Vista RC1 installation hangs at first boot

I'm trying to create a dual boot system with XP and Vista RC1. An 80GB HD was
added to the system for Vista. After entering the product key and selecting
the partition where Vista should be installed, the installer starts with
'Copying Files...' and 'Expanding Files...'. A few percent into the
'Expanding Files...', the system re-boots. At some point in the boot the
vertical green bars moving from left to right appear. Then suddenly the
system freezes and requires a reset.
I've tried installing from physical DVD and virtual DVD. Also removed the XP
HD and tried to boot/install from DVD. Same results.
The Upgrade Advisor did not detect any problem with the system.

Has anyone had the same problem and find a solution?

Thanks, Han

I am having the exact same problem.

Firstly I have once before managed to install Vista this is the setup I was
using.

Primary Master: 30Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)
Primary Slave: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD

So I formatted the Seagate HDD to NTFS from withing XP and did the Vista
install onto that drive from within XP using a burned DVD, it all worked fine
and I had no problems it loaded Vista and I used it for 2 days.

Then I decided that I need more space for XP so I decided to format the
Seagate drive, I then changed my setup to this.

Primary Master: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD
Primary Slave: 30 Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)

I installed a fresh copy of XP Pro SP2 onto the Seagate HDD with no
problems, formatted my Western Digital HDD to NTFS from within XP and tried
installing Vista from within XP to the Western Digital HDD. It got to the
Expanding Files (27%) rebooted and continued Expanding Files up until 31%
where it froze, I couldnt move the mouse and my HDD activity indicator light
stayed on without flickering as it usually does.

I left it overnight and it was still at the same point the next day so I had
to reboot upon which it reverts back to XP telling me the Vista install
failed.

I have tried this same process with the burned DVD 5 times now and it does
this same freeze on Expanding Files at 31%, 32%, 68%, 33% etc...

I have also tried installing using daemon tools virtual drive and putting a
fresh new ISO download of Vista but again it gets to this point and freezes.

My only guess is it is struggling with the Western Digital HDD, I dont think
it needs drivers because it is a basic IDE HDD.

Any ideas what is going wrong? Any one else suffering the same fate?

Thanks,
Dav



"Han" wrote:

> I'm trying to create a dual boot system with XP and Vista RC1. An 80GB HD was
> added to the system for Vista. After entering the product key and selecting
> the partition where Vista should be installed, the installer starts with
> 'Copying Files...' and 'Expanding Files...'. A few percent into the
> 'Expanding Files...', the system re-boots. At some point in the boot the
> vertical green bars moving from left to right appear. Then suddenly the
> system freezes and requires a reset.
> I've tried installing from physical DVD and virtual DVD. Also removed the XP
> HD and tried to boot/install from DVD. Same results.
> The Upgrade Advisor did not detect any problem with the system.
>
> Has anyone had the same problem and find a solution?
>
> Thanks, Han

I am having the exact same problem.

Firstly I have once before managed to install Vista this is the setup I was
using.

Primary Master: 30Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)
Primary Slave: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD

So I formatted the Seagate HDD to NTFS from withing XP and did the Vista
install onto that drive from within XP using a burned DVD, it all worked fine
and I had no problems it loaded Vista and I used it for 2 days.

Then I decided that I need more space for XP so I decided to format the
Seagate drive, I then changed my setup to this.

Primary Master: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD
Primary Slave: 30 Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)

I installed a fresh copy of XP Pro SP2 onto the Seagate HDD with no
problems, formatted my Western Digital HDD to NTFS from within XP and tried
installing Vista from within XP to the Western Digital HDD. It got to the
Expanding Files (27%) rebooted and continued Expanding Files up until 31%
where it froze, I couldnt move the mouse and my HDD activity indicator light
stayed on without flickering as it usually does.

I left it overnight and it was still at the same point the next day so I had
to reboot upon which it reverts back to XP telling me the Vista install
failed.

I have tried this same process with the burned DVD 5 times now and it does
this same freeze on Expanding Files at 31%, 32%, 68%, 33% etc...

I have also tried installing using daemon tools virtual drive and putting a
fresh new ISO download of Vista but again it gets to this point and freezes.

My only guess is it is struggling with the Western Digital HDD, I dont think
it needs drivers because it is a basic IDE HDD.

Any ideas what is going wrong? Any one else suffering the same fate?

Thanks,
Dav



"Han" wrote:

> I'm trying to create a dual boot system with XP and Vista RC1. An 80GB HD was
> added to the system for Vista. After entering the product key and selecting
> the partition where Vista should be installed, the installer starts with
> 'Copying Files...' and 'Expanding Files...'. A few percent into the
> 'Expanding Files...', the system re-boots. At some point in the boot the
> vertical green bars moving from left to right appear. Then suddenly the
> system freezes and requires a reset.
> I've tried installing from physical DVD and virtual DVD. Also removed the XP
> HD and tried to boot/install from DVD. Same results.
> The Upgrade Advisor did not detect any problem with the system.
>
> Has anyone had the same problem and find a solution?
>
> Thanks, Han

I am having the exact same problem.

Firstly I have once before managed to install Vista this is the setup I was
using.

Primary Master: 30Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)
Primary Slave: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD

So I formatted the Seagate HDD to NTFS from withing XP and did the Vista
install onto that drive from within XP using a burned DVD, it all worked fine
and I had no problems it loaded Vista and I used it for 2 days.

Then I decided that I need more space for XP so I decided to format the
Seagate drive, I then changed my setup to this.

Primary Master: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD
Primary Slave: 30 Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)

I installed a fresh copy of XP Pro SP2 onto the Seagate HDD with no
problems, formatted my Western Digital HDD to NTFS from within XP and tried
installing Vista from within XP to the Western Digital HDD. It got to the
Expanding Files (27%) rebooted and continued Expanding Files up until 31%
where it froze, I couldnt move the mouse and my HDD activity indicator light
stayed on without flickering as it usually does.

I left it overnight and it was still at the same point the next day so I had
to reboot upon which it reverts back to XP telling me the Vista install
failed.

I have tried this same process with the burned DVD 5 times now and it does
this same freeze on Expanding Files at 31%, 32%, 68%, 33% etc...

I have also tried installing using daemon tools virtual drive and putting a
fresh new ISO download of Vista but again it gets to this point and freezes.

My only guess is it is struggling with the Western Digital HDD, I dont think
it needs drivers because it is a basic IDE HDD.

Any ideas what is going wrong? Any one else suffering the same fate?

Thanks,
Dav

I am having the exact same problem.

Firstly I have once before managed to install Vista this is the setup I was
using.

Primary Master: 30Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)
Primary Slave: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD

So I formatted the Seagate HDD to NTFS from withing XP and did the Vista
install onto that drive from within XP using a burned DVD, it all worked fine
and I had no problems it loaded Vista and I used it for 2 days.

Then I decided that I need more space for XP so I decided to format the
Seagate drive, I then changed my setup to this.

Primary Master: 250 Gb Seagate IDE HDD
Primary Slave: 30 Gb Western Digital IDE HDD (Current OS: Windows XP Pro)

I installed a fresh copy of XP Pro SP2 onto the Seagate HDD with no
problems, formatted my Western Digital HDD to NTFS from within XP and tried
installing Vista from within XP to the Western Digital HDD. It got to the
Expanding Files (27%) rebooted and continued Expanding Files up until 31%
where it froze, I couldnt move the mouse and my HDD activity indicator light
stayed on without flickering as it usually does.

I left it overnight and it was still at the same point the next day so I had
to reboot upon which it reverts back to XP telling me the Vista install
failed.

I have tried this same process with the burned DVD 5 times now and it does
this same freeze on Expanding Files at 31%, 32%, 68%, 33% etc...

I have also tried installing using daemon tools virtual drive and putting a
fresh new ISO download of Vista but again it gets to this point and freezes.

My only guess is it is struggling with the Western Digital HDD, I dont think
it needs drivers because it is a basic IDE HDD.

Any ideas what is going wrong? Any one else suffering the same fate?

Thanks,
Dav

My problem was on a Maxtor (PATA).
Some other thread mentioned that SiS chipsets could cause problems. As the
system I used contained an (old) SiS chipset, I assumed that was the cause of
the problem and installed on another system whithout any problems.

Han