May 13, 2009 - SOLVED! Was trying to install Win 7 pro from XP. Each time, the installation hung at expanding files at 27%. Tried installing directly from HDD,.

So I just built a new desktop, and I've been trying to install 64-bit Win 7, but every time the install gets to 'Expanding Windows Files' the install will hang. I've waited ~1hr without any progress, numerous times. The percentage is not always the same, it has been stuck on 0%, 1%, 5%, 10%, 13%, 20%, and more.

Based on other posts in this and other forums, I've tried a few things already: - Ejecting and reinserting install disk to encourage install to continue. - Bootable USB drive. - Various amounts of RAM: - All 2GB x 3 dimms - 2GB x 2 dimms - 2GB x 1 dimm - 2GB x 1 (different) dimm - Re-erasing target drive. - Disabling many mobo setting: - Intel Speedstep disabled - CPU freq spreading disabled - PCIe freq spreading disabled - toggle SATA II controller AHCI/IDE Nothing has worked. I don't suspect any hardware faults because I was able to successfully install and run 64-bit OpenSUSE 11.4 on the hardware before Windows arrived in the mail. I'm using OEM 64-bit Win 7 install disk for system builders, so there shouldn't be any issues with write speed/corrupted ISO.

Hardware config as follows: - Sabertooth X58 mobo - Intel Core i7 (965 extreme edition?) - 64GB Crucial M4 SSD, plugged into SATA III - port 2 - 3 x 2GB dimm RAM (corsair, I think) - OEM Sony Optiarc DVD DL burner, plugged into SATA II - port 2 - evga Geforce GTX 560 - wireless logitech keyboard, and wireless offbrand mouse. Can't imagine these are causing problems When I get home I plan to do a memtest using the OpenSUSE install disk, and plugging the SSD and DVD drives into the first SATA III and SATA II ports respectively. But I'm not optimistic. Does anyone have experience with this sort of problem? Thankyou for your detailed issue, you have said '- Re-erasing target drive. ' Does this mean that you have wiped the drive completely with a program like Darik's Boot software to eliminate reg/framework conflicting issues when loading the Os, sometimes a load will fill alot of the drive with temp as it unpacks, this can create issues with other operating systems (Very Rare) but it still happens never the less. Get your mobo settings as default again, because windows 7 will try and recognize your hardware as it load on the os, so you can use keyboard/mouse through the installation.

Because once you have gone into the installation process the mobo reads the external devices through the operating system too so that can actually be used. Devices don't work magically So if you have played with your mobo setting there is a chance that it wont be going anywhere. By the sounds of this issue, there could be a million possibilities, and a few ways to fix this, this is not a certain fix, and it just one out of many ways you could resolve or start to troubleshoot this issue. Reset those setting and get back to us. Reset motherboard to default settings. I have tried many permutations of motherboard settings, and they do not seem to be the issue. Shouldn't Windows be a little more robust?

So mostly, I have just been deleting the partitions in the Windows install setup. I'm not sure if this is a full fledged disk partitioner though, since the options are limited. Tonight I hooked up the drive via a SATA-USB cable to another computer and used DISKPART to really make sure it was totally reformatted. This got me to 15% before hang, but no joy.

Suddenly, tonight, I seem to be getting an error message with my hangs. Perhaps I was not waiting long enough before.

It says: [fixed]Windows cannot install required files. The file does not exist. Make sure all files required for installation are available, and restart the installation.

Error code: 0x80070002[/fixed] Using both my OEM disk, and USB install (from a digital river ISO) I get the same error message, and install is hanging between 0% and 15%. Both my disc, and the ISO include service pack 1, so I'm downloading another ISO that does not include the service pack to try on my USB drive. EDIT: Forgot to mention. I switched SDD and DVD drive so that they are plugged into the first SATA III and SATA II ports respectively. They were detected before, so I didn't think that was the issue, but I figured it couldn't hurt! Previously, they were just plugged into the easiest-to-plug jack.

Marvel based SATA III SSDs less probmatic than SF22xx based SSds. Reason I ask, I had a simular problem with the OCZ Agillity III. Problem was the Agility III was NOT compatable with my samsung SB notebook. The ssd worked fine in my I5-2500k desktop. This problem is not confined to Agility III, but may be present in other SF22xx SSDs. NOTE: I bought a M4 Sata III SSD (Infact 2 of them) and had NO problem installing in my SB notebook. For an SSD, it may not be enough to delete partitions/reformat.