How to install OS on clean HD on Acer Aspire 9410

I bought used Acer Aspire 9410. Seller removed 160 GB HD. I have installed 2GB RAM and a 320GB HD purchase from Acer and both are recognized by computer. I would like to install Windows 7 onto the clean HD but all attempts have failed. How do I install OS on clean HD? I even tried to install Vista several times with the idea of doing upgrade install to Windows 7but after 10 hours the install failed. Was told to change HD mode from AHCI to IDE or compatibility to install Windows 7 but don't know how to do that.
I can get to Bios setup click on F2 but there is no place to change HD mode.



Please help!!

 

You install it the normal way, like you would for any system - put the disk in, boot to disk, and follow the prompts.

 

Shouldn't be any problem. I clean installed Vista on my 9301 some time ago from an upgrade disc.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/68767-clean-install-upgrade-vista.html
It took around 40 minutes each time. Don't miss the "format" bit in the procedure.
Then install appropriate drivers from Acer... clea install ! best thing I ever did.

I then went on to update it fully without adding or using it making Acronis backups along the way finishing off with a full Vista image all updated.
That means I can go back to that any time in only 20 minutes or so...

 

Thanks for the reponses. I have done clean installs before on clean HD and had no problems. I did insert the OS disk and the install indicates that it is 'expanding files' but it never happens. I sat for over 5 hours watching it seem to be working on expanding then yesterday at about 48% I get the message that the installation failed because of a missing file. As far as I know the OS install disk should have all the necessary files to install. Today I am going to try and install from a flash drive and see what happens. Also, during the install I get to the page to format the HD and click on that and it does something but it does not indicate that it has been formatted. So far in my computer life everything for the most part has worked just fine so this is very frustrating.

keep those answers coming.

 

Only ideas now... and as you say, I haven't had a problem before either.

Is the Windows disc OK and clean .... I know

My Vista upgrade disc was supplied by Acer at the time of Vista's release, the free XP to Vista offer but there was also an Acer upgrade DVD supplied to flash the BIOS. I think that was something to do with activation requirements though. Would anything in the BIOS prevent an install ?

 

Now I have tried so many times to install either Vista or Windows 7 so many times that I am getting the blue screen all the time and it is shutting down
'Windows' What it is shutting down I do not know other than the initial files windows puts in from the OS disk. So far there is no Windows OS installed. Somehow I have to get that hard drive cleaned off and start from scratch again. There must be remnants of windows files left on the hard drive causing this stop error. The error I see on the blue screen is Stop: 0x0000001A (0x00041790, oxCo801058, 0x0000FFFF, 0x00000000)

 

How about running Linux from a CD to use to look at the HDD and partitions etc. Would that perhaps show anything ?

Or take the HDD out and connect it via a USB caddy to another PC and format it that way.

Could there be a memory problem, faulty RAM ?

 

Hi all,

I finally gave up and took the laptop to a shop. The driver the install was looking for was the Vista storage controller for the Hard Drive. I finally found that but by that time the computer was messed up. The guy in the shop is going to clean off HD and start over for me. Since I have done this before it is so frustrating. Hope soon to have a fixed up laptop to send to daughter.

Thanks all.

 

Frustrating indeed... hope it works out anyway.

 

Hello,
I finally got the computer back from shop and they had installed another new HD and Vista. It seemed to be working fine and I was able to do Windows Update and download SP1 which I need to upgrade to Windows 7. However, after awhile I started getting the blue screens again. I was able to boot from disk this am and get to the page to 'repair computer'. Message said 'unable to repair disk contact computer manufacturer'. Acer people don't seem to know much about their products. Anyway, now I am doing a 'memory diagnostics' and while it is scanning memory I see a message 'hardware problems were found'. I need to know how to find out what hardware problems it is finding because it does no good to contact Acer. It working fine yesterday. Might have to take back to shop and make them fix it right.

Any ideas?

 

Don't really know what to suggest...
If you have paid someone to fix this then I guess that is your first point of call... it isn't fixed!

Maybe there is some hardware fault... I wouldn't like to guess at that.

When you talk of upgrading to W7 I assume you have a W7 upgrade DVD. Have you tried clean installing this and using the W7 disc to format the HDD and see if any errors occur then.

 

Ok, I got the laptop back from shop with Vista installedon a new hard drive.. The first time I tried booting up it lasted about 3 minutes and then I got blue screen. Got several blue screens with different errors on each one. One suggested a memory diagnostics. I ran the Windows memtest and it showed a hardware problem. Did a lot of research online doing with the errors and my difficulties with this laptop. I found an Ultimate Boot CD and created an .iso to diagnose the problems I had. The first time I ran a memory test with it all tests failed. The RAM is new, a dual channel 2GB kit. I removed the RAM chips and reset them to make sure they were installed right. Afterwards I ran the memory test again and all passed. Worked on the computer rest of the day. Installed Win7 and some programs I wanted to put in and all was working fine. Next morning went to continue the loading and setup and started with the blue screens again. So did the boot up memory test and again the chips failed. Reset them and then worked all day yesterday with no problem. This am again got another couple blue screens and redid memtest again and failed. Reset the chips again and then the chips passed.

Does this make sense? Is it possible that the RAM is not clearing after a days use? Is it bad RAM? Any ideas?

Thanks for any responses.

 

From your description it sounds more of a physical problem... you are moving/disturbing/refitting the RAM. Could be a faulty/damaged socket the RAM fits into or a poorly or intermitent soldered joint even. It could also be faulty RAM, a hairline crack in the print etc... impossible to say. Can you try some other RAM or just fit one 1GB stick at a time if thats possible with your set up.

 

Well, since the RAM I bought was cheap and had no brand on it I am hoping it was just bad RAM. I purchased 4 GB from Crucial and look forward to hopefully solving this mess.

Thanks