Installed wrong bit-version of Windows

My brother has installed the wrong bit version of Windows 7 on his Windows notebook (x84 instead of x64), meaning that his hard disk fails to start up and his screen stays black.

Since I am using Mac myself, I have no idea how to help him out, and hence I am asking advice to get it fixed.

Any clues? Many thanks.

 

installing the wrong bitness doesn't matter. it should still start without a hitch.

i guess he should install it again?

 

Well, the installation process is pretty much walkthrough - Mac or not - if you can't install Vista - or even XP then you should most likely learn to read instructions. (Same applies for Win7)

As to whether its the "wrong bit version" - it depends on usage - unless you have 64Bit optimized software that is data heavy and benefits from 64Bit you might as well stay with 32Bit.

Now, as to the HDD not spinning up - if that happens then something is physically broken - whether a laptop starts up or not does not depend on the bit version.

So:
Try going into the BIOS and see if the HDD is recognized - if it isn't then it broke.

This would have nothing to do with the Bit version.

 

It's a x86 architecture. X86-32 and X86-64.

A 64bits CPU can run 32 and 64 bits operations so there is no real problem in installing the 32 on a 64bits computer. If he had a 32bits CPU, the 64 Windows DVD would not even boot.

It's probably an installation error so the best way would be the re-install it.

 

It boots until he sees the ASUS logo but then freezes for some reason. Well it doesn't really freeze, but it doesn't continue starting up, which is why he cannot boot a cd to re-install.

It's an ASUS V1j.

Don't get me wrong, I do know how to install Windows, but since his Windows DVD doesn't start up I have no idea how to start the installation process.

 

Ehm...

If you boot from the CD use the emergency release on a tray loading drive (this is why they are better than slot loading ones the laptop can be off to load and unload them) close it with the CD and start the laptop.

If it just hangs after the Asus logo it could also be a hardware problem.

If the HDD were "gone" it would say that no OS was found...

Try opening the drive and start with a CD in the drive.

 

Well, that means it doesn't boot. All it does is go through the POST (power-on self test) of the BIOS. If it simply freezes at this point, without even giving an error message of any sort, you are looking at a hardware problem. Sounds like BIOS/motherboard issue. Can he still access the BIOS setup?

 

No, he cannot. When he hits F2 to enter the BIOS setup nothing happens...
Some additional information: he tried to install Windows before with another hard disk, but after having done so, he experienced the same problem. He then tried it on this hard disk and it worked again. Having tried it for the 2nd time now, the same problem as with the first hard disk appears.

 

Hardware failure then...

Call Asus.

 

Yeah... That certainly seems like Windows' fault.

 

Could be a serious case of disk failure.

 

Probably not. If he can't even access the BIOS then it sounds far more likely to be an issue with the system board than the HDD, as was said earlier.