"Windows is unable to find a system volume that meets its criteriafor installing"

C

Chris Barnes

Installing Vista Enterprise (32bit) on a brand new Dell Optiplex 755.

Wiped out the existing partitions (because I hate all the crapola that
comes with new machines) and always insist on doing a fresh install.

Booted from my Vista disk and it appears that all is well. I highlight
the drive (only 1 with only 1 partition) and click on the Install button

Get the message in the subject line. Am totally stuck and don't have a
clue what to do next
 
R

Richard Urban

I have run across this also.

Using the Vista installer, delete the existing partition. Then create a new
partition. Then format the partition. The newly created partition will be
usable.

You use the advanced options in the installer to do this.
 
C

Curious

Did you make sure that you created the new partition as an active partition
so that it could contain an OS?
 
D

Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

Hello,
I am pretty sure it is an active partition issue.
There can be other causes but I have seen this with Dell machines if you
boot right from the DVD into setup.
Here is what can happen to cause this error to appear.
The "first" time you boot your "new" OEM machine.( not all OEMs do this,
but some do)
You are presented with a page from "Dell" ( since this is a Dell machine)
This is prior to loading any OS. You are actually booting from the hidden
OEM partition, once you click OK or accept, a script runs that changes the
Active partition from the Hidden OEM partition to the first primary
partition that contains the installed OS and you boot Windows for the first
time.
If you boot directly to the Windows Vista DVD, you never run that script to
change the Active Partition, so the OS tries to install the boot files to
the hidden OEM partition and fails on the reboot.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
| >Reply-To: "Curious" <<[email protected]>>
| >From: "Curious" <<[email protected]>>
| >References: <[email protected]>
| >In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
| >Subject: Re: "Windows is unable to find a system volume that meets its
criteria for installing"
| >Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:09:57 -0700
| >Lines: 22
| >Message-ID: <[email protected]>
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| >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
| >Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
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microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup:45213
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| >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.installation_setup
| >
| >Did you make sure that you created the new partition as an active
partition
| >so that it could contain an OS?
| >| >> Installing Vista Enterprise (32bit) on a brand new Dell Optiplex 755.
| >>
| >> Wiped out the existing partitions (because I hate all the crapola that
| >> comes with new machines) and always insist on doing a fresh install.
| >>
| >> Booted from my Vista disk and it appears that all is well. I
highlight
| >> the drive (only 1 with only 1 partition) and click on the Install
button
| >>
| >> Get the message in the subject line. Am totally stuck and don't have
a
| >> clue what to do next
| >>
| >>
| >> --
| >>
| >> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
| >> Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
| >> (e-mail address removed) Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
| >
| >
 

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