree that a new machine ought to work. :)

If that old computer is failing in exactly the same way when installing from both DVD and USB, there's a serious hardware problem somewhere. Failing HD? Flaky RAM? Weak PSU? Bad MB? ...