Clean "Double" Install of Windows 7 on iMac Not Working

[ExclamationKate]

I recently bought the family pack Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade discs as we have multiple computers in our house that need the Windows OS on them.

I started with my mother's iMac, which already had Vista running on a bootcamp partition. Worked wonderfully.

My iMac (27-inch late 2009), however, did not have any other OS besides Mac OSX so I started Bootcamp Assistant. I created my partition just fine and popped in the Windows 7 64-bit Upgrade disc. It installed just fine as I left the Product Key blank and opted to start my 30-day "trial."

I had heard a "double install" of Windows 7 is possible using the method (#3) shown here:

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/win7/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media

However, when I attempt to run setup.exe from the upgrade disc, it gives me an error message telling me that I can only upgrade from "Windows PE." Then it kicks me back to the desktop. Is there a way around this?

Side note: I already attempted Methods #1 and #2 from that site. #1 obviously didn't work and #2 would hang on the restart after doing the Regedit and Command Line steps.

I know I'm missing something obvious. I just hope someone can tell me what it is.

 

[balamw]

However, when I attempt to run setup.exe from the upgrade disc, it gives me an error message telling me that I can only upgrade from "Windows PE." Then it kicks me back to the desktop. Is there a way around this?

Is this after trying #2 or over a fresh "trial" install.

Can you post the exact error message? Screen shot if necessary.


B

 

[ExclamationKate]

Wow. So I actually figured it out. Turns out the USB stick that had necessary graphics drivers to deal with the "Blank Screen of Death" issue reported with late 2009 iMacs and installing Windows 7 via Bootcamp was the problem. I had loaded the USB with files from here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3173

When I tried to upgrade after the install, I got an error message stating this:

"Configuration sets are only supported when Windows installation is started from Windows PE."

As a last ditch effort, I removed the USB drive and voila! Upgrading worked.

B, I had tried to upgrade both before and after method #2, but to no avail. Luckily, #3 ended up working.

Sorry about posting before trying every possible fix. I just didn't think ejecting a USB drive would've done it. Thanks anyway, B!

 

[Quad5Ny]

#2 would hang on the restart after doing the Regedit and Command Line steps.

Really? Changing MediaBootInstall to 0 and running "slmgr -rearm" made your system hang?

That does not sound right. Something else had to be going on.

 

[balamw]

ExclamationKate, thanks for coming back to update the thread even though you figured it out by yourself. Hopefully this will help someone else down the line.

Really? Changing MediaBootInstall to 0 and running "slmgr -rearm" made your system hang?

That does not sound right. Something else had to be going on.

I suspect that the same USB drive might somehow have been getting in the way as it did for #3.

B