Vista Installation Nightmares

[sasbif]

Hi all

This is my first post to s MSFT Community and it is driven by sheer
helplessness.

Like three weeks ago I build myself a new PC and bought Vista 32bit Home
Premium along with the components.

So, after assembling the system and RAM check (I used the Memory Test
available via the Vista DVD) and crossed my fingers and installed Vista.
Everything worked as it should.

One week ago I wanted to check out a little piece of software called Witty,
a .NET 3.5 app for Twitter. Running the setuo file it reminded me to install
..NET 3.5. Piece o' cake, I thought. Downloaded the installer, ran it. Error.
Searched the web, found a couple of "solutions", none worked. Then there was
a post by a MVP (sorry, my bookmarks died, forgot to back them up...) telling
a user with the same problem to reinstall Vista. OK, let's try that.

Popped in the Vista DVD, told it to format and install anew. Here the
odditied started.

First of all, after running the Hardware Assessment, the PC would reboot ot
of the blue. Next startup of Vista, it told me to set up a user account, what
I did, and asked me for the name of the PC. So far, so good.

Vista proudly told me it was ready and started. Kind of, at least. It would
reboot. And ask my about user account and PC name again. And rebooted, after
saying Update 3 of 3 was installed. Then, again, Update 3 of 3, 100%, reboot.
And so on, in a loop.

Got that fixed by deleting the pending.xml file in \windows\winsxs. Finally,
my desktop. Installed Firefox, Thunderbird and a few other small tools. Cool,
seems to work.

Nope. It would not install updates, stating an error code of 8007000b.
Running fsutil wouldn't help, chkdsk'ed twice, ... Nothing.

OK, I thought, let's try that whole shebang again. Popped in Vista DVD,
formatted the drive via diskpart, installed. Hmm.

Vista again does the thing to ask me twice, interrupted by a reboot, for
user account data and PC name. This time, it would not want to install any
updates, it just says "Shutting down" and reboots. And reboots, and reboots,
....

Here's the hardware I am using:

AMD 4850e
Gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-DS2H (IGB, so no extra graphic card)
1GBx2 Kingston DDR2-667
Samsung F1 1TB (not the eco version)
Teac 'forgot the model number' DVD drive

The hell... BTW, a test install of OpenSuse 10 went fine, as XP Pro does.
And wtf, Vista did, too - at least once.

I have asboluty no idea what I could be doing wrong or what I could be
missing.

Maybe some of you know the trick?

 

[John Barnes]

Also, what size partition are you setting up, and I would suggest where you
tell it where to install Vista, that you go to advanced and delete any
partitions and create a new partition and format there (it does only a quick
format) and remember that Vista uses a slightly different version of NTFS so
doing the partition with a product not compatible with Vista can cause
problems.

 

[sasbif]

ok slow down, just to make sure I understand what you are saying.
Sorry, maybe a was a bit upset yesterday...

1. install from a OEM dvd not a restore from a factory image correct. Correct.


2. format hard drive so the install is fresh.

Did that using dispkart.

3. I've installed vista bunch of times, I've never seen the whole
installing update of 1,2,3 etc. The only time that happens is when
windows update reboots the system. Since you built the system yourself,
in XP run the assessment tool to see if all the components are
compatible with Vista.

Oh, forgot to mention that. Yes, they are.

4. Is your install dvd sp1 built in? or the original vista build.

That is a DVD with SP1 built in.

Regards
Sascha

 

[sasbif]

Normal Vista setup. Once you are at the User setup screen the computer

takes you right into your desktop and you can start using the computer,
the whole update of 1,2,3 happening after you completing the user setup
is very strange, is your DVD a copy like burned or an original, one
messed up file on a burned dvd/cd is enough to wreck a lot of things in
a installation, if its burned try burning another copy and try it out,
that happened to me with installing windows xp.

Well, I bought the DVD at the local computer store and it looky verys much
like it would be original.

Regards
Sascha

 

[sasbif]

Also, what size partition are you setting up, and I would suggest where you

tell it where to install Vista, that you go to advanced and delete any
partitions and create a new partition and format there (it does only a quick
format) and remember that Vista uses a slightly different version of NTFS so
doing the partition with a product not compatible with Vista can cause
problems.

In my first attempt, I formatted the whole drive and thus created a 993GB
partition.
In my second attempt I used a partition size of approx 40GB. All formatting
was done via diskpart.

But nevertheless: I was thinking about using Acronis Disk Director later on
to create a third partition. I would have split up the 953GB partition into
sth like 100 and 853. Could that be a problem? Again, I did not already do
that, it is just a future plan - once the system is actually running

Regards
Sascha

 

[sasbif]

Then, again, Update 3 of 3, 100%, reboot.

At the start of the vista install process you should see a tick box
"allow windows to go online to check for updates" or something similar.
Yo may want to un-check this option get the install to complete then you
can control the update process manually. It looks as if there is a
problem with at least one update

Hmm, didn't see that. Anyway, since this machine is connected to the LAN via
Wifi, it does not have a working network connection until I would install the
drivers - which is only possible AFTER a successful installation.

Regards,
Sascha

 

[Kerry Brown]

You said you created the partitions with diskpart, why? Try removing all
drives and devices not needed for the installation. If possible only have
one blank hard drive (use a utility to overwrite track zero) and a DVD
drive. During the Vista install create one partition to install Vista on.
This partition needn't be the full size of the disk but it does need to be
big enough for Vista. You can create other partitions or add other drives
after Vista is installed. This will eliminate any possible problems with
incompatible file systems. You want to try to get the system as simple as
possible for the install to eliminate as many variables as possible. If this
isn't possible then create some unallocated free space on the drive. During
the Vista install partition this free space and install Vista in the newly
created partition. The key is to let Vista create and format it's own
partition during the install.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
http://vistahelpca.blogspot.com/

 

[sasbif]

@Kerry and darvesh - thank you.

I will try that - the only additional piece of hardware left is my second
TFT. You can never know

About the partitioning: wilco.
About the update stuff: wilco.

I guess I will be able to do that this evening and will report back asap.

 

[sasbif]

I guess I will be able to do that this evening and will report back asap.

Done as described, no change... Cr*p.

 

[sasbif]

Kerry, thank you. You gave the hint I needed Right now I am sitting in
front of a working Vista

diskpart did the trick: I had to run the "clean" command.

Now, let's see if updates and the .NET 3.5 install work.

Thank you all for helping me out, you are great!

 

[sasbif]

Now, let's see if updates and the .NET 3.5 install work.

Holy moly...

It worked.

I... am... flattered...

Again, thank you so much!

 

[Kerry Brown]

You're welcome. I find it's always best to let the OS create and format the
installation partition. It doesn't really matter what OS. They all seem to
have less installation problems if they do their own thing with the file
system.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
http://vistahelpca.blogspot.com/

 

[sasbif]

You're welcome. I find it's always best to let the OS create and format the

installation partition. It doesn't really matter what OS. They all seem to
have less installation problems if they do their own thing with the file
system.

Agreed - and that is the point where I fail to understand it. I had the
Vista installer delete all partitions and create a new one before I
additionally tried to format it with diskpart. And that Vista installer
generated filesystem would make little baby Jesus cry, too.

Anyway, I am a happy (and very very cautios) camper - Vista has to make up
for that by being extra reliable for a very long time.