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General discussion

Vista installation hangs forever during install's last stage

Nov 21, 2008 8:28AM PST

HP PAVILION DV9700T CTO
3GB RAM, INTEL CENTRINO DUO 2.2GHZ
250GB HARDDISK
I run Vista on my pc and I got a virus.I decided to install vista again because I was not able to remove the virus.The installation is OK until the COMPLETING INSTALLATION stage.Here it hangs forever.I have done this one month ago,too, and it went fine. Now I cannot even install XP in my pc, because it says it cannot find a HD. I did all the necessary partitions.now I installed openSUSE Linux.it is the only thing that works for the moment.My question is: How do I install Vista again? I am installing from a Vista disc. it is a clean copy. I did this one month ago and it was done in 20 min. there is no error message.the disk is ok, I am sure. I also got another disk from my friend to try that but it is the same it hangs at the same stage.I have already done the hard disk selftest and PASSED it. And one extra thing:while hanging during the COMPLETING INSTALLATION, for 1 second or so,the installation screen becomes black with some windows (I guess) opening and closing and then it returns to the installation screen. I hope some real expert will help me because I tried all the imaginable ways I could think. Thank you in advance.

Discussion is locked

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Two steps for me.
Nov 21, 2008 9:00AM PST

1. Erase the hard disk. No partitions and ...
2. Slip in the HP restore DVD and...

It installs. I'm sure some will want to do a clean install but may forget to unplug USB things or have issues. I go for "easy."
Bob

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Already done that
Nov 21, 2008 8:21PM PST

Before making the partitions, I tried to format C: and D:
But it doesn't install, the same thing.It hangs in the last stage. anyway,thanks

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That's proper.
Nov 21, 2008 11:35PM PST

I can't count the times I've seen failed installs because the owner formatted before the install. Why not use Vista's partition and formatting offered during the install?

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I've done that too
Nov 22, 2008 2:29AM PST

I have done it like 7-8 times.I have tried any possible way that I could imagine.

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Look up!
Nov 22, 2008 3:25AM PST

I offered a clue about USB. You didn't tell what's plugged in.

There is too little detail about the machine. Your choice here to share or not.
Bob

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again done that
Nov 22, 2008 7:48AM PST

Initially I had a USB plugged in but then I remembered about it and unplugged it.
And I have tried several times after it.

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Since this is in the dv9000 line up be sure you are not...
Nov 22, 2008 3:27AM PST

Running into that failed dv9000 laptop issue. Your story might be that your machine crashed and that's why you are doing this. If your story is that be sure to call HP to get the machine fixed. I have run into a few failed dv9000's and HP is taking about a week to 10 days to fix them.

Tell more, get more.
Bob

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So what you are basically saying is that...
Nov 22, 2008 7:52AM PST

my computer needs a service, isn't it? But if it failed/crashed, then why would it install Linux? I also talked to the HP.com live chat and they say nothing new or helpful.Thank you Bob

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The mystery of why Linux installs is not so deep.
Nov 22, 2008 9:14AM PST

Linux is just that way. It doesn't prove much other than Linux works.

If you can't use the restore media then call HP and get it fixed. I've tried a few of the usuals but the story sounds just like a few other dv9000's I've seen. No, we didn't bother to try Linux since that would be a waste of our (unpaid) time.
Bob

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bad hdd or bad vista?
Mar 15, 2012 12:01PM PDT

working on a compaq presario c714nr for a friend. he got it from someone that told him it had crashed and might be the hard drive. it has vista on it. i tried installing xp, but it tells me that it can't find the hdd, so i ran recovery...twice. it gets to the last stage, i guess, of the installation where it's checking computer performance and it just freezes. is this a bad hdd? should he send it to hp, and would that cost a lot of $$$?
i haven't tried much besides recovery twice and an attempt to install xp.

Vista home premium
compaq presario c714nr notebook
1gb ddr2 ram
120gb sata hdd
pentium dual core T2310 processor
intel (gma) x3100 gpu

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3 year old discussion
Mar 16, 2012 5:28AM PDT

You would have been better creating your own thread.

What is that "recovery"?

If the system is still in the warranty period then it is better to report it to them and return it. Otherwise, a new hdd is worth a try.

About that failed XP install and 'can't find the hdd'. At what stage of the install was that? Just that XP doesn't know what a SATA drive is, and needs SATA drivers installed during the Setup/Install process. That could be why the XP install failed.

Vista is fine.

Mark