Windows 8.1 clean install BSOD

[Nung22132]

I'v been trying to install/upgrade windows 7 to windows 8.1. Every time I try whether it be upgrade from Win7 or clean install I keep getting a BSOD error "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" I only have a product key and downloaded the install from microsoft.com. In the BSOD it says look it up on the internet for more info. but i cant find anything like my situation. Please help!

 

[Reyaz123]

Reseat your ram. It might be that the ram in your PC isn't properly connected.

Update all of your drivers through device manager.

Uninstall antivirus programs if you have multiple antivirus programs and leave only 1 on your system before installing the other windows.

 

[Nung22132]

Reseat your ram. It might be that the ram in your PC isn't properly connected.

ok, but before that does it matter that I can install back windows 7 perfectly fine?

 

[Reyaz123]

You are asking to downgrade back to windows 7 once you've installed 8.1? There are ways, but they are not 100% reliable.

 

[Nung22132]

You are asking to downgrade back to windows 7 once you've installed 8.1? There are ways, but they are not 100% reliable.

No no, I cant install 8.1 the BSOD just kept/keeps happening. So i just would format my drive then install win7 back (i have disc)

 

[Reyaz123]

Highly recommended to backup all your data first if you haven't yet.

Login to windows 7 and open disk management
Locate your disk in there (C: )
Shrink the volume to about 40-60GB of space. (This space will now become unallocated)
Boot up and install windows 8 to that unallocated space to see if it works.

Why you should do this: people format their entire systems and if they get bsod installing Windows 8, they will have no system to boot to. So this is why I recommend the above steps.

 

[Nung22132]

Highly recommended to backup all your data first if you haven't yet.

Login to windows 7 and open disk management
Locate your disk in there (C: )
Shrink the volume to about 40-60GB of space. (This space will now become unallocated)
Boot up and install windows 8 to that unallocated space to see if it works.

Why you should do this: people format their entire systems and if they get bsod installing Windows 8, they will have no system to boot to. So this is why I recommend the above steps.

Its says on the download page of the installer, to open the installer in a version of windows, thus keeping windows 7 until windows 8.1 is actually installed. every time except once now, iv done that and it just loads up windows 7.

 

[Reyaz123]

So you ran the installer already while logged your account into windows 7, and installed to another partition correct? Or drive?

 

[Nung22132]

So you ran the installer already while logged your account into windows 7, and installed to another partition correct? Or drive?

with this installer you dont pick what drive etc. (if i were to format the drive then install clean it lets me pick) but as far as this goes it just installs win8.1. also from within my account on win 7 iv tried doing the install, yes.

 

[Nung22132]

So you ran the installer already while logged your account into windows 7, and installed to another partition correct? Or drive?

im not sure if it will help but i always BSODS at the seconds after the screen says "setting up devices" or something. it says it so fast, geez i cant tell

 

[Reyaz123]

Right. So using the unallocated drive you created by following the steps I listed above do this.

Login into windows 7
Run the setup
Choose clean install
Select the drive that was marked as unallocated.
Install windows 8 to there.

Edit: BSODs can be tough to figure out at times but luckily for you, you can check windows event logs for more info on the errors.

 

[Nung22132]

Right. So using the unallocated drive you created by following the steps I listed above do this.

Login into windows 7
Run the setup
Choose clean install
Select the drive that was marked as unallocated.
Install windows 8 to there.

Edit: BSODs can be tough to figure out at times but luckily for you, you can check windows event logs for more info on the errors.

the one in windows 7 doesnt allow me to pick a drive or a partition. i guess it auto picks where to install

 

[Reyaz123]

Did you try this?
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/install-windows-8-1-separate-partition

 

[Nung22132]

Did you try this?
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/install-windows-8-1-separate-partition

but the thing is i only want windows 8.1 as my OS. also i gotta go now anyway, so if you feel like it and find anything else just put it here and i will see it tomorrow. thanks for the help thus far!

 

[Reyaz123]

Haha, well this is a safe way to install windows 8.1 without running into any problems. If it boots to windows 8.1 successfully after the installation, you can proceed to format the partition with windows 7 on it (except the 100MB one)

Then you can expand the windows 8.1 volume to all of the space that was previously used by windows 7 in disk management.

Hope this helps.