Windows 7 installation won't start

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Ac82

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Dec 31, 2013
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Dell studio laptop

Last week windows shut down and wouldn't start back up. Ran all hardware tests in the bios and it was all ok. When I started the windows repair I got a blue screen and it never went any farther. So dell sent me the windows cd (it wasp reinstalled so I didn't have the cd).
So I popped it in and started the setup. All I got was the blue screen of doom saying 'starting setup' with a loading circle. Even after 30 minutes nothing happened. What could be wrong?
 
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yoji

yoji

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Jul 1, 2011
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Tad harsh!!!

But OP.. do you know what you doing? you need be sure you don't need anything off the PC before you do a rinstall..
It may give you an option to install/repair and keep all settings.. but using that option may still have problems...
So the cleanest.. is to do a clean install.. but you lose all your data.. and just get a clean windows install.
So be VERY clear about what you doing..
If hardware is all OK.. no reason why a clean install would not work...

HTH.. with a bit more info - mat be able give better guidance.
Cheers


 
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Ac82

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Dec 31, 2013
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I have carbonite. Everything's backed up. The diagnostics passed and claimed all hardware is working properly (don't get me started on what all has broken already - dell has since exchanged the dh twice, the motherboard and ram twice). So I'm cool with a clean new installation of windows.
We didn't install new programs nor download anything.
Once I booted from the installation DVD it gave me the option to repair my system. Blue screen with a circle for an hour. So I chose installation. That gets stuck in 'setup is starting'.
 
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Ac82

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Dec 31, 2013
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I only have my phone to post now so sorry for typos. It won't let me edit my posts. We so hate this laptop - every couple of months something breaks! Argh!
 
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yoji

yoji

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well - if you boot from the DVD.. it will be bypassing windows..
So if it having problems early on.. it suggests hardware issue.
If it gets to the point when you get options... you should be able to prepare the HDD and you can wipe your old install and really start from scratch.. again - to this point.. it should have nothing to do with your old windows.. so if it failing.. it probably hardware..
Once you have a clean HDD.. no reason why it should fail.. unless you have a bad DVD/DVD player.. or some DELL customisation which causes problems.. or hardware...
Cant think of anything else.... may be just Clear CMOS and reset BIOS to defaults. .just to be sure..
Cheers
 
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Ac82

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Dec 31, 2013
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When I boor from the dh it says windows is broken and starts the repair which ends in a never ending circle. So I tried booting from the DVD. It won't start the repair either so I opted to reinstall which won't start. Yikes. I'll look at the bios. Can't chat with dell until my spouse comes home with another laptop....
I did boot from the dell utilities DVD with no issues. It runs diagnostics. I suppose the DVD player works, something else must be broken....
 
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yoji

yoji

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if you getting into recovery mode.. do you have an option to restore to a previous save point?
or that hang as well?
But if you getting to these points.. where you say it let you select to reinstall.. did you go for a clean? or resinatll "over the top" of your existing installation - saving all settings etc?
If you getting there.. and selecting clean.. you should be getting to point where you can format/wipe drive..
So you are at point which is independent of your existing windows install,... so if it bugging out.. it must be a hardware type issue (or Dell sent you a bad/wrong disk).
Cheers
 
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Ac82

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Dec 31, 2013
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It hangs up on me. I get to the dialogue that offers to either restore to a system image or recivery tools. It won't load either and freezes. If I choose to install nothing happens. Not even the dialogue box that offers a clean install. It freezes before that point (literally after clicking install, then it freezes, no options, nada).
I did reset the bios but it had no effect.
 
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Ac82

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Dec 31, 2013
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I don't know if this is a clue but at the dialogue box that pops up for system recovery options it shoes win7 on d: and that the partition size is 0mb. I only have one partition on this hard disk and it's c: and half a terabyte big.
 
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