Windows 7 DVD won't boot (install)

[pcswig09]

I build computers for a non-profit, and purchased a Microsoft DVD of Win 7 Pro 64-bit with supposedly the ability to install up to nine licenses.
I will be installing this over computers with XP 32-bit.

However, when I put the DVD in an XP 32-bit machine (either Pro or Home), the DVD will not boot the PC. I have set the BIOS to boot from the DVD drive first, and on one machine I actually disabled the 2nd and 3rd boot devices. No luck, though as this DVD just refuses to boot.

I can read the Win 7 DVD just fine, and if I load the DVD with XP up and running I get an error message saying "The installation disc is not compatible with your version of Windows. To upgrade you need the correct installation disc. For more information check your computer's system information. To install a new copy of Windows, restart (boot) your computer using the installation disc, and then select Custom (advanced). "

I also tried this with a brand new bare hard drive. Still no luck with this DVD booting up. I thought I could do a clean install with this disk.
Any ideas? Did I get a bad DVD? It appears to be a legit Microsoft disk.

 

[stlcardinals]

I would try updating the BIOS, I have seen some older machines have trouble booting off of DVDs with an older BIOS.

An alternative would be to make a bootable USB flash drive to install off of. It's super fast and you can have an install done in approx. 15 min.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd535816.aspx

 

[Cstefan]

I totally agree with the USB disk. It is SO freaking fast compared to the DVD. And 8 GB usb's are like 12 dollars now?

 

[pcswig09]

Its actually a new motherboard (Gigabyte MA74GM-S2), in a totally new system. Of course that does not mean the BIOS does not have an issue with this, but I have not experienced older BIOS's out of the box since I stopped using Biostar mobos.

I am going to give the USB drive a try. Thanks for the tip.

 

[hclarkjr]

just for the hell of it try hitting F12 for the boot menu and try booting to the DVD drive that way

 

[pcswig09]

Thanks for the tip, but it won't boot from the DVDRW that way either.
I am in the process of creating a boot USB drive.

 

[pcswig09]

The USB drive worked like a charm!

Thanks guys! I have it up and running now.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

An alternative would be to make a bootable USB flash drive to install off of. It's super fast and you can have an install done in approx. 15 min.

1++

And for the record... an install disc can do as many installs as the media can live for. Activating those installs, on the other hand....
Interested in the process you need to follow + where you got this disc. MS has spent a great deal of time releasing whitepapers informing it admins how to bulk this, and group that: but AFAIK no golden disc with a tumbling keyer exists. Least not one from the souce, MS, itself. They dropped that before final release

 

[pcswig09]

We actually purchased 9 keys to go with this disk with the understanding that each activation will register with Microsoft and installs after number 9 will not be valid.
So, I plan to do 9 and be done.

Thanks for all the help. This is an awesome site.