Acer Computer Windows 7 Error - Cannot complete the installation

best bet is to start with a complete fresh install if you have the install disk. That means formatting and installing fresh. Basically just pop in the install CD and reboot the machine, it will likely prompt you to boot from CD - which you will want to do.

^ Concur, However I would select custom install and delete all partitions. Then select UNpartitiond disk to install to. Do NOT need to Use the entire disk. Could make the Size 200->400 Gigs for operating system and programs. Also in bios select AHCI if possible (did not mention Motherboard).

After install you can use disk management to initialize and format the remainder of the HDD>

Thanks to all! I ended up finding an operating system disk and reinstalling the whole thing. I will keep your suggestions re the partitions and possibly use that should the need arise again!

I have a very similar problem. I have an Aspireone D255E net-book. I have had it for several months and it has worked properly for the majority of that time. I have received lag on system operations recently, and I decided it would be easiest to to a restore to factory default, and I wanted to keep everything in my User folder. So I ran the option that does this task, and it ran until it rebooted and then said "Setup is starting services." and then gave me an error saying that "This software cannot be installed on this hardware." It gave me the option to reboot. If I do nothing, it will just keep doing this same thing in a loop. If I press F8, safe mode does not run, and neither do any of the other options on the F8 boot menu. Also, the "Restore to factory default" option isn't there, because the system believe it is still in the installation process. I never changed any hardware on this system. I have used the factory restore option on my Aspireone D255 and it worked fine, numerously. I don't have a flash drive. (If I must, I will acquire one, yet I have no idea how to boot from it. I also can acquire an external hard drive that is 1 TB, yet I don't know how to boot from that.) I also don't have an external dvd or cdrom drive. If I could get to Dos maybe and delete the windows folder somehow maybe it would give me the option to retry the restore to factory default? I have a headache, and would appreciate any help. Thank you for taking you're time to perhaps help me cure the headache. ...if only punching the thing would help..

Nebulous86 - Your not alone on this issue. I have an Acer Aspire 0ne netbook and it is doing the same thing. There are no recovery discs that can be used, since there is no CD drive. I have tried all the options in F8, to no avail, F2- to no avail, F12- to no avail, F5, tab options "windows Memory test", to no avail. It just loops back around to the same "setup is starting services" then I get a screen that states "Windows could not complete installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation" and that is as far as I can get. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. Th'X

^ @ both, Have you looked at the manuf websit, do they have a support forum. Do they have a support web chat, if so try that first.

2nd. You really should open a new tread when seek help, you will normally get more reponses.
This is a hard one, not sure if best place is software, windows 7 (or XP as early net books had XP), or under laptops (no netbook catagory)

Hi. How did you restore this? Just had the same thing happen....