Solved Windows 8 RTM install problems

pparks1

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So, I downloaded the Windows 8 RTM release from MSDN today. I'm currently trying to install the 64bit Enterprise product on a slightly older computer of mine and thus far it's been a total disaster.

My hardware
AMD Athlon X2 4600+
Asus M2NPV-VM mobo
4GB DDR2 800 RAM
Nvidia 7600GT video card (This could be my issue)
Samsung 913T, 19" Flat Panel. (native resolution is 1280x1024)

First, I attempted to install the OS from a USB key and it was taking forever to get past the initial screen with the new Windows logo. I finally chalked it up to a potential USB issue with this older machine and I burned a physical DVD.

When the install begin, I see the blueish-teal windows logo..but not the spinning circle underneath it. When I get to the welcome screen, my screen is a complete disaster. I can barely make anything out. I shut down the machine and ensure that the DVI cable is securely attached and it is. I try again and get same results.

I decide to switch out to a VGA cable to see if things improve. Sadly, they are the same.

Since I've installed Windows a million times, I managed to click through the screens I could barely see and I have the OS installing. I'm hoping that after a reboot it will be viewable.


So, does anybody know of issues with a 7600GT video card? Is this card too old to work under Windows 8. I wouldn't think so...but who knows.

Edit: The specs on the 7600GT say it supports DirectX9.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
I tried the 32bit version of Windows 8 to see if it worked any better and low and behold it is completely readable and seems fine. For the minor playing and such that I will be doing with this machine, the 32bit version of Windows 8 is completely fine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Well, that was it. Apparently the 64bit is just a bit too much for the hardware, but the 32bit version is just fine. the install went smooth, it went through the little "how to use Windows by utilizing corners" spiel, i used my @live account, it has moved onto configuring my system and installing apps. And my start screen is up.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
I've tried the RP, RTM and Enterprise Trial on this hardware. All 64 bit installs.

Asus M2N68-AM SE2 µATX Motherboard
Chipset - NVIDIA Geforce 7025/nForce 630a
Processor - AMD Athlon II X4 620 2.6GHz
Ram - 4GB 2GB X 2 Ultra PC5400 DDR2 667MHz Memory
Hard Drive - 160 Gig WesternDigital IDE Drive
Video - NVIDIA GeForce 7025 integrated.
Monitor - I-INC. 19 inch LCD
Sound - ALC662 High Definition Audio 6-channel Onboard

All three installs occasionally froze on the juggling balls screen during cold start boot up. Press the reset button and the next boot is fine with no error message about a failed boot. I've gotten a blue screen during the install that a device was unplugged, something like that, I didn't write it down. Happened with the RTM and Ent trial. If I click try again or restart the install the next go is fine. These were all installs from a DVD. I've had some other glitches where the Metro start screen just turns blue with no tiles when I press the Windows key. I have to click the desktop tile to actually get to the desktop. Once I'm there it goes back to normal. To make a long story short Windows 7 runs just fine no errors or problems, so there is something Windows 8 doesn't like about this hardware. I never tried a 32 bit install. With 4 gigs of RAM and the possibility of adding a dedicated Video card I didn't see the point.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Yeah, I considered a card change...I even have an old GeForce 9800GTX+ sitting around I could toss in. However, my 9800GTX+ pulls more power than this older power supply has and also need a 6pin power and I don't know if my power supply even has one.
I even thought of just getting a cheapo modern card that didn't require external power, but decided that with 3.25GB of 4GB available for this older computer to just test and screw around with 8 would be just fine.

thanks for sharing your experiences though, it's always great do know that you are not alone.

And Windows 7 for me worked just fine on this hardware too, 64bit even.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
On the plus side, now I know not to bother trying to upgrade this PC to Windows 8, even if it is only 40 bucks. I'm not sure I'm going to upgrade any of my PC's but this one is ruled out for sure now.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
On the plus side, now I know not to bother trying to upgrade this PC to Windows 8, even if it is only 40 bucks. I'm not sure I'm going to upgrade any of my PC's but this one is ruled out for sure now.

Yes, i'm in the same boat. In my case, this old machine dual boots Linux and Windows XP (32bit). I have an older scanner that I use from time to time, that doesn't have a 64bit driver...which is what every other computer I have is running. I kept this XP box around for just scanning. Some day I'll just buy a new scanner, but thus far with my very limited use, I'm not inclined to spend the money.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
Hmmm...I've got an nforce mobo and thought that had something to do with it. But what's in common between us is the Athlon 64 X2 proc and a pretty recent GPU (in my case a GTX 550 TI) I'll try the 32 bit route (as it happens, my machine only has 3GB of RAM in it anyway), and let you know how that goes. In the long term, I'm going to be building a machine around the i5-3570k so this is a minor setback.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 RTM Pro
I have a much newer machine than the above, and it's my daily desktop and gaming machine. As it's working perfectly, I'm going to just leave it on Windows 7.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
My daily user has an Asus M4N68T-M V2 Motherboard with an AMD Phenom II X4 980 3.7GHz Processor. It's got the same NVIDIA Geforce 7025/nForce 630a Chipset as the M2N68 and runs Windows 8 just fine. Getting the onboard VIA sound working was a bit of a pain. VIA have finally released Windows 8 drivers so that shouldn't be an issue any more. I'm currently on the fence as to whether I'm going to bother spending the 40 bucks to upgrade this PC to Windows 8.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I have successfully installed the Enterprise version and the Pro version on my Toshi laptop. The enterprise of course won't allow me to input the valid code for the enterprise version, I think it is trying to validate the wrong version.
The pro version installed after a complete format of the hard disk. The only thing I don't like is that the multimedia is not in it.

Is there something I can install to get multimedia with the PRO version?

Rich
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba Laptop Qosmio X870
    CPU
    Intel Core 7
    Motherboard
    toshiba
    Memory
    16 gigabytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 3 gig GTX 670M
    Hard Drives
    250gig SSD and 256Gig SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fios 50/25
    Other Info
    New replacement for my older Toshibas
I have successfully installed the Enterprise version and the Pro version on my Toshi laptop. The enterprise of course won't allow me to input the valid code for the enterprise version, I think it is trying to validate the wrong version.
The pro version installed after a complete format of the hard disk. The only thing I don't like is that the multimedia is not in it.

Is there something I can install to get multimedia with the PRO version?

Rich

Technet or MSDN? There are Product codes around that will let you upgrade to add Media Center but they don't pass activation. I found them for the leaked RTM builds. your better off getting official codes from Microsoft if available. I don't have a Technet or MSDN subscription.

On the Enterprise install open the system page (Windows key + Pause/Break key) and click the blue "View Details in Windows Activation". On the RTM build I tried there was an option on the screen that opened to enter a different product code.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Update #2. I successfully installed the Enterprise version and validated it, but I had to copy the slmgr.vbs file from the PRO version and then it worked fine. Now I have the enterprise version with sound and all. I gave up on the Pro version.

Rich
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Enterprise
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba Laptop Qosmio X870
    CPU
    Intel Core 7
    Motherboard
    toshiba
    Memory
    16 gigabytes
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 3 gig GTX 670M
    Hard Drives
    250gig SSD and 256Gig SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fios 50/25
    Other Info
    New replacement for my older Toshibas
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