Can't install Vista Business, target's now a "boot nightmare"!

I'm running an Asus P5B MOBO with Dual Core Proc. 2Gb memory. 2 x 80Gb SATA HDDs in RAID (mirror) for the OS and programs, 2 x 400Gb SATA HDDs in RAID (stripe) for files. Initial installation was XP Professional, which works fine.

I tried to install Vista Business as an XP 'upgrade' and after checking compatibility (only a couple of minor issues) I let the Setup go ahead. It passed the first two stages and got 3% into the third (expanding files) when it re-booted and came back up with a BSOD and a STOP error of 0x0000007B, which appears to be a HDD access problem and I believe this is probably a driver issue. I did NOT load any drivers during the install, and was not given the opportunity to do so.

I would obviously like to complete the Vista installation, but not sure at this point what the driver problem is, so help would be appreciated.

I'm also now in a nasty situation where I can re-boot to the previous XP installation, but it's convoluted! There is a point in the boot sequence when there is the opportunity to either continue the Vista install, or boot to the previous XP, but the "menu" 'window' is very small and I have to be a bit fast on my fingers to hit the "up-arrow" key followed by "Enter". I would edit out part of the boot.ini file to just boot XP, until I get the drivers sorted, but everything leads me to need to edit the Vista boot file (now in NVRAM) with bcdedit.exe. Unfortunately I can't because that file/command only works from Vista!!! :angry:

Well done Micro$oft, you've just screwed my machine. :sick:

Does that mean that we can class Vista as "Malware"?

 

I'm not running RAID in any form, but all the Forum traffic I've seen on this and my mobo manufacturer's website have said the same thing -- you have to load the RAID drivers during the early stages of the Vista install.



I had a similar problem with SATA-IDE drivers -- there was no way to load them when I did a Vista install from inside XP. But when I booted from the DVD, it provided a way to press (I think it was) F6, load the Vista SATA-IDE drivers, and then proceed with the install. My best guess is that, unless you can load the RAID drivers, you're hosed!



But then, I did a clean install. Perhaps someone can help you who has done an "upgrade" install.

 

Thanks for that.

The main reasons I'm using RAID is for program integrity, as I had a whole series of Maxtor HDDs that started dying. The other reason is for speed due to the vast bandwidth taken up by video.

Drivers area bit like the SATA driver loading on the Gigabyte 8KNXP which I also have. They've upgraded the BIOS now so the drivers are in, but before you used to have to load from floppy and as you suggest, press f6 at the right time.

There's some stuff on the Intel drivers site which talks about loading from floppy or USB. Since I've found floppies less & less reliable for this purpose, I'll try the USB route with a thumb drive. All I have to do now is to spot an instruction to press f6. Problem now is, what will happen if I try to do another install, whilst part way through the first one? Iguess I really need to get rid of the "boot.ini" (equivalent) file, so Setup doesn't see it.

What really pi***s me off about the whole thing, is that XP works perfectly well and doesn't need drivers specially installing during Setup! :sick:

 

Hi,

You could try this.....

To uninstall Vista:
1) Boot from the Vista DVD.
2) Click "Advanced" on the first prompt, then open a CMD window from the next page.
3) Type


<CODE>cdX:\Boot\
bootsect.exe/nt52all/force
exit</CODE>


Type that exactly aswrotehere.
4) Exit the DVD, and restart.

XP *should* boot.Not tried it myself, butlet us know if it worked