PLZ help: 7 won't completely install....

[Elvis2]

It was working fine on a single 500gig WD Sata drive. I went and screwed it up by getting a second WD 500 Black Caviar to run raid 0. It wouldn't install on the Gigabyte raid sata ports on my EP45-UD3P mb. I switched to Intel's raid and still no joy. Both drivers were loaded during 7's install via a thumb drive. I decided ti ditch the raid setup altogether and go with two drives in a standard config. Now windows 7 will load to 90% and then stop. I've tried switching drives with the same results. Am I missing a step here or maybe a different driver?
I have sata/ide selected in the bios. I don't get it. I've been up all night trying to figure this out. I've been building rigs for ten years and have never run into something this trying. It's gotta be a config problem.
Hope y'all had a good Christmas.
Tia

btw, system specs:
e8500
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
8gig Gskill pc1100 ram
2x500gig WD Black Caviar sata hd's.
4870 x2
4870 (in cf x 3)
X-fi
Windows 7 (work in progress)
Corsair 750TX p/s

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Disconnect one of the drives and see if that helps.

If worse comes to worse, reset the BIOS and start over. Try with one gfx card as well.

 

[Elvis2]

I tried disconnecting one of the drives. Went in the bios and sellected optimum defaults. Went back into the bios and had to change a couple of settings. I still get to 90 -91% and it locks up.
I'll try disconnecting one of the video cards and see if that works.
You thinking the 750's not getting it done?

Getting kinda punchy here. been at for 18 hrs. Gotta get a life...
Thanks

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I'm sure the PSU is fine, especially since the gfx cards don't use full power until it's needed for games.

I'm thinking that W7 can't handle multiple gpus without the proper drivers, so eliminating the extra gpus might get you running so you can install those drivers.

 

[Elvis2]

I disconnected the 4870 ( not the 4870 x2) and left one hd disconnected.
This time I got to 86%, it locked up and I lost my usb k/m.
Is it a format issue? These were bare drives from the egg.
I read somewhere that 7 will automatically format upon installation.
Is that incorrect?

I'm going to tryhooking up the 4870 and disconnecting 4870 x2.

 

[Elvis2]

The problem appears to be the 8gig of ram. I removed 4gig along with disconnecting one hd and my 4870 x2. 7 seven loaded. I'll start by reconnecting the 4870 x2, then the other hd. Set the drives up in Gagabyte RAID0 and then add the ram. We'll see...

 

[AnonymouseUser]

Glad to hear you finally got it.

 

[SimMike2]

From my experience, incomplete installs of Windows are almost always faulty ram. What makes it so hard to diagnose is that since every single computer process and driver is run from the ram, it can mimic almost every single computer problem.

 

[Elvis2]

From my experience, incomplete installs of Windows are almost always faulty ram. What makes it so hard to diagnose is that since every single computer process and driver is run from the ram, it can mimic almost every single computer problem.

Your exactly right. It was the ram. Windows 7 has a utility that checks your ram for errors. I ran the test and had no errors but when I removed half of the eight gig of ram I had installed (exact brand and part# to the other four gig) that fixed the problem.
I rma'd that kit and will stick to four gig. Rig's rock solid and works great.