I have this weird problem I never seen before. I'm trying to install windows 7 on my laptop Acer Aspire 6920 (I have two of them). One of them is in working condition (Windows 7 installed), the other one had Windows XP installed, then one day it keep crashing at the end of Windows XP logo with the blue bar running at the bottom (just right before the login screen would come up), what I mean by crash is the computer just loose the power (like holding down the power button) then 2 seconds later it would power on and the whole process repeated. No blue screen, no error message. I try booting into safe mode which works fine. So I though I'll reformat it with Windows 7, but the installer crash right after Starting Windows animation (just before the GUI of Installing Windows came up). I try with windows Vista, and it crash at the end of the green bar running, (right before the installer GUI comes up). I also try with windows XP, the files get copied, restart once, then you're into GUI part, when it say, about 34 minutes remain (installing devices) the installer hang, and I know this because it has been 34 mins for a hours and the HDD light is solid lit, however, no sound the the actual HDD activities can be heard. The CD drive are also not spinning. I even try with Ubuntu 12.10, nothing shows up, doesn't even boot. Try with Ubuntu 10.10, the purple background shows up then hangs. Try with Ubuntu 10.04, the purple background shows up then hangs. I even try the original recovery DVD from the manufacture (Vista), but it's crash right after loading file (the same loading file screen when you install windows 7).
I also try Windows 7 PE, which crash at exactly the same point as Windows 7 installer.
I try stresslinux live cd as an attempt to findout if the hardware is causing the problem, it crash before I get to use it.
I try changing HDD to a different one then repeat the above attempt, the result were the same
I also run memtest for 12 passes, found no error.
I also swap out the HDD from one machine to the other machine and vice versa. Result is the HDD from the defective machine (WinXP) boots up fine in the other machine, but the HDD from the working machine(Win 7) hangs(not crash) in the defective machine.
The BIOS has setting for HDD to be in IDE mode or AHCI, I've tried both options, same result
There is one difference between the two machine, the working machine had an BIOS update (flash BIOS) sometime ago. (but even before the BIOS upgrade I am able to install windows 7 on the working machine).
I'm planning to update the BIOS in the defective machine but I don't know how can I accomplish that as I would need to be in Windows for the updater to works. I don't know if updating the BIOS will help but I'm really running out of idea.
Anyone have any idea of what could be the problems and method to fix this?
I'm suspecting that it could be a hardware problem, but how can I check that.
Thanks