Vista installation stops after a while

I have been trying to install Vista Ultimate for a few weeks now without
success. My hardware is compatible with Vista (this was confirmed by my
retailer as well). Here's the situation: I am running Windows 2000
Professional right now. I just installed an extra HD (a SATA drive of 400 GB
which I partioned). On one partition I would like to 'clean install' Vista.
So to be sure of the clean install I even disconnected my 2 other EIDE HD
drives. I load the DVD in my DVD reader, shut down the PC, start it again,
make sure in the BIOS that DVD is selected as start up medium. The
installation starts. After a while I need to select the language and few
other settings. INstallation seems to start and then stops with the message
that DVD-drivers are necessary! I would suppose they come with the DVD. So
after searching the web I find some articles which recommend to install a new
DVD reader as mine was indeed already 6 years old. So I bought a new one,
installed it and... same problem.
Then I tried to install VISTA after Windows 2000 is started up. Here the
installation goes few steps further. I can select the HD on which I want to
install, VISTA even searches the web for updates which are downloaded. Then
files are being read for 100% but hten the extraction starts and... stops at
27%... everytime. Message I get: Cannot boot to next Phase of the
installation.
I also tried to make an ISO image and run Daemon. Same problem.
I also tried to do a flat installation by really copying all files from DVD
on my HD... same problem.
I guess I tried everything I found on the web... but nothing seems to solve
my problem.
Is there someone who can help me please.
Hardware:
- ASUS motherboard 8SN SLI
- 3500 Athlon processor
- Graphics card is also compatible
- 1 MB RAM memory

Thanks for helping me out.

paco wrote:
> ...I am running Windows 2000
> Professional right now. I just installed an extra HD (a SATA drive of 400 GB
> which I partitioned). On one partition I would like to 'clean install' Vista.
> So to be sure of the clean install I even disconnected my 2 other EIDE HD
> drives. ...

If you tried installing from Win2K does that mean you reconnected those
other drives?

> I can select the HD on which I want to
> install, VISTA even searches the web for updates which are downloaded. Then
> files are being read for 100% but hten the extraction starts and... stops at
> 27%... everytime. Message I get: Cannot boot to next Phase of the
> installation...

I've seen other posters say they have trouble with SATA drivers for
Vista, but I have no experience myself. If you boot Win2K, can you
see and access the new Vista partition on the SATA drive? That would
tell you the SATA drivers on the install DVD are working, at least.

BTW, did you format the Vista partition from Win2K? You should let
the Vista installer format its own partition in any case -- that's
important.

Hi Don,

Yes, when I start from Win2K, the other drives were indeed reconnected.
And yes, the formatting was done in Win2K by means of the harddisk
management. Thanks for your advise here, I will immediately try to install
Vista again. However starting from the DVD does not give me the option to
choose the partition yet. Using the flat installation did (I guess). I am
gonna try this and will let you know whether this helped or not.

"Don" wrote:

> paco wrote:
> > ...I am running Windows 2000
> > Professional right now. I just installed an extra HD (a SATA drive of 400 GB
> > which I partitioned). On one partition I would like to 'clean install' Vista.
> > So to be sure of the clean install I even disconnected my 2 other EIDE HD
> > drives. ...
>
> If you tried installing from Win2K does that mean you reconnected those
> other drives?
>
> > I can select the HD on which I want to
> > install, VISTA even searches the web for updates which are downloaded. Then
> > files are being read for 100% but hten the extraction starts and... stops at
> > 27%... everytime. Message I get: Cannot boot to next Phase of the
> > installation...
>
> I've seen other posters say they have trouble with SATA drivers for
> Vista, but I have no experience myself. If you boot Win2K, can you
> see and access the new Vista partition on the SATA drive? That would
> tell you the SATA drivers on the install DVD are working, at least.
>
> BTW, did you format the Vista partition from Win2K? You should let
> the Vista installer format its own partition in any case -- that's
> important.
>

I had to reformat back to basic XP and the Vista installed without a hitch.

Don,
I just tried to follow your tips.
I disconnected my two EIDE drives so only the SATA drive is attached and of
course my DVD reader. After restart the system boots from the DVD, the
installer starts... but after a while I am getting the same message that it
needs drivers for DVD or whatever. So I even don't get to choose yet whether
I want to repartition and format my drives.
I tried the same thing by doing a flat installation after W2K is started up.
So only 1 EIDE HD is connected together with the SATA drive. Here I get to
choose at certain point in time which harddrive I want to install on.
However, choosing to reformat asks me to put restart and use the DVD... and
this simply doesn't seem to work.
I also tried (after disconnecting my slave EIDE HD and my SATA HD) to
install from DVD on my HD where W2K is installed (of course on another
partition). I amgetting the same problem and the system is asking for drivers.
Seems to be a neverending story. WOuld it help if I disconnect ALL drives
except for the SATA drive and also disconnect ALL other hardware which is
installed and thus just starting with my motherboard, my DVD and SATA as if
it were a new PC???

"Don" wrote:

> paco wrote:
> > ...I am running Windows 2000
> > Professional right now. I just installed an extra HD (a SATA drive of 400 GB
> > which I partitioned). On one partition I would like to 'clean install' Vista.
> > So to be sure of the clean install I even disconnected my 2 other EIDE HD
> > drives. ...
>
> If you tried installing from Win2K does that mean you reconnected those
> other drives?
>
> > I can select the HD on which I want to
> > install, VISTA even searches the web for updates which are downloaded. Then
> > files are being read for 100% but hten the extraction starts and... stops at
> > 27%... everytime. Message I get: Cannot boot to next Phase of the
> > installation...
>
> I've seen other posters say they have trouble with SATA drivers for
> Vista, but I have no experience myself. If you boot Win2K, can you
> see and access the new Vista partition on the SATA drive? That would
> tell you the SATA drivers on the install DVD are working, at least.
>
> BTW, did you format the Vista partition from Win2K? You should let
> the Vista installer format its own partition in any case -- that's
> important.
>

paco wrote:
> Don,
> I just tried to follow your tips.
> I disconnected my two EIDE drives so only the SATA drive is attached and of
> course my DVD reader. After restart the system boots from the DVD, the
> installer starts... but after a while I am getting the same message that it
> needs drivers for DVD or whatever.

Can you give more detail about what the installer is asking for? It
might make a difference, but I don't know.

> I also tried (after disconnecting my slave EIDE HD and my SATA HD) to
> install from DVD on my HD where W2K is installed (of course on another
> partition). I amgetting the same problem and the system is asking for drivers.

Unplugging the SATA disk would not remove the SATA controller, of
course, and it's the controller which needs drivers, not the disk.
Under these conditions, which drivers is it asking for? Sounds like
it wants the SATA drivers. You could test this by disabling the SATA
controller in the BIOS (or unplugging the SATA card).

Don,

system is asking me for CD/DVD, USB drivers. It does not talk about SATA. I
would suppose those drivers come with W2K or Vista on the disk itself because
they are standard Microsoft drivers. When the system is asking for those
drivers I need to insert a CD or USB stick including the drivers. I tried to
put the drivers on a stick and then restart, but I get the same problem.
Selecting in the end the USB stick on which the drivers are saved, does not
solve the problem.
Disconnecting the SATA driver through the BIOS is something I have not tried
yet since it is still my goal to install Vista on the SATA HD. I am not using
a separate card for this as these SATA connections are part of my motherboar
(ASUS A8N SLI).

"Don" wrote:

> paco wrote:
> > Don,
> > I just tried to follow your tips.
> > I disconnected my two EIDE drives so only the SATA drive is attached and of
> > course my DVD reader. After restart the system boots from the DVD, the
> > installer starts... but after a while I am getting the same message that it
> > needs drivers for DVD or whatever.
>
> Can you give more detail about what the installer is asking for? It
> might make a difference, but I don't know.
>
> > I also tried (after disconnecting my slave EIDE HD and my SATA HD) to
> > install from DVD on my HD where W2K is installed (of course on another
> > partition). I amgetting the same problem and the system is asking for drivers.
>
> Unplugging the SATA disk would not remove the SATA controller, of
> course, and it's the controller which needs drivers, not the disk.
> Under these conditions, which drivers is it asking for? Sounds like
> it wants the SATA drivers. You could test this by disabling the SATA
> controller in the BIOS (or unplugging the SATA card).
>