Windows 7 XP 32 to 7 64 Hangs at "finalizing"

By "clean", do you mean format hard drive before I install? I don't know. How does the software know it is a upgrade then?


The "software" doesn't know if it's and upgrade and doesn't care... it will easily do a clean/custom install if you can get it to boot (from cd or usb)... or you get the win 7 software DISK - which boots. What holds up the show is that the upgrade KEY CODE won't work... unless a "workaround" is used. That's why Microsoft said a "workaround" is legal.

Microsoft Says Windows 7 Install Workaround Is Legal - PC World

If your upgrade fails... or you want to upgrade from xp, or if you want to upgrade to 64 bit from 32 bit.. you must do a clean install... but then your key code won't activate windows. I suppose most people just send Microsoft some more money and get the full install key code... although they are entitled to upgrade since they paid for XP or Vista.
 
Can't anybody read. Can we get past this? I know, I know.............
Stop regergitating the same crap. It's like the only thing going on here is seeing who has the most post in the forum.
How about reading the whole thread and see what has been stated and dicussed before we waste more time. You would think this being a Windows forum someone would be make sure they understand the problem before they give the same cookie cutter answers.

Your problem: Upgrade hangs
Solution provided several times: Do a clean install.

That Problem is solved... now you have a new problem. Your upgrade key code won't activate windows. It's only crap if you don't understand what's going to happen when you do a clean install.

It's not about posting the most messages.. unless you go to the Water Cooler section.. then you could say that.
 
Your problem: Upgrade hangs
Solution provided several times: Do a clean install.

That Problem is solved... now you have a new problem. Your upgrade key code won't activate windows. It's only crap if you don't understand what's going to happen when you do a clean install.

It's not about posting the most messages.. unless you go to the Water Cooler section.. then you could say that.

If and when you get the CLEAN install loaded correctly, the solution for the no activation is to boot to Win 7 on the hard drive and then run "SETUP" from the DVD and do an "UPGRADE". This usually takes about 20-45 minutes, once the upgrade is complete the activation key will be accepted.
 
If and when you get the CLEAN install loaded correctly, the solution for the no activation is to boot to Win 7 on the hard drive and then run "SETUP" from the DVD and do an "UPGRADE". This usually takes about 20-45 minutes, once the upgrade is complete the activation key will be accepted.

Does that create a ton of duplicate files? Seems to me that the clean install is no longer clean even though the remnants of Vista aren't causing problems. I would think the registry would need some serious optimizing.
 
Does that create a ton of duplicate files? Seems to me that the clean install is no longer clean even though the remnants of Vista aren't causing problems. I would think the registry would need some serious optimizing.

No, it does not create a bunch of duplicates. It is the only way it will work without hacking the registry. If you try to boot off the DVD the second time it will fail and tell you to run it from the operating system on the hard drive.

It should be done immediately after doing the first install of Win 7, no updates or any other applications installed.

I just ran a defrag on my registry and it said it was at 100%, this is on a 64 bit system that was upgraded with dual process. (see Attachment)

As far as disk fragmentation it does not appear that it fragments the drive significantly more that the first install does. Win 7 appears to create a lot more fragments (at least more than XP did). An example is I use Perfect Disk to defrag my drives. With Win 7 upon boot there is always defraged files in Metadata, this never happened in XP. Free space seems to fragmentation also seems to increase faster in Win 7 than in XP. And yes I am using a Win 7 version of Perfect Disk.
 
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There is an easier way.

Yes, there is however, I am thinking about my three neighbors across the street that can only turn a machine on and use the GUI to get on the internet and retrieve their mail. They have a real hard time using Win Explorer. If they ever have to reload their machines, they can easily do it with the way I have described above. Straight forward and simple to do. 15 minutes on my i7 machine, 45 minutes on my old Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop although I think the laptop ran faster with XP on it, could just be perception.
 
Full version disk won't fix it. Full and upgrade disk are the same. The keycode is what holds up the show.
 
Your problem: Upgrade hangs
Solution provided several times: Do a clean install.

That Problem is solved... now you have a new problem. Your upgrade key code won't activate windows. It's only crap if you don't understand what's going to happen when you do a clean install.

It's not about posting the most messages.. unless you go to the Water Cooler section.. then you could say that.


Once again..............if you would read what I have written. Now pay attention. I have a purchased a student copy of 7 Ultimate. A hard copy / DVD, not a download. I am trying a clean install, it does boot, it does go through the installation until it gets to finalization and it hangs. It hangs before it does any re-booting on its own.

Solution = Not solved

So talk down to me some more.
 
How do you make a clean install with an upgrade key? At some point don't you have to prove you have xp ... by bootnig to xp or ??? or use a workaround?

This has always confused me and apparently many others. Somehow they end up with xp on a partition and a bootmanager error, or it keeps loading XP, when they finish the install and try to boot into Win 7.

I have an answer for your good question (I actually had the same question too!): because the so called "upgrade" contains a full version of the program, so I was told by an expert at a CompUSA store. According to the expert it's supposedly a "mistake" MS repeated, they did the same with the Vista upgrade. I see it another way though, it is no mistake at all, either it was the only way to upgrade from Win XP or since they promised the new OS within a year, that was the only way to meet the deadline!

As to how come the need for an upgrade key from the previous version or when to input it? Though it is a clean install, remember a folder is created named "windows.old", maybe there somewhere the registry entry for that version's key is saved and asked for at a later time. I mention so because I have not been asked for it after upgrading from Win XP 32bit to Win 7 64bit version, so far.

The installation/upgrade went flawlessly for me after a second try, when I was told how to do it correctly. Make certain you're booting from the DVD Drive, if possible, disable booting from hard disk, have the upgrade DVD in the drive and choose "custom install". I was asked for the upgrade key only.

Hope this helped, good luck!

EDAL
 
I have an answer for your good question (I actually had the same question too!): because the so called \"upgrade\" contains a full version of the program, so I was told by an expert at a CompUSA store. According to the expert it's supposedly a \"mistake\" MS repeated, they did the same with the Vista upgrade. I see it another way though, it is no mistake at all, either it was the only way to upgrade from Win XP or since they promised the new OS within a year, that was the only way to meet the deadline!

Hope this helped, good luck!

EDAL

Appreciate your input. My point was that a "workaround" is required... not because MS was facing a deadline... it was to create confusion - by design - so that people would buy the full version and pay twice as much. If everyone knew how easy it is to pay half price for an upgrade key and use it to do a full install.... wonder how much profit Microsoft would lose?

When you look at the top righ of this message above rep power.. you'll see I have two infractions for telling people how to use a few of the workarounds. The powers that be considered it piracy when I explained it but now it's a sticky note.

http://windows7forums.com/windows-7-installation-upgrade/28623-here-folks.html
 
My point was that a "workaround" is required... not because MS was facing a deadline... it was to create confusion - by design - so that people would buy the full version and pay twice as much. If everyone knew how easy it is to pay half price for an upgrade key and use it to do a full install.... wonder how much profit Microsoft would lose?

Perfectly put and there are going to be many people buying the "FULL" version.

Just like when I saw Office 2003 at a computer store for $599.00 and I'm sure a few poor souls chose to buy it. I got a student discount and paid $59.00 for Office Professional.

People are too lazy to search for a lower price.
 
Well, I finally was successful with the istallation. It took me a minimum of 10 attempts to get it to load without hanging, by the time I got the upgrade ran on top of the install. Took better part of five hours. Even after install it would just freeze up, so I updated my BIOS. Held my breath through that task, was glad to see that finish. Don't know if that fixed the problem or not. Doesn't seem to like it when I install my chipset drivers. Will work on that more tonight.
 
Well, I finally was successful with the istallation. It took me a minimum of 10 attempts to get it to load without hanging, by the time I got the upgrade ran on top of the install. Took better part of five hours. Even after install it would just freeze up, so I updated my BIOS. Held my breath through that task, was glad to see that finish. Don't know if that fixed the problem or not. Doesn't seem to like it when I install my chipset drivers. Will work on that more tonight.

:) I am happy for you. I've been there myself, hour after hour, trying to solve some computer issue. Though it is tedious, sometimes tiresome and worst, frustating I assume that is what most of us here enjoy, "tweeking under the hood" and doing it ourselves!

I hope it stays that way Vambo (fixed), maybe you've already checked but, I'd see how up to par is the MOBO and CPU with today's OS's. So many hours of installation sounds like there's something wrong with the hardware...

Good luck!

EDAL
 
Hardware should be no problem, Phenom II X4 955, and ASUS M4A79XTD EVO mobo. I do suspect mobo issues, but I can't find where anyone else has had this problem.
 
Hardware should be no problem, Phenom II X4 955, and ASUS M4A79XTD EVO mobo. I do suspect mobo issues, but I can't find where anyone else has had this problem.

Although my upgrade went a-ok, so far, all along I've suspected my ASUS mobo as the culprit for quite a few situations I've encountered, with Win 7 and Win XP. I do recognize mine is not top of the line but it is no lightweight either. Maybe they are not what they used to be. One thing is certain, their website is rather shabby, could be much better, and many times you access it, it gives you that message:

"Sorry, at this moment our site is unavailable due to repairs..."
 
Got the rest of my drivers and some software installed last night without a hitch. Everything seems to be working well and stable.
So far I like 7. It is just as responsive as XP, that worried me after using Vista on a laptop. I'm sure the more familiar I become with it the more I will like it. It just has a nice feel to it the way it responds. Vista to me was like Nortons made a operating system. Constantly reminding you who is in control.
 
Got the rest of my drivers and some software installed last night without a hitch. Everything seems to be working well and stable.
So far I like 7. It is just as responsive as XP, that worried me after using Vista on a laptop. I'm sure the more familiar I become with it the more I will like it. It just has a nice feel to it the way it responds. Vista to me was like Nortons made a operating system. Constantly reminding you who is in control.

You'll love it! Provided you have decent hardware the interface si so much better than XP's.
 
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