Windows 7 RC installation freezes with stop error

[freespeech]

I tried to install Windows 7 RC x86 several times. Every time I tried to do it, my computer froze at the very beginning of the process, still running from the DVD like here:
http://windows7forums.com/windows-7...s-7-crash-install-bsod-stop-0-00000124-a.html
The moment of freezing is the same, however the stop errors (BSODs) are not.
I get IRQL NOT LESS OR EQUAL most of the time.
I got 000000d1, then 0000007e, then 000000d1 with an additional line saying netio.sys froze.
Then I pressed F8 during install, and tried to install it in safe mode. It froze with "Page Fault Found In A Non Paged Area" and stop code 00000050 three times.
The last line that was shown on screen before freezing was disk.sys all three times.

I have a perfectly functioning installation of Vista Business on another partition.
(I have perfectly functioning installations of XP Pro and Ubuntu on the second hard drive.)

Then I tried to run the installer from Vista, choosing a clean install on another (NTFS-formatted and empty) partition. The first stage of file copying was completed, at the first restart however, where Windows 7 RC created a dual-boot menu for the old Vista and for itself with the name "Windows Setup" it froze exactly as before, immediately after showing the Starting Windows screen.
This time the stop error (BSOD) message was 0000008e.
I tried twice more, the same thing happened.

I have an nForce 4 Ultra-based Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe main board with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (2000Mhz) Toledo S939, Gigabyte ATI Radeon X550 128MB and 4 identical sticks of 1024 MB Kingmax DDR 400Mhz RAM (which can only run at 400 Mhz if I stick in at most two of them. If I insert more than two modules, and I try to run them at 400 Mhz there will be freezes every few minutes, so currently I use them at 333Mhz without problems. That means that a Memtest86 full test completes without error at 333Mhz with 4 GB RAM)

Freezing 15 times out of 15 with a stop error on a machine that runs Vista perfectly is serious.

I know that the nForce 4 chipset has loads of bugs, especially with the SATA controller and its buggy AHCI and hot swap capabilites.
NForce4 chipset mainboards do not have any BIOS option to enable the AHCI mode of the nForce S-ATA ports. There is simply no such option in BIOS.

What could be the problem?
Help me, please.

 

[SnowDog]

sounds like you need to obtain another copy of Win7. Check your burn settings, make sure your burn software is up to the task and your optical device is working like it should. there is software out there to check that.
Remember troubleshooting is starting with the small stuff first and working your way up to the large.

You should re-check the partitions using Hiren's boot cd

 

[freespeech]

not the disc

Thanks for the reply.
The DVD is a manufactured one, Chip Hungary magazine's June edition attached one.
Since then, however, I tried to install Windows 7 RC x64.
I downloaded the image file, burnt it with IMGBurn. The verification completed successfully.
I tried installing it, the same things happened.
The installation froze at the exact same point.
stop error codes this time:
000000f8, then 0000007e, then 0000001e with the added line ACPI.sys being the problem, then 0000007e.

Why am I getting different error codes? My Vista is stable, my XP and Ubuntu are rock solid.

I checked all my partitions from Vista with Scandisk. They are all fine.
Which utility should I run on Hiren's?

 

[freespeech]

ide controller?

In the neighboring thread scotthamilton77
solved a similar Blue Screen problem at the very beginning of the installation by putting his DVD drive on an nVidia controller (from a JMicron controller) on an nVidia chipset-based board.
http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-installation-upgrade/1637-blue-screen-during-install.html

However, I have my (IDE) DVD drive on an nVidia (nForce 4) controller already.
Should I try to boot from a SATA DVD from the Silicon Image 3114 controller on my board?

Does a SATA DVD generally help such cases?

Please, help!
Why does my computer always freeze right at the beginning producing different stop errors?

 

[aldenzhou]

You can also try to install Win7 from USB flash disk.
Please refer to below post. I successfully installed Win7 by using this approach.
Creating Bootable Vista / Windows 7 USB Flash Drive at Kevin’s Blog

In the neighboring thread scotthamilton77
solved a similar Blue Screen problem at the very beginning of the installation by putting his DVD drive on an nVidia controller (from a JMicron controller) on an nVidia chipset-based board.
http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-installation-upgrade/1637-blue-screen-during-install.html

However, I have my (IDE) DVD drive on an nVidia (nForce 4) controller already.
Should I try to boot from a SATA DVD from the Silicon Image 3114 controller on my board?

Does a SATA DVD generally help such cases?

Please, help!
Why does my computer always freeze right at the beginning producing different stop errors?

 

[freespeech]

USB boot freezes too

I tired to boot from a SATA DVD, the same thing happened.
I tried to boot from USB.
It froze at exactly the same point as before.
Now I have proof that there is a software error in the Windows 7 installer, or my nForce 4 Ultra-based motherboard has one more bug proved.

Could a PCI card cause it (Creative SB128 sound, Intel Pro 100 network or Pinnacle 110i TV) ?

Any ideas?

 

[textureDnB]

Still doesn't prove a software error. Just that something isn't jiving somewhere you could definitely try installing without those PCI cards especially when the BSOD's are mentioning hardware interrupts it's possible.
If you start your installation from an existing OS again (chosing to clean install elsewhere) your system MIGHT write stop errors to a mini dump you could try that again then give this a shot:
BlueScreenView - View blue screen of death (STOP error) information.

 

[SnowDog]

Absolutely "freespeech" a older PCI card has known issues with newer versions of Windoze and some newer ver. of Linux as well. But that being said remove the card, enter the BIOS (if your skillset allows if not stay out and seek a pro.) look for perefrial devices or something like that, if there is a setting to enable on board sound 'enable' it, save and exit. This may not remedy your problem but it eliminates one more. Also check to make sure your optical drive(s) are not outdated 'old' this has known issues with windoze installs. Optical drives are good for 'x' number of burns and 'read/writes so be sure it makes the grade. It could very well be a mainboard issue. But narrow shit down first like your doing and you'll figure it out.
Download and make 'bootable' Hiren's boot cd. Log into help forums to guide you on how to use this incredible tool cd/dvd. Don't procrastinate - do it!

 

[freespeech]

solution

In short: the freeze right at the beginning was caused by a BIOS setting in my nForce4 SLI-based Asus A8M Deluxe motherboard. In the memory section, there are two entries:
S/W DRAM Over 4GB Remapping and
H/W DRAM Over 4GB Remapping
I had them enabled during my struggles, and three operating systems (including Vista) worked properly.
H/W DRAM Over 4GB Remapping has to be Disabled and then the installation reached the point with the colorful balls appearing and then the installation completed successfully.
Memtest86 still ran fine.

 

[textureDnB]

Glad you got it sorted!
Thought you had given up when we hadn't heard back from you.
Thanks for posting back your solution as i think your problem is very similar to others and now we have one more known problem to add to our troubleshooting steps.

Cheers Freespeech (quite possibly the most endangered human right BTW)