I'm trying to install Windows 7 from a bootable USB stick. My other laptop read it properly. However when I try to boot from a defective laptop, it tells me:
A disk read error occured. Press Ctrl
+ Alt + Del to restart.
I have Windows XP on the laptop: it reaches the Windows boot screen, tries to load Windows then restarts. What can I do? I can't boot Windows 7, so I can't run chkdsk or anything.
Best Answer
Sometimes an USB stick error happens when having a lot of files in root folder. If there's more stuff than actually the files needed to make the Windows install, try to move them to some safe device/computer.
Some times is the file system of the USB and/or operative system. USB sticks are often FAT 32, or FAT 16. In some cases people install Windows XP in FAT 32. I guess your Windows 7 is in NTFS file system, as usual. Might happen some issue related to this.
Did you check that in the defective laptop BIOS menu, you have USB listed in boot sequence/options ? You might have it configured differently or laptop BIOS not supporting USB boot at all.