Hard Drive Recovery Error: "Windows setup could not configure windows to run ...

Sony Vaio -- Model No. VPCF115FM
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (x64) Service Pack 1 (build 7601)

The laptop came loaded with Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2007.


Recently, the computer started indicating an error:

"SMART Failure Predicted on Hard Disk" and it prompted me to boot using F1 and then backup my data.


Step 1: I used Sony Vaio Care to create 2 sets of Recovery Disks and then used Drive Cloner RX to backup all of my data manually and a system image onto a new Seagate external hard drive.

Step 2: I purchased a new Hitachi 750 GB (7200 rpm) 2.5 SATA hard drive from Comp USA. The computer's original hard drive is a Hitachi HTS545050B9SA00 500 GB 5200 rpm.

Step 3: I removed the original hard drive and installed the new one. Then, inserted Recovery Disk 1 and then Disk 2. After the prompt to restart the computer to finalize Windows setup I received this error message:

"Windows setup could not configure windows to run on this computers hardware."


I then click okay and subsequently receive this message:

"Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation."


Question:

Is anyone familiar with this?
If so, is there a work around to properly load windows 7 in this instance?

Also:

1. Is there a way to boot using the system image from my external drive and re-install that way? If so, what are the best steps?

2. Or, can I use my recovery disks and some type of work around to re-install the OS and factory software?



Note: There are no outstanding issues with the laptop. The computer came preloaded with Windows 7; I have the product key on the computer base. It also came loaded with Microsoft Office, but I don't have the key for that? Sony Vaio laptops don't come with physical CD's -- the data is on a partition within the hard drive -- and you have to create the mfg disks yourself.



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To get your MS Office key you will need to put in your old Harddrive and hopefully it will boot and last so you can install SIW and then run it and look under software-licenses.

You should be able to reinstall from the disk you made yourself. Hopefully you have a set from before there were HD problems because there could be corrupt files now; I suppose that could be why you might be getting install errors but I don't know.

Have you tried installing more than once from the DVDs you made? Seems like sometimes when you install W7 it says there is an error but you install again and then pop out the DVD and reboot and it works.

Sorry I don't have a better answer. I would say try Sony support but they will probably just offer to sell you the recovery DVDs. Still if they have a user group you might find some others who have experienced the same issue and be in a better position to help.

Thanks for the recommendation on SIW.

The recovery disk from my laptop produced the error mentioned in my initial post. Therefore, I had to purchase a new VAIO Recovery Media Set direct from Sony for $75.

Unfortunately, the Sony recovery disks they sent are defective, so they processed an "accommodation request" -- free replacement, and I am waiting for that to arrive in 2 business days.

Hopefully the new recovery disk will solve all of my woes! What a nightmare! If you are out of warranty - they charge $45 to continue the call whether or not they solve your issue. Absurd.

"Windows setup could not configure windows to run on this computers hardware."

"Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation."

After the prompting to purchase a Sony Recovery Media Disk, from a Sony Tech, I did so. Big mistake!

Purchasing a Recovery Media Disk from SONY will not solve this problem. The Sony disks are Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) disks and they are customized for Sony hardware.

Your have two choices:

1. Purchase a Retail copy of windows 7 which is considerably more expensive and does not have any of the customized software Sony includes on their disks.

2. Purchase a generic OEM disk from someplace like Newegg or a local computer store.

In either case you will have to go to the Sony website to download any and all hardware drivers and utility software to gain full functionality of your system.

If anyone is familiar with a workaround, please share -- given many people experience this issue.

But you have Sony hardware so the disks should work.

The truth is, as long as you have a valid license you can simply download and burn the official W7 for the license you own, (see links HERE) but like you said, it will not have any special Sony software and you may still need to go to the Sony website to get drivers.

... but there must be something else going on because you have a Sony Vaio and you have Sony Disks. It sounds like they may not have sent you the right thing; if you have a reference # maybe you can use it so you don't pay again to talk to support.

Thank you for this reference on Windows 7 OS. My sony vaio came preloaded from Best Buy with no CD's so I was going to start a manhunt to find a Windows 7 CD. I have all of my valid licenses off of the computer (retreived using SIW - amazing tool) and the stuff on the bottom of the laptop.

From what I understand, Sony's disks are only configured to work with their OEM hardware that they install. So even though my model was loaded with a Hitachi and I bought another Hitachi - they must configure settings for all of the parts they install and ship.

I had my own recovery media -- which you can make once you buy the computer and download them from a separate partition. And I checked what they sent -- which was the correct Recovery Media Disks for my model.

So it seems unless you are extremely tech savvy -- they want you to send your laptop back to them for tech support and it's not as easy to switch out parts as it would be for a Dell, persay.

W7 has many drivers built in by default. I suppose it is possible Sony strips out all drivers but what they need but if the only change you made was a harddrive then I cannot see an issue. To my knowledge internal harddrives do not use any special drivers so the computer should see one Sata HD the same as any other (an exception might be if you break the 2GB limit because then sectors are formatted differently and the drive may need special handling).

I do understand it didn't come with DVDs; it is very common that you are told to generate the DVD when you first boot a new laptop. That is true of Dell and pretty much all laptops these days.

So as I said I do think there is something else going on here. What I don't like is that they are called "recovery media". It may be that it is looking for a hidden recovery partition which of course your new hard drive doesn't have. Often they basically put the W7 DVD on a hidden partition on the HD; if so and if all the recovery disks are trying to do is find that then they are a rip-off and the tech should have known they would be worthless on a brand new HD. You actually need media with W7 OS on it. I would definitely be trying to Tech support again because I would be royally torqued by now.

It can't hurt for you to burn that W7 SP1 and see if it will at least install. But you may still want to try and get the right Disks and/or setup instructions to use the disks you got from Sony.

NOTE: you may also need to download and install IMGBurn in order to properly burn that W7 DVD. If you use software that cannot handle an ISO image properly then all you will end up with is a DVD with a single file ending in .ISO, so if you are unsure then just get IMGBurn and use it.

Have you fixed this error? Because I have the exact same problem.

gagger this issue is because your hard drive is going bad so you need to install a new hard drive and then reinstall your OS, programs and any data you can recover.

I have tried two different hard drives already. I first tried a seagate and then a WD both with the same error. I can start my computer with my roommates hard drive with windows 8 consumer preview (although drivers and stuff don't much up). I am beginning to think it is Sony forcing me to buy the exact same Hitachi hard drive, because my hard drive replaced by a Sony representative once before.