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Computer totally screwed, W7 won't install, need desperate help.

Tags:
  • Windows 7
  • Computers
  • SATA
Last response: in Windows 7
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December 30, 2013 3:59:27 PM

Hey guys, I'm really stressed out right now. I need my computer urgently for important work however earlier decided to upgrade from W7 Home Premium OEM to W8.1, using Student discount. That all went fine and then suddenly the catalyst drivers killed themselves and I couldn't find any way to get them to work again... I figured that it was probably some wierd install problem so I burned a W8.1 install CD and told it to install onto my computer...

Unfortunately, it got as far as 50% of readying files and then some random error about how some files were missing came up. I spent a lot of time mucking with that quite stressed and frustrated then ended up formatting my C:\ drive for a fresh install, hoping that would work.

Well, that's just screwed it over totally. It won't even /attempt/ to install anymore, saying that an install is already in progress and I should boot into my C:\ drive which has nothing but a "corrupt" boot directory.

So my next call of action: Burn a Windows 7 CD and fall back onto using Windows 7 and upgrading back into Windows 8. I dropped 7 into it and 5 minutes later got another error. By this point I'm already worried my PC is broken beyond my repair, and then suddenly it says that the CD/DVD drivers are missing. My disks aren't great but I've burned it to three seperate ones and had the same result on all, at the lowest burn speed I can try. I downloaded and burned the drivers from Gigabyte's website and I've tried every driver they offer generically (the intel ones) and the ones offered under the mobo but none of them do anything other than give me the following error: No new devices could be found. Make sure the driver files are correct and located on the driver installation media.

My mobo: GA-M68MT-S2 (rev. 3.1)

I've done this install previously, and please note well that if I click system repair, it tells me C:\Boot is corrupt and that I should do a chkdsk! I have absolutely no idea what to do now, please someone give me some guidance, I really need this computer working ASAP and I don't want to have wasted £50 on a license that I can't use anymore :( 

I will post any necessary detail ASAP as soon as I see a reply.

More about : computer totally screwed install desperate

a b $ Windows 7
December 30, 2013 4:04:38 PM

Since you are writing this.... you must have another PC. Can you slave the drive onto it and reformat the full drive from it?
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December 30, 2013 4:06:47 PM

corroded said:
Since you are writing this.... you must have another PC. Can you slave the drive onto it and reformat the full drive from it?


Wow, amazing the stuff I can forget when I'm stressed-- I'll have a try now! Thanks

Just a heads up for future answers, it's a Solid State Drive.
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a b $ Windows 7
December 30, 2013 4:09:37 PM

:-) NP...
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December 30, 2013 4:19:04 PM

Vista picked it up and formatting it now as NTFS default allocation unit size. It only had one random folder on it named $WINDOWS.BT or something... Taking quite a while to format though.

When it's formatted, I assume it would be a good idea to try the windows 7 install again? Or should I try the W8 install?
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a b $ Windows 7
December 30, 2013 4:23:19 PM

go straight to 8... make sure and do the custom and delete all the partitions and let 8 format and setup the drive.
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December 30, 2013 5:28:08 PM

Back to my good 'ol friend, Mr Files Are Missing. I've researched a bit more into it and it seems to have two primary causes: Dodgy RAM DIMMs and scratched disks. My computer meets both! :D  Tried both DIMMs individually (I keep getting Memory BSODs) but that didn't help, but it keeps getting hitched on 62%, so I think it might be a scratch on the CD affecting a specific file. Gonna burn another and see what happens.

Methinks that my next trip to a city should be to buy more DVD Rs.
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December 30, 2013 7:26:38 PM

Windows 8 still won't install. Since I can't get a new ISO (This comp runs Vista and the only way to get one is through the upgrade manager on 7), and my disk must be damaged or something, I had to use one off the net -- It got everything done then at the very end decided "Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation. To install Windows, restart the installation." Unfortunately, I've tried it twice and same result. Windows 7 is still refusing to install with the driver issue.

I'm really scared that my PC is bricked now. Any ideas? :( 

EDITTTTTTT
Turns out the W8 installer worked after all... I never bothered checking it. Never taking installers for their word again. Oh, hello, glorious working computer.

Thanks so much for helping and giving advice, probably motivated me to get the problem sorted! Lifesaver :) 
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