Install Vista Problem

Attempting to install Vista on a reapired computer and Vista CD is not
booting. BIOS says there is a SATA drive there.

PCTools diagnostics goes through the following routine:

Loading smartdrv.exe
Insufficient XMS memory to load smartdrv.

Autoexec: Setting up Ramdisk

XMS get free mem error
Autoexec Aborted
Press any key to continue..

Nothing happens when any key is pressed.

I have swapped hard disks but same symptoms.

Any ideas where to go from here?

Thanks

You will have to go into the computer bios and check that your computer is
set to boot from a DVD/CD first and the hard drive second.

Many computer are set from the factory to boot first from the hard drive and
second from a DVD/CD.

Look in the boot options section of the bios. If necessary make any changes.
Then choose save the changes and exit the bios.

If you do not have to make any changes, or feel uncomfortable with what you
may have done choose exit, without saving the changes.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Bill" <> wrote in message
news:BE2DE326-0EB9-439F-AC5B-...
> Attempting to install Vista on a reapired computer and Vista CD is not
> booting. BIOS says there is a SATA drive there.
>
> PCTools diagnostics goes through the following routine:
>
> Loading smartdrv.exe
> Insufficient XMS memory to load smartdrv.
>
> Autoexec: Setting up Ramdisk
>
> XMS get free mem error
> Autoexec Aborted
> Press any key to continue..
>
> Nothing happens when any key is pressed.
>
> I have swapped hard disks but same symptoms.
>
> Any ideas where to go from here?
>
> Thanks

Yes, it is set to boot from CD for first two options - then hard disk.

More complicated than that sadly ...





"Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
news:uJQ8xzN%...
> You will have to go into the computer bios and check that your computer is
> set to boot from a DVD/CD first and the hard drive second.
>
> Many computer are set from the factory to boot first from the hard drive
> and second from a DVD/CD.
>
> Look in the boot options section of the bios. If necessary make any
> changes. Then choose save the changes and exit the bios.
>
> If you do not have to make any changes, or feel uncomfortable with what
> you may have done choose exit, without saving the changes.
>
> --
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>
> "Bill" <> wrote in message
> news:BE2DE326-0EB9-439F-AC5B-...
>> Attempting to install Vista on a reapired computer and Vista CD is not
>> booting. BIOS says there is a SATA drive there.
>>
>> PCTools diagnostics goes through the following routine:
>>
>> Loading smartdrv.exe
>> Insufficient XMS memory to load smartdrv.
>>
>> Autoexec: Setting up Ramdisk
>>
>> XMS get free mem error
>> Autoexec Aborted
>> Press any key to continue..
>>
>> Nothing happens when any key is pressed.
>>
>> I have swapped hard disks but same symptoms.
>>
>> Any ideas where to go from here?
>>
>> Thanks
>

Bill wrote:
> Attempting to install Vista on a reapired computer and Vista CD is not
> booting. BIOS says there is a SATA drive there.
>
> PCTools diagnostics goes through the following routine:
>
> Loading smartdrv.exe
> Insufficient XMS memory to load smartdrv.
>
> Autoexec: Setting up Ramdisk
>
> XMS get free mem error
> Autoexec Aborted
> Press any key to continue..
>
> Nothing happens when any key is pressed.
>
> I have swapped hard disks but same symptoms.
>
> Any ideas where to go from here?
>
> Thanks

Have you tried another boot disc? Another OS maybe (just to see if it
has the same problems the vista Disc had)?

Google memtest, download and burn their free ISO file to make a boot CD
and let it run for hours to thoroughly test your memory.

Post back with the results.

--
"Software is like sex, it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

DRM and unintended consequences:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/se...35&tag=nl.e101