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I'm having a problem installing Windows 7 on my Dell XPS m1330 notebook. When booting from DVD I get to the screen where you select the language; time and currency; and keyboard input or method only to have no ability to enter them since then there is no keyboard or mouse control.

About the machine:
* Came from Dell with Ubuntu
* Working Ubuntu 9.04 install on one partiton
* No problem installing XP
* Same problem when attemping Vista install
* Latest version of BIOS installed

I have been banging my head against this for awhile now. Open to any/all suggestions.

UPDATE

Here is what happened when I tried installing from within XP

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  • Are you using PS2 Mouse/keyboard or both are USB
    – r0ca
    Feb 5, 2010 at 17:50
  • not sure about this particular model, but check the BIOS options for something like 'USB Emulation' and enable it.
    – Molly7244
    Feb 5, 2010 at 17:53
  • Laptop... Can you try with a USB keyboard? USB mouse? It's kinda weird that the laptop's keyboard and mouse pad aren't working during the install
    – r0ca
    Feb 5, 2010 at 17:57
  • @r0ca have tried with USB mouse with no avail
    – matheeeny
    Feb 5, 2010 at 18:14
  • 1
    @matheeeny - turn it off and try again.
    – Molly7244
    Feb 5, 2010 at 19:13

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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I would create an automated installer using a tool like vLite. You can put in all your info and get into windows without having to do more then boot to the CD. Look at a tutorial here:

http://www.intowindows.com/how-to-create-unattended-windows-7-installation-setup/

The most likely reason you have this problem is that the chipset driver database the disk has doesn't have the driver for your computer. I've run into this a few times with windows XP and I had to slipstream a driver into the package to make it work. You may not need to do that if they have the network driver. Windows 7 can contact microsoft and get updated drivers once you get into the GUI.

[EDIT]

An alternate approach is to clear the drive completely. Either delete all partitions or write zero's to the drive by using a program like killdisk. The purpose of this is to setup a blank drive for the windows 7 install. When I was reinstalling windows after a motherboard change, I had to start with an empty drive or windows couldn't use it to install.

Once you get the windows 7 system up and running, you can then resize the partitions using something like EaseUS. You can then install Ubuntu to the newly opened up space. I'm not a linux guy so I can't really help with that spot.

So assuming that you can get a properly slipsteamed disk, you should be able to get it dropped onto the system and make it work.

[/EDIT]

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  • I couldn't get this approach to work.
    – matheeeny
    Feb 5, 2010 at 23:00
  • What did it do? Any error messages? Did the process still drop to a screen that required mouse and KB input in a GUI mode?
    – Doltknuckle
    Feb 8, 2010 at 19:10
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A comment by matheeeny (the one asking this question) on a related issue may help:

  1. Reset the BIOS to factory defaults
  2. After resetting the BIOS, switch AHCI back to ATA (my BIOS forced me to toggle a secondary setting)

And then the install worked.

Prior to this rying to install Windows 7 on a Dell M1530 would not recognize the native keyboard/mouse, or USB keyboards and mice. It would get to the initial setup screen and I could not interact with the computer. I toggled all the USB settings in the BIOS to no avail, and even switched AHCI to ATA (just in case).

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  • Why switch to ancient IDE/ATA compatibility mode? It should not influence the mouse and AHCI has more features and is faster.
    – Hennes
    Sep 8, 2013 at 18:19
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I just ran into the same issue while helping my girlfriend build her gaming PC. We tried everything listed here, and what finally worked was completely disabling USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. It got the Win7 installer to use the PS/2 port. Go figure :/

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