Install disc does not boot on older PCs?

[Avatar]

We are using the Windows 7 RC 32bit OS (downloaded earlier from MS) to test
our PCs as a test of usability and other possibilities, including future
purchase.
The disc boots up (and installs) perfectly on all PCs here except and
'older' one that still runs Windows 2000 Pro.
That PC does have boot-from-CD/DVD-ROM enabled and functional - all other
bootable media thrown at it works. Except the Windows 7 disc.
Just by way of academic interest - does the disc's boot and install routines
'know' somehow that the hardware may not be compatible? Or the boot files
are not compatible with 'outdated' hardware/BIOS?
It does not even give the usual "Press any key to boot from CD...." prompt.
This is an oddity that we found interesting.
The disc itself was burnt 'properly' AFAWK. Tested to work perfectly on PCs
elsewhere too.
Regards and TIA.
Avatar
--------

 

[Gordon]

We are using the Windows 7 RC 32bit OS (downloaded earlier from MS) to
test
our PCs as a test of usability and other possibilities, including future
purchase.
The disc boots up (and installs) perfectly on all PCs here except and
'older' one that still runs Windows 2000 Pro.
That PC does have boot-from-CD/DVD-ROM enabled and functional - all other
bootable media thrown at it works. Except the Windows 7 disc.
Just by way of academic interest - does the disc's boot and install
routines
'know' somehow that the hardware may not be compatible? Or the boot files
are not compatible with 'outdated' hardware/BIOS?

Yes it will.

 

[Carpe Diem]

We are using the Windows 7 RC 32bit OS (downloaded earlier from MS) to
test
our PCs as a test of usability and other possibilities, including future
purchase.
The disc boots up (and installs) perfectly on all PCs here except and
'older' one that still runs Windows 2000 Pro.
That PC does have boot-from-CD/DVD-ROM enabled and functional - all other
bootable media thrown at it works. Except the Windows 7 disc.
Just by way of academic interest - does the disc's boot and install
routines
'know' somehow that the hardware may not be compatible? Or the boot files
are not compatible with 'outdated' hardware/BIOS?
It does not even give the usual "Press any key to boot from CD...."
prompt.
This is an oddity that we found interesting.
The disc itself was burnt 'properly' AFAWK. Tested to work perfectly on
PCs
elsewhere too.
Regards and TIA.
Avatar

I have the same experience with a 3 year old pc. It absolutely is ready for
Win7, but booting? No way...
On another pc it took more than 30 seconds before booting from the cd
started.

 

[philo]

We are using the Windows 7 RC 32bit OS (downloaded earlier from MS) to test
our PCs as a test of usability and other possibilities, including future
purchase.
The disc boots up (and installs) perfectly on all PCs here except and
'older' one that still runs Windows 2000 Pro.
That PC does have boot-from-CD/DVD-ROM enabled and functional - all other
bootable media thrown at it works. Except the Windows 7 disc.
Just by way of academic interest - does the disc's boot and install routines
'know' somehow that the hardware may not be compatible? Or the boot files
are not compatible with 'outdated' hardware/BIOS?
It does not even give the usual "Press any key to boot from CD...." prompt.
This is an oddity that we found interesting.
The disc itself was burnt 'properly' AFAWK. Tested to work perfectly on PCs
elsewhere too.
Regards and TIA.
Avatar

Don't know...but I assure you a machine old enough to have win2k on it
would run win7 very poorly if you did manage to get it installed.

If you want experiment more
try a different DVDrom

 

[Gordon]

I have the same experience with a 3 year old pc. It absolutely is ready
for Win7, but booting? No way...
On another pc it took more than 30 seconds before booting from the cd
started.

Did you check with the Vendor if there is a BIOS update available?
Did you run the Win 7 Upgrade Advisor first?

 

[Carpe Diem]

Did you check with the Vendor if there is a BIOS update available? No, not yet...
Did you run the Win 7 Upgrade Advisor first?
Yes, worked fine..

I also installed another dvd-drive, without result.
Other bootable media : no problem...

 

[Avatar]

My response at bottom:

We are using the Windows 7 RC 32bit OS (downloaded earlier from MS) to
test
our PCs as a test of usability and other possibilities, including future
purchase.
The disc boots up (and installs) perfectly on all PCs here except and
'older' one that still runs Windows 2000 Pro.
That PC does have boot-from-CD/DVD-ROM enabled and functional - all other
bootable media thrown at it works. Except the Windows 7 disc.
Just by way of academic interest - does the disc's boot and install
routines
'know' somehow that the hardware may not be compatible? Or the boot files
are not compatible with 'outdated' hardware/BIOS?
It does not even give the usual "Press any key to boot from CD...."
prompt.
This is an oddity that we found interesting.
The disc itself was burnt 'properly' AFAWK. Tested to work perfectly on
PCs
elsewhere too.
Regards and TIA.
Avatar
--------

Thanks for the informative responses.
We now realize that the 'older' machine will not 'take' Windows 7.
But some of our tests on other machines have been successful.
These would be transitioned to Windows 7 in the near future.
These machines were reverted back to their installed XP Pro or Vista
systems for now.
We image the drives on all our machines very regularly! Especially just
prior to tests as these.

Regards and thanks.
Avatar
-------

 

[Fritz Deneken]

We are using the Windows 7 RC 32bit OS (downloaded earlier from MS) to
test
our PCs as a test of usability and other possibilities, including future
purchase.
The disc boots up (and installs) perfectly on all PCs here except and
'older' one that still runs Windows 2000 Pro.
That PC does have boot-from-CD/DVD-ROM enabled and functional - all other
bootable media thrown at it works. Except the Windows 7 disc.
Just by way of academic interest - does the disc's boot and install
routines
'know' somehow that the hardware may not be compatible? Or the boot files
are not compatible with 'outdated' hardware/BIOS?
It does not even give the usual "Press any key to boot from CD...."
prompt.
This is an oddity that we found interesting.
The disc itself was burnt 'properly' AFAWK. Tested to work perfectly on
PCs
elsewhere too.
Regards and TIA.
Avatar

If the disc is an upgrade disc or, worse, an oem version you are out of
luck!
A full install disc, on the other hand, should boot.
Wether you get a working Win7 system is another question.
JFD

 

[Char Jackson]

If the disc is an upgrade disc or, worse, an oem version you are out of
luck!
A full install disc, on the other hand, should boot.
Wether you get a working Win7 system is another question.
JFD

I think it could be a full time job to follow along and correct the
mistaken notion that an Upgrade disc isn't bootable, or that an
Upgrade disc can't install to a blank hard drive, etc. How do these
myth's get started, and why do they seem to last so long?

 

[Lord Vetinari]

[snip]

I think it could be a full time job to follow along and correct the
mistaken notion that an Upgrade disc isn't bootable, or that an
Upgrade disc can't install to a blank hard drive, etc. How do these
myth's get started, and why do they seem to last so long?

In this case, the naming of one as "upgrade", and the other as "full", leads
the average person to conclude that that's how it works.