Hello Wade
Try removing all non essential devices that are connected to the machine such as your printer or any external usb device. You may also want to remove a couple sticks of memory from the machine and try the install again. How did you try installing Windows
8 Consumer Preview? If you downloaded an .ISO file and created the DVD that you're using to install Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you may want to check to see if the ISO image that was used to create the installation media didn't complete correctly or became
corrupted. Let's check the Sha 1 hash for your .ISO to ensure that it matches the value that is displayed on the page linked below:
Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO images
To check the Sha 1 hash of your .ISO, please take a look at the information provided by Andre Da Costa in the answer of the thread that is linked below:
Windows 8 & HP Envy 15 Installation Issue!
If the Sha 1 hash does not match the value from the first link, try downloading the .ISO again from the first link above and then check the Sha 1 hash of the newly downloaded .ISO to ensure it matches the value given on that page.
Once you have a .ISO that matches the Sha 1 hash information, take a look at the information below for some suggestions for creating a bootable USB or burning a DVD:
"The easiest way to convert an ISO file to a DVD in Windows 7 is to use Windows Disc Image Burner. On a PC running Windows XP or Windows Vista, a third-party
program is required to convert an ISO file into installable media—and DVD burning software often includes this capability. One option is the USB/DVD
download tool provided by the Microsoft Store. You can also download Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup, which includes tools that allow you to create a DVD or USB flash
drive from an ISO file (Windows Vista or Windows 7 required)."
Source: Windows 8 Consumer Preview ISO images