BSOD On Final Steps

[Guest]

I am not sure exactly what is causing the Blue Screen i am getting....i have
read some places that it could be the the use of my 7950 GX2 and trying to
install both cards? i thought maybe it was MY ATI HDTV wonder card...pulled
that out reloaded and got noting but a black screen...put back in attempts to
load and then blue screen just about as it would loook like its going to
start....i am running a Asus P5W DH home deluxe with an Intel core 2 duo
E6600, 2 GB OCZ Ram..XFX Nvidia G-Force 7950GX2 Any ideas would be
awesome....

 

[jabloomf1230]

The built-in nVidia video drivers that come with RC1 do not work with
the 7950 GX2 and the install will go almost to the end and either BSOD
or BSOD on the next reboot. The newer 96.33 video drivers on the nVidia
website do work, but the trick is getting the installation program to
use them instead of the built-in drivers. Although there are workarounds
posted on the Internet to getting the 96.33 set used, I strongly
recommend NOT to try it.

But just in case you are extremely daring... Depending on your hardware,
the RC1 installation will normally reboot one or more times. After the
first reboot, the install program has copied some temporary files to 2
folders on your existing XP partition (assuming you started the Vista
setup program from within XP). After the first reboot, Vista states that
it is expanding files. At this point, it starts to expand compressed
files to the new Vista partition that you stipulated. The trick is to
alt-tab back to XP and copy the 96.33 driver set to the Vista
partition:/windows/system32 folder at the moment after the folder is
created. It's tricky, but it can be done. Then alt-tab back to the Vista
install program and let it continue.

Now, in some cases, Vista will reboot after the file expansion phase.
Then, you can just boot into XP instead, ignore any error messages and
copy the files directly. Then reboot and go back to the Vista setup
option listed in the boot loader. Here's a link with details, but I
strongly recommend that you not try it.

96.33 download:

ftp://download1.nvidia.com/Windows/96.33

Exact installation details:

http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=85252

If you try it, let me know what happens. hardly anyone with a 7950 GX2
has been able to install RC1, although many have tried.

 

[Guest]

jabloom, thanks for the confirmation on the 7950 issue. I would like to play
with the driver tweak. Could you describe the "alt-tab" to switch between a
running os and a os in middle of install?

 

[jabloomf1230]

Again, I repeat, I wouldn't waste my time doing this. I eventually got
RC1 to boot with my 7950 GX2, but it really was not worth all the effort.

Start the Vista installation DVD from Win XP. With a little luck, your
PC will reboot right a 2nd time after the file expansion phase and then
you can use F8 at boot up and go directly to the Win XP partition and
follow the detailed instructions in the link that I provided. If
unfortunately, there's no 2nd reboot after Vista file expansion phase
and you won't know until it's too late, then you have to back out of the
Vista setup, do a whole new installation attempt and try the method B,
the alt-Tab (or F5) approach. The number of installation reboots seems
to differ, depending on hardware and whether you are installing the x64
or x86 versions of RC1.

Since the Vista installation DVD is started under XP, what you need to
do is after the first reboot, let the Vista installation continue. When
you see it say "expanding files", try either alt-Tab (which prolly won't
work) or F5 (which restarts the Win XP desktop). This should stop the
Vista installation temporarily and you will be back at the Win XP
desktop. Open the file explorer and see if the Vista installation has
created the folder <Vista partition drive letter>:/windows/system32. If
not then click on the Vista setup program down on the XP taskbar and
start it running again. Keep alternating hitting F5 and checking for the
folder. Once you see the "magic" folder, then copy the 96.33 files to
<Vista partition drive letter>:/windows/system32 by the same technique
described in the link.

Then let the Vista installation proceed to the end. If Vista boots up
properly, then run the full 96.33 setup program. It's a lot of work and
frustration for little gain. Maybe someone else will come up with a
simpler workaround. One other option (C) is to take your 7950 GX2 out
and replace it temporarily with some other nVidia graphics card. Don't
forget to uninstall the Win XP nVidia driver before switching cards or
your machine may not boot into XP at all. Leave the Win XP setup in
generic VGA mode. Once the Vista installation is up and running. Install
the full 96.33 driver set and then put your 7950 GX2 back and turn the
PC on again. It might work and it might not. That's also way too much
messing around for little gain.

All in all, don't do it. Maybe, someone will slipstream the 96.33 driver
into the Vista RC1 installation DVD, but so far, that hasn't happened.