The whole installation goes smoothly up to the point of "Completing installation ...". The monitor changes resolution, after which a standard dialog box pops up saying

Windows Setup could not configure Windows to run on this computer's hardware

Then, in a few seconds, the whole machine powers down. Trying to restart produces the message:

STOP: c000021a {Fatal System Error}

0x00000000 (0xc0000001 0x00100448)

OR it boots into Setup and comes up with the message:

Windows Setup encountered an unexpected error...

(This is not the actual error, just paraphrasing)

I tried using the OEM restore instead of a regular install, but it fails with the same error.
(Even though it worked before...)

General specs:

HP Pavilion Elite e9262f

Intel Core i5-750 Processor

ATI Radeon HD 4650

Hitachi HDT721010SLA360 ATA Device

6GB DDR3 RAM

SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe

Some built-in Wi-Fi module

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01916917

I've tried disconnecting the wireless card and disabling the built-in Ethernet and Firewire via the BIOS, and replacing the wireless keyboard and mouse with wired USB ones. Didn't work.

I've also tried changing the SATA controller settings in the BIOS to RAID, AHCI, and IDE, reinstalling each time I changed. Still not working.

I think the reason why it is showing the Fatal System Error is because it didn't finish installing before it errored out and shut down, so the system is left in an inconsistent state.

I've tried 3 different copies (including the OEM restore) of Windows 7 now, and they're all failing at the same point, with the same error message. I've tried to install Windows 7 maybe 10 times already, with the exact same error message at the exact same location.

Hm... Interestingly, the 32-bit version of Windows 7 works, but the 64-bit version doesn't.
Perhaps it was a badly burned disk? Reburning the 64-bit version still comes up with the same error.

Here's a picture of the side of the case that clearly says it came with Windows 7 64-bit, along with the model number and CPU.

sudo fdisk -l:

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0009896f

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          13      104391    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2              14       94119   755906445    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3          119922      121602    13492224    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4           94120      119922   207257740+   5  Extended
/dev/sda5          119527      119922     3170769   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6          107174      119526    99225441   83  Linux
/dev/sda7           94120      107173   104856192    7  HPFS/NTFS

Partition table entries are not in disk order