If you have a laptop with internal device giving trouble, you can try
disable them from BIOS but that is probably not going to help. Finding the
right log files and submitting bug report just after it has happened is more
likely to help in the long run.. If it's a desktop try disconnecting all
hardware possible, USB devices too and disable all that you can from BIOS.
Here are revised log finding instructions:
Finding setup logs, reporting and attaching logs to report, figuring out
what device or driver causes hangs or crash during setup:
1. google -> beta client (
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=43655)
The first link should be Microsoft link. It needs .NET but I think it will
be installed if you try to run it without it..
2. finding and identifying the correct logs
setupapi.app.log
setupapi.dev.log <<-- last 100 lines here may indicate the hanging driver
These are the primary setup logs, there are others but these are the major.
Hint: Before searching logs try Folder Options and enable viewing of hidden
folders and files. Also try Run diskmgmt.msc -> assign drive letters for
partitions with no drive letters.
A:
There can be multiple logs with the same name, but they are different! First
look at the drive you tried to install Vista to, if it has Vista
Windows\INF\ directory and the mentioned logs files.
B: early setup failure
If you can't find Windows VISTA directory (if setup did not get so far) then
look all volumes/partitions in the drives that were on the machine during
the install for directories starting with $. There are 2-4 of them (possibly
in different partitions) depending on when the setup failed. Search for .log
under all the *:\$WINDOWS
A & B:
Make sure the date and Minute timestamp of the log files are around the time
when the setup failed, sometimes a setup/install failure causes the computer
to automatically reboot and the setup will run again but failing in
different way than the first time (making the bug report less useful). For
best bug report it's better to catch the failure when it first happens. Yes
it means starting the install all over again and keeping eye on it. But this
will guarantee that the last line in the log will be around the time of the
failure. If it is a driver crash then you can figure out the offending
driver yourself just by looking at the last lines of setupapi.dev.log.
You wouldn't want to be looking at or submitting the wrong logs, right?
