When you installed the beta you weren't doing an upgrade install.
Why not try the do it twice and put in the product key 2nd time?
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5932
Best let Vista manage the Windows boots - I only know grub,
which a Linux CD can fix after Vista goes in, maybe lilo too?
"Murix Bob" <MurixBob@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:C1BEF081-8415-47D4-B67E-9A138B4E93F4@microsoft.com...
> My motherboard uses the nforce4 chipset and has a SATA built controller that
> allows me to install Win XP on it if I wanted so I know thats not the problem.
> "Adam Albright" wrote:
>> On Fri, 9 Feb 2007 14:21:00 -0800, Murix Bob <Murix
>> Bob@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>> >I downloaded the upgrade advisor and it says my computer is compatiable with
>> >vista. So I installed it on my SATA drive, and when it boots up for the first
>> >time. I get an installation failed error. It only lets me rollback to XP pro.
>> >And in the whole process it screws up my lilo bootloader so I can no longer
>> >boot up in linux. My PC configuration is as follows: Custom Built PC. Abit
>> >KN8 Socket 939 mobo. with an AMD Althon 64bit 3800X2 processor, 1.5GB of
>> >PC3200 RAM, nvidia geforce 7600 GS, DVD burner, and 3 HDDs. Main HDD is
>> >IDE-133 120GB (1 NTFS Partition with XP Pro installed) Secondary is IDE-66
>> >20GB (3 Linux partitions) and my SATA HDD is 300GB with 2 (partitions one
>> >(200GB)is for data and the other is for Vista (100GB)).
>> >Any ideas as to why Vista is acting like a loser? (I was able to use the
>> >beta of Vista on this computer a couple of months ago in nov./ decem.)
>> >
>> There's a lot of anger all over the web concerning Vista and SATA
>> drives. If your MB uses a Intel ICH8R controller or similar they
>> recently released new SATA drivers that run on both XP and Vista.
>> If your MB vendor don't have them yet you can gamble and go to the
>> Intel site and see if you find something appropriate.
>>
>> http://www.intel.com/design/chipsets...sb.htm#benefit
>>
>> To be extra safe change BIOS to IDE mode until Vista is up and
>> running.