PC Too Old For Windows 7 ??

[trainspotting]

Don't laugh at me....I'm trying to install W7 on an old A7N8X motherboard with an Adaptec 39160 SCSI card with an IBM Ultra 320 hard drive. I have gotten to where the install goes through all of it's installation steps, and then at the end it restarts and kicks me right back to the beginning of the install??:'(

Any idea what I am doing wrong? I loaded the card drivers so W7 can see the hard drive. Everything seems to be going fine through the steps in the install process and then restart/back to the beginning.

Thanks for any ideas you may have.

 

[ultimatebob]

You're removing the DVD from the system once Windows 7 is finished installing just to make sure that it doesn't boot off of the DVD again... right?

 

[RebateMonger]

I don't mean to insult you, but want to make sure you aren't hitting the spacebar (to boot from the CD/DVD) after that first restart. That, of course, will put you back at the beginning.

 

[trainspotting]

No, I am removing the DVD after it makes it through the steps:

Copying Windows Files
Expanding Windows Files
Installing Features
Installing Updates
Completing Installation

You said to remove after the FIRST restart...I didn't watch the installation step by step so I'm pretty sure I left the DVD after the first restart. When does the first restart happen? After the first "copying Windows Files". If so then I'm pretty sure I left in too long.

I tried to remove it at the very end and it still restarted the install process.

Long winded way to ask, when do I remove the DVD?

Thanks for everyones help!

 

[mojaveron]

Check the firmware on your DVD Player that it supports Windows 7, same thing happened to me after first boot it could no longer read the drive to finish the installation. I found and flashed the player with updated firmware and then after the first boot it continued the installation fine.

 

[trainspotting]

Can I flash the DVD player with no OS in the system yet or do I need to swap the DVD drive into a working PC to assess what the firmware version is?

Another stupid question...can you advise or point me in the direction of instructions to flash the firmware?

Thanks. All of you are being very nice to me. I appreciate it.

 

[Crusty]

Honestly it sounds like it's not finding your SCSI card to boot from.

On my LSI SCSI card I have to configure which SCSI ID to boot from as well as tell my main PC BIOS to boot from the LSI SCSI card.

 

[RebateMonger]

Long winded way to ask, when do I remove the DVD?

I don't know offhand. But there's normally no need to remove the DVD. I always leave mine in until the installation is totally finished. As long as you don't hit "Spacebar" other than at the VERY beginning of the Install, you should be fine.

If you WANT to remove the DVD earlier, you can. Windows will just ask for the DVD back if it needs it.

 

[trainspotting]

I'm pretty sure windows is seeing the SCSI card, and the SCSI card sees the Hard Drive. At least in the SCSI card BIOS when it boots.

Also, when Windows asks for drivers, I browse to the flash drive that I have in and point to the folder that I loaded the Adaptec drivers to. It processes that for 10 seconds or so. Then it shows the hard drive.

I am not hitting the spacebar at the beginning of the install.

Also, the mobo BIOS sees the Adaptec SCSI card. I have the boot order set to the DVD first, then the SCSI card. Should I switch it so the SCSI card is first in the boot drive order?

I will try again and take the DVD out after it copies the files.:\

See what happens.

 

[wirednuts]

after the first restart just take the dvd out, that way you eliminate that possible cause. even if it reboots back into the beginning of the install, just power off and back on, the installation doesnt get deleted. it should pick up where it left off.

 

[RebateMonger]

Honestly it sounds like it's not finding your SCSI card to boot from.

Yeah, could be. If the OP either pulls the DVD disk or resets the boot order after the first round of the install, then the cause of the problem should become clearer.

 

[Arik5405]

After first restart, Press whatever 'F' key will bring up the menu that allows you to select what device you want to boot from. Then select your hard drive and continue installation.

 

[Crusty]

Yeah, could be. If the OP either pulls the DVD disk or resets the boot order after the first round of the install, then the cause of the problem should become clearer.

Even if the PC BIOS does try and boot from the SCSI, I've always had to set the specific SCSI ID of the drive containing the OS in the SCSI BIOS. If the card doesn't know what drive to boot from then the PC BIOS will just skip over it as it can't boot from it.

 

[trainspotting]

SUCCESS!!! I changed the boot order in the systen BIOS to boot first from the SCSI card and upon restart the already installed OS launched!! Prior to that, it just kept booting from the DVD drive.

This is the first time I've had to change the drive order. As someone mentioned, I've always left the disk in the drive until I was all finished and it automatically booted from the HD once the OS install completed.

Thank you EVERYBODY for your help and suggestions. I truly appreciate it!!