Windows 7 installation stuck at Expanding Windows files (0%)

[gozobadrian]

Yesterday, a friend of mine asked me to perform a clean Windows 7 install on his PC. His motherboard is like 8 years old and has no option for USB booting, so I had to use the old DVD method. I bought a DVD+R from a local shop and burned the Windows 7 ISO on it using "Windows 7 USB DVD download tool". I booted the DVD on my friend's PC and everything seemed fine untill the second installation step: "Expanding Windows files". It was stuck at 0% for like 30 minutes.
I removed every component in his PC exept the vital ones (MOBO, CPU, RAM, HDD, DVD-ROM) and tried installing it again several times but it was still stuck on 0%.

NOTE:
1.Windows version: 7 Ultimate SP1 x86
2.Everytime I tried installing the Windows I deleted every partition, including the System reserved and recreated them, then formatted them.
3.I tried loading default bios settings.
3.When I arrived home I also tried installing the Windows form the same disk on VirtualBox and the same problem: stuck at Expanding Windows files 0%

I personally think it's the DVD+R's fault. Do I need to find a DVD-R? Or is the DVD+R ok but the "Windows 7 USB DVD download tool" method is not good ? And if it's so, what software should I use to burn another DVD installation disk?


Friend's PC specs:
-CPU: Intel Celeron E3200 2.4Ghz
-RAM: 2GB DDR2
-HDD: Samsung 100GB (SATA)
-DVD ROM: Asus (IDE)

 

[BSOD BSTD]

try it again but leave it for an hour before looking at other options. windows 7 always hangs at that part of the installation process as it unpacks files, even with 8GB RAM and a 4Ghz processor.

With that build it could take a long while, so I would suggest leaving it for an hour to see if it does actually work. At that point in the installation the files have already been copied to HDD, so it shouldn't be an issue with the Flash drive.

 

[Harshadeva P]

I would suggest you to create a bootable usb drive for windows 7 installation speeds up your installation time and reduces the hassle by a huge margin,the steps for creating a bootable usb drive and using it ro install can be found in the video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFJwiILbsdo

or for a step by step instruction

http://www.techverse.net/how-to-create-a-bootable-usb-pen-drive-for-windows-7/#

 

[noidea_77]

I'm confused about the partitions. You don't have to create any partitions nor format them. Windows installer does that for you. And the second question: the reason for the re-install is not a faulty harddisk, that refuses to store anything now?

 

[gozobadrian]

I would suggest you to create a bootable usb drive for windows 7 installation speeds up your installation time and reduces the hassle by a huge margin,the steps for creating a bootable usb drive and using it ro install can be found in the video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFJwiILbsdo

or for a step by step instruction

http://www.techverse.net/how-to-create-a-bootable-usb-pen-drive-for-windows-7/#

I'm confused about the partitions. You don't have to create any partitions nor format them. Windows installer does that for you. And the second question: the reason for the re-install is not a faulty harddisk, that refuses to store anything now?

His MOBO is very old and it does NOT support usb booting.
The HDD is OK. I tested both writing/ereasing on it's old OS and it had no problems.

 

[noidea_77]

I would suggest you to create a bootable usb drive for windows 7 installation speeds up your installation time and reduces the hassle by a huge margin,the steps for creating a bootable usb drive and using it ro install can be found in the video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFJwiILbsdo

or for a step by step instruction

http://www.techverse.net/how-to-create-a-bootable-usb-pen-drive-for-windows-7/#

I'm confused about the partitions. You don't have to create any partitions nor format them. Windows installer does that for you. And the second question: the reason for the re-install is not a faulty harddisk, that refuses to store anything now?

His MOBO is very old and it does NOT support usb booting.
The HDD is OK. I tested both writing/ereasing on it's old OS and it had no problems.

Do you hear the hdd working / see the led flickering while sthe process is stuck at 0%? With this hw it may take long to write the compressed cabs to the disk and unpack it with only 2GB ram.

 

[rismonite]

Hello I just fixed the same issue with my computer and I've seen several other threads on this and I'm excited to tell anyone after wasting soo much time with my particular issue. Stuck at expanding windows files windows 7, and slow, mostly unresponsive, operation. I had my hardrive crash a week or so ago and had to pickup new and start all over and suffered this same type of issue. With my limited expertise in computers and liberal use of google, with my previous install, I had made adjustments to my bios. I had noticed a few days ago a strange issue with bios not recognizing all 6 SATA ports, and not being able to detect anything in terms of hardrive or CD RoM drive. Finally, after buying a new CD RoM drive, replacing SATA cables and trying all kinds of little BioS adjustments I found that simply loading the 'Optimal Bios Settings' then disabling the floppy drive that windows did not hang up more then a few minutes at expanding windows files. Not only that but instead of booting like something from twenty years ago it actually started up lighting fast like a new machine. I've noticed in other threads that most of us seem to have an ASUS motherboard in comon, if this sounds like you I encourage you load optimal defaults in your BioS then disable floppy drive and try it all over again.

 

[edwardjakob]

My problem was fixed by going into the BIOS settings of my Dell Dimension 9200 (XPS 420) (by pressing F2 key during boot) and selecting "Default" settings. Once the default settings were selected, Windows 7 loaded with no problems.

Removing and/or replacing RAM/drives/etc. had no affect on getting the XPS 420 to load Windows.

 

[Sarklord]

I would suggest you to create a bootable usb drive for windows 7 installation speeds up your installation time and reduces the hassle by a huge margin,the steps for creating a bootable usb drive and using it ro install can be found in the video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFJwiILbsdo

or for a step by step instruction

http://www.techverse.net/how-to-create-a-bootable-usb-pen-drive-for-windows-7/#

I would suggest that you read what the OP said about the pc not having the option of booting from usb

 

[aford10]

necro thread