New Box won't install OS

[Le_Murphant]

I built a new box yesterday using some old parts and some new ones. I was able to build it ok, I pressed power and it posted properly, I inserted a W7 RTM cd (no crack) in there and it got stuck at the "starting windows" screen which is the second screen you get once the computer starts to read the CD (after loading windows components or something). I thought there might be a problem with my new SSD so I swaped for my also new seagates HDD, no change. I kept the HDD and tried the latest release of Ubuntu, I try to install or run live cd, and both don't work and get stalled at a black screen pretty quick. I tried changing to my old ide CD reader which I know works and popped in an older version of ubuntu (6.01) and tried the same. This version seems more thourough with the error messages, since when I try to install it says "starting linux kernel", the bar gets to 100%, it hangs there for a while and then a pop-up appears saying: I/O error: Error reading boot CD" and has a reboot button which is activated when I press enter. I tried messing with a few parameters in the BIOS, I did reset it to safe settings, I tried "optimized settings" but nothing works. Is there a faulty component, and which is it?

If it helps, here is the setup:

GA-P55-UD3R (new)

i750 (new)

2x2G Gskill (memchecked it already, it's fine) (new)

Seagates 7000.12 1G or 128 G patriot ssd (new)

8800 GT (old)

Antec P180 (old)

Both new and old dvd players, one ide and one sata

650W seasonic PS (old)

[mudmanc4]

Some times there are two different settings that have to be set, one the HDD settings in the bios might have to be set o native, or IDE, even though you have SATA, two , there could be a setting in the BIOS to "install OS".   Check for those first...........

[Le_Murphant]

Hey, I found out that one of my ram stick was badly inserted and so was only partially recognized. I removed it and retried the latest version of ubuntu with all the new hardware. I get farther than I used to, but I get a bunch (over 50) of error such as "Buffer I/O error on device sr0, logical block 6247" but I am able to boot into the live CD anyways after a while. I might be able to install W7 now but I would not like it to be full of errors like the linux install seemed to be. How should I interpret those errors and fix them?

[mudmanc4]

Man, since I was a mile off, I'm reluctant to forward my thoughts :/

Following your lead here since the memory was not seated properly, maybe unpulg the power, and reseat everything ? Checking everything over and again.

[Le_Murphant]

Don't worry about it mudmanc4, I was way off too and I'm surprised that the unseated memory caused a problem in the installations since it wasen't recognized by the bios. I would have thought it simply would have been ignored, but the fact that I can now boot ubuntu tells me otherwise. It was checking for the items you suggested that I realized that only 2G were detected. I'l probably try unplugging everything and trying ubuntu again at some point tonight, and I'l keep you posted. I also have a barely started and due tuesday homework tugging at my sleeve, so I won't be able to dedicate my entire evening to figuring the problem out.

[mudmanc4]

Yea crap, there has to be something else that isn't set in there right, maybe the sata wire is messed, or not seated ?  Could even be that the drive is plugged into a bad port on the board,  ( I know there called something else, but I can't remember what right now ) I'll check back, can't wait to see what it was when you get it.

[Le_Murphant]

I tried installing W7 and it goes past the "starting windows" screen but it freezes in the next one, before the dialog pops up (see

for how the install is supposed to go). The mouse is accessible and can be moved, but I waited a few minutes without a result. Note that I am still using my HDD and not my SSD. I am presently running another pass of memtest in the only stick of ram that is plugged in atm. I have retried running ubuntu live cd and I realized that the many errors I described above fitted a pattern if you think of the computer being unable to read the disk since the same error was repeated a few times and then the last number was iterated often by more than 1. These logical blocks are probably parts of the cd that can't be read, I'l be checking the connections after memtest is done and I might try the old cd drive again. I have reset all my bios settings to "safe" btw.

[coknuck]

Maybe the old Video card is getting hot and shutting down or locking up.

[Le_Murphant]

Actually I believe I just had two corrupt cds, since I was able to install an old pirated version of win xp, and then I tried putting in my old hard drive and after quite a few driver installs and reboots, it works ok, Not my ideal solution but now I can burn a dvd again.

I checked my W7 cd against the .iso file and it matches, so I guess the file I had was bad. I'm downloading a new one atm that's just a ripped W7 DVD, nothing added or taken away.

[tommie gorman]

Actually I believe I just had two corrupt cds, since I was able to install an old pirated version of win xp, and then I tried putting in my old hard drive and after quite a few driver installs and reboots, it works ok, Not my ideal solution but now I can burn a dvd again.

I checked my W7 cd against the .iso file and it matches, so I guess the file I had was bad. I'm downloading a new one atm that's just a ripped W7 DVD, nothing added or taken away.

Were those two CD's pirated also?  

[Le_Murphant]

Were those two CD's pirated also? 

Don't really have a choice if I want W7 do I? Rest assured I will buy it (at student price) when it becomes available. The CD was Ubuntu, and I don't believe I can define an Ubuntu CD that could be called pirated. I bought vista (retail, 300$ CAD) and it's sitting on a shelf, so I don't feel bad pirating XP.

[zalternate]

Don't really have a choice if I want W7 do I? Rest assured I will buy it (at student price) when it becomes available. The CD was Ubuntu, and I don't believe I can define an Ubuntu CD that could be called pirated. I bought vista (retail, 300$ CAD) and it's sitting on a shelf, so I don't feel bad pirating XP.

I'm getting Windozes 7 on about Oct. 22.  I have no intension of using the bandaid of Vista.

And my system winking out on me last night(big freeze), means I may be closer to having to get the new box early and put my Windows 7 RC on it temporarily.

Sure Ubuntu is pirated. I posted a Odd News story awhile back about a Texas Teacher who said there is no such thing as free software/OS's.

[Le_Murphant]

Actually RTM is out, so if I were you I'd pirate RTM and pay for the license when it becomes available. Otherwise you might have to reinstall when you buy it.

[Le_Murphant]

Okay, so I downloaded another windows DVD, the original RTM home premium x64 that passes the hashcheck and tried to install it but it stops at the same point my other DVD did and...

Holy Cow! as I am typing, this, the W7 screen just appeared after over 3 minutes of waiting, I'm going to configure it now

I could have deleted this post but I find it funnier like this

[starship_troopers]

hmm i didnt see this thread until now, but just as my 2 cents worth, when i installed win 7 i had to wait at the logo screen for like 10 minutes just to get it to advance to the actual setup, then it worked fine.

[Le_Murphant]

Actually, I waited 5 more minutes while "setup was getting ready" and I just decided to reboot and change a mysterious option in my bios about native ide drives, I switched it off and restarted the install, and now it's considerably faster. It's presently expanding windows files, I'll post when it's done. Note that I am installing it on my ssd and there needs to be a transfer of old windows files, so it might take more time than usual. I don't expect to run into more problem from here, but I'm afraid that the only wood I could knock on right now is polished.

Edit: 10 minutes later, I'm surfing on IE8. It's an ok program but Firefox is first on my download list.