Win 7 incomplete install

[STeaM]

Firstly, hello all...I'm at my wits end!

I've been trawling these forums for a couple of hours looking for a thread dealing with an issue like I'm experiencing, but I can't find one...though I've gone bog-eyed looking to be honest!! So apologies if I've not managed to find it and I'm going over old ground (a link would be greatly appreciated).

I'm currently building a new PC and I've decided to treat myself somewhat with the parts. This is what I have gone for so far: -

Asus Rampage Extreme II MoBo. (x58 chipset)
Intel S1366 2.66GHz i7 CPU.
Gainward GS GeForce GTX 260 GPU.
6Gb Corsair Dominator RAM (3 x 2Gb)
Supreme FX soundcard (bundled with MoBo)
2 x 750Gb WD Caviar SATA HDDs
HP dvd 1720i (SATA)

I'm trying to put Windows 7 64Bit on to take advantage of the extra RAM etc but I can only get so far in the install.

The first section of the install completes (the copying files, extracting files, installing updates etc) and the PC reboots and resumes at the Configuring System point (apologies if the words are wrong here, but it's the last item on that initial list...).

For about a minute I get the 3 little dots filling up and disappearing. Then my screen goes black and after a few seconds a rectangle appears in the centre of the monitor about an inch wide and half inch high. Sometimes this is pixellated in different colours but the last time it was a solid white block.

About a minute later the monitor behaves like it is getting no signal, there is no "No Signal" message, but the monitor power LED changes from green to orange...and then nothing. There is some HDD activity for about a minute or so after, the drive "rattles" and the HDD light flickers every second or so. And that's it. I've let it sit there for nearly an hour to make sure and nothing happens.

My monitor is an old (about 8 years old!) iiYama Vision Master Pro 413 CRT.

The only thing I have changed in BIOS is the boot priority.

The MoBo has no onboard graphics and I do not have anothe PCIe graphics card, only an AGP one and AGP is not supported by the Rampage MoBo.

I've tried to install whilst doing the following: -

Removed all external USB devices.
Attached only 1 HDD drive.
Removed the X Fi soundcard
Tried with only 1 (and 2) sticks of memory
I've even tried the 32bit version to make sure there isn't a problem with the 64Bit DVD!

The only thing I can think of is that Win 7 is trying to set the resolution on install and getting it very wrong (my monitor can handle upto 1600x1200) or it is setting the refresh rate too high (or too low?) - if I check my existing XP Pro install it says the monitor can only handle 65, 70, 75 and 85MHz refresh rate.

Any help or ideas on this would be greatly appreciated as I was hoping to have this up and running before Xmas for 11 days of games, booze and turkey!!

STeaM.

P.S. This is a new build, not an upgrade. All the parts apart from the aging monitor are straight out of their boxes.

 

[buwish]

Seems like it could be an issue with the graphics card. If you happen to have an extra card sitting around, throw that in and try to do the install. I had the same issue when trying to install a faulty graphics card, as Windows would fail during the install. If you do not have an extra card laying around, just use the VGA or DVI port on your motherboard during the install.

 

[Jonmor68]

With no onboard graphics and no other pcie card it's a bit hard to check, unless you can borrow one.
Can your power supply handle that card? 550 watt minimum PSU is required.
I don't suppose you have a LCD TV with a HDMI conection that you can try as monitor and see if the installalation continues.

 

[STeaM]

Buwish - No onboard graphics on my MoBo chap and my card on my other PC is an AGP one...which the new MoBo doesn't support.

Jonmor68 - My PSU is an 850W one. Should be more than enough juice there I'd have thought???

I did forget to mention that the GPU is the 1972Mb version of the GTX 260. It has the normal D-Sub and a DVI-I connector on the back. In the box, there is a DVI to HDMI converter.

My current CRT monitor just has 2 D-Sub connectors on the back.

I've spotted a few monitors that have DVI-D sockets on them...I'm guessing that DVI-I and DVI-D are not compatible...? Would it be safe (and better) to buy an LCD monitor with an HDMI socket and use the DVI>HDMI converter that came with the GPU??

Thanks for the help gentlemen!

 

[Yoosty]

Lets see if I can help you on this. First off make sure you have the latest Bios' and software updates for your Mobo. Also when you do install Win7 64-bit make sure you have minimum Hardware install on Mobo (1 stick ram, 1 HDD & 1 Graphic card). Plus get the latest 64-bit Drivers' for Win7 and save them on a USB Memory stick so you have them ready once the OS of the Install is finish.

If you still have problems installing the OS, then go to these sites also and read the threads on it.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Forum- Windows 7 64 bit Installation

Rampage II Extreme Asus VIP Members Forum

Hope this helps out some.

 

[buwish]

Yeah, trouble is that they aren't compatible (DVI-I and D). If you want to avoid any issues down the line, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a monitor with an HDMI port. Makes life easier, ya know?

Anyways, did you get W7 installed or are you still having issues?

 

[STeaM]

Lets see if I can help you on this. First off make sure you have the latest Bios' and software updates for your Mobo. Also when you do install Win7 64-bit make sure you have minimum Hardware install on Mobo (1 stick ram, 1 HDD & 1 Graphic card). Plus get the latest 64-bit Drivers' for Win7 and save them on a USB Memory stick so you have them ready once the OS of the Install is finish.

If you still have problems installing the OS, then go to these sites also and read the threads on it.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Forum- Windows 7 64 bit Installation

Rampage II Extreme Asus VIP Members Forum

Hope this helps out some.

Cheers chap. These look like good places to poke around in. I'll spend a few hours rooting through...hopefully something might turn up along the way!!

I've tried the install with the minimum hardware on the MoBo and encounter the same problem.

Whatever is causing it, causes it at the same point in the 32 and 64 bit versions though!

 

[STeaM]

Yeah, trouble is that they aren't compatible (DVI-I and D). If you want to avoid any issues down the line, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a monitor with an HDMI port. Makes life easier, ya know?

Anyways, did you get W7 installed or are you still having issues?

No, had another go earlier, still no joy.

Ordered a new monitor today though...an Asus 21.5" one with D-Sub, DVI and HDMI connectors. That should come tomorrow morning...

One way or another it will rule out (or not) the monitor being the cause of my woes!!

If I still get nothing tomorrow, then the GPU might have to go back to Scan.

 

[STeaM]

It's definitely not the monitor that's causing my probelms.

New monitor came today (an Asus VH222H) - and I'm getting the same issue as detailed above at the same point in the installation.

BUT!

Instead of putting the monitor into standby mode after the weird rectangle, today it gives me the weird rectangle (which is pixellated) and I can see the pointer...which sort of drags the rectangle around. And before presenting the rectangle, I briefly had a cursor flashing in the upper left hand corner of the screen???

I was dragging the rectangle/pointer around the screen for a good 3 or 4 minutes today before the monitor switched off...

I've left the new PC just sat there...and there is permamnent HDD activity it seems. The HDD light (both on the front panel and the MoBo) have been flickering twice a second for the last half hour.

 

[STeaM]

SOLVED!

It's the GTX 260 1792Mb!!

Switched it out for a Radeon X1600 and the install completed no problems.

Put the GTX 260 back in and oh no...

Can't put the drivers on with the Radeon in as "there is no compatible hardware found" and installing the GTX wrecks the boot...so I can't get in to put the drivers on...

That's 1 GTX 260 on it's way back to Scan!

 

[Zoron]

If you encounter display corruption and failure to boot to a working desktop, then the video card should be your first suspect. As for the Radeon, you'll either have to download drivers from the manufacturer's website or look for reference drivers on ATi's website... the standard drivers on the site are made for ATi-manufactured cards only.