Windows 7 Install (Fresh) taking hours

[mplutodh1]

So I began my install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit (retail version from MS) last night at around 9:30 PM. I disconnected all other drives and reformatted the drive below as my new Primary.

Upon booting to DVD the process seemed to hang several times and take longer than I would have expected. It hung on the initial blue bird screen prior to prompting me the language/country options, then was extremely slow to complete the installation (I finally said screw it and went to bed, woke up this morning and was prompted for a username so guessing it completed everything it needed to last night). After entering my username, etc I get to the Product Key page - enter the key and click Next and it's hanging again... All of the screens are very slow responsive (when I type something into a text field or click Next the computer has to catch up - almost like it's being bogged down some how).

I have had no issues with this hardware as it's been my Vista box for some time now so not really sure its a hardware issue.

I've read numerous threads across the web about hangs and slow installs but most of those threads are from individuals downloading and creating their own ISOs/DVDs/USB Flash installs. Haven't seen many with this problem with Retail media.

Any thoughts?

Right now I'm just waiting it out and hoping once I get through the waiting game and all the prompts that everything will work like it should (although I'm skeptical).

System:
MSI P6N SLI Platinum
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz
CORSAIR XMS2 4GB
XFX PVT73PYDJ3 GeForce 7600GS 512MB
Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300 GB SATA

 

[superccs]

Check the DVD for boogers, maybe your drive needs cleaning...

Best of luck.

 

[mplutodh1]

Not the DVD or the drive. Both are clean.

 

[Devilpapaya]

I've seen this problem a few times. *Usually* it has to do with the windows installer having a hard time reading/writing the disk. If you have a disk utility boot CD (I like spinrite) or another computer to attach it to and run a program (HDtune is pretty good) I'd do that to check to make sure that the HDD isn't failing.

 

[jtisgeek]

Kinda of normal for me cause I always use raid setups it's windows trying to read your drives usually it's a very poorly made raid or achi drivers let it set it will finish.

 

[daveybrat]

I had those exact same symptoms on a couple of customer's computers installing Windows 7 as well. It turned out to be the ram causing the extremely slow install.

They all had 4GB of ram (2x2GB). When i would remove a 2GB stick and try the install, it went fast and perfect.

The cure was updating the bios to the latest for those pc's and one just would not work with 4GB, only 2GB.