windows cannot update the boot configuration. vistall install fails

I have been having a major frustration trying to install Vista Ultimate.
After almost an hour the install fails with the message "windows cannot
update the boot configuration", and the install is cancelled.

I tried a clean install to a new partition. i tried upgrading xp. i tried
copying xp to a new hard drive and installing on that. same failure each
time.

What I want to do however is dual boot so I need XP and Vista in the same
drive. XP is already installed and I have 400gb free space.

I found a "fix" to a registry key on the microsoft website,
"Upperfilters=PartMr", but my registry already had this setting therefore
was no help..

I was impressed by what I saw of Vista, but this is by far the most
troublesome
install procedure I have xperienced in 20 years of working in IT

Help please!

Hi Andy,

Sounds like something has the mbr locked, have you checked to see if boot
time protection is disabled in the system BIOS?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"Andy C" <> wrote in message
news:xhJdj.44623$...
>I have been having a major frustration trying to install Vista Ultimate.
> After almost an hour the install fails with the message "windows cannot
> update the boot configuration", and the install is cancelled.
>
> I tried a clean install to a new partition. i tried upgrading xp. i tried
> copying xp to a new hard drive and installing on that. same failure each
> time.
>
> What I want to do however is dual boot so I need XP and Vista in the same
> drive. XP is already installed and I have 400gb free space.
>
> I found a "fix" to a registry key on the microsoft website,
> "Upperfilters=PartMr", but my registry already had this setting therefore
> was no help..
>
> I was impressed by what I saw of Vista, but this is by far the most
> troublesome
> install procedure I have xperienced in 20 years of working in IT
>
> Help please!
>