Vista - Can't install Vista 64bit on new machine

I have been trying to install Vista for days now on my new gaming machine but it just won't work. I have a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R Rev 2.1 mobo, Gigabyte 8800GT graphics card, 2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB drives in RAID 0 and 4GB of TEAM Xtreem Dark PC2-6400 CL4 ram. I have been into the BIOS and enabled RAID and setup a RAID array in RAID BIOS. I have also downloaded the correct RAID driver from the Gigabyte website and I load it when windows prompts me.

Here is what's happening.

Everything good during windows install until it gets to completing installation part. Computer restarts as it says and then continues to install windows. Screen goes black and I lose power to mouse, keyboard and all usb ports. Any ideas?

If it is my RAID array being incorrectly setup what would it be that I have done wrong? The BIOS seems very simple so I don't quite know how I would have made a mistake. The only thing I can think of is the stripe size part which I left at 128KB.

I have 4GB of ram in 4x1GB sticks which came in pairs. I put one pair in one colour slot and the other pair in the other colour slot. Could this be an issue? I haven't done anything with the ram in the BIOS.

In the BIOS do I need SATA AHCI Mode enabled? It's currently disabled.

I put my drives in the yellow SATAII0 and SATAII1 ports and my cd drive in the SATAII2 port. Is this correct?

I'm fresh out of ideas guys, please help.

The thing I keep seeing all over this forum is when you have 4x1GB of ram remove two of them and try again. Once you're set up and running with all downloaded patches and SP1 put your ram back in.

I hope this helps

I tried remiving 2GB of ram and the same thing happened. Any other suggestions?

Try the tutorial on installing with Raid and see what happens. I remember reading about disabling AHCI but I can't remember.

Raid Install

I think booting from a RAID 0 is a mistake, especially when not using RAID Enhanced drives.
The only gain you achieve is 30% better bootup time, whoopee that's 15 seconds.
Applications will not be helped because hopefully programs will be superfetched into your ample memory.
On the downside, you've created an unstable array where a single error will cause you to lose all data, vista included.
If you install vista on 1 hard-drive, and game on the other, will still give you a speedup without instability
of course this may not be your problem..
good luck mate!

Well, I hate to disagree with you on that, but I gotta. Increased Read/Write Speeds create a faster environment. Doesn't matter what it is.
DOS, Linux, 95,98,XP, or Vista. The OS can't prefetch or superfetch everything. If all your programs and Data are on a pair 10,000 rpm raptors in a Raid 0 array, (especially if you are a gamer) will make the OS run better than a Single Drive, in any circumstances. It's been a proven technology since hard drives have been around. Also if you load Vista onto a SSD HDD you'll notice somewhere around a 30% increase all around. I can't even imagine what kind of speeds you would see out of a Raid 0 SSD array. Hell, it may even make this mess of an OS worth usin'.
The only thing a RAID 0 array brings is tears when it goes down on you and you didn't make that back up set you've been meaning to do for months.

You also need to make sure the ram you have is good. Try just one stick if you hafta.

Also, shoot an email to the mobo manufacturer and make sure this board is 100% vista 64 capable.

Bios is completely updated
Set the bios to the safe setting not optimal or turbo
Use the built in video
Turn off all built in hardware like unused ports, sound, etc...
Remove all expansion cards except the video card (unless you have built in video) that includes any network cards, sound cards.
Remember all you need is Proc. Ram. and Video to make it work!

The only other suggestion I could possibly hang my hat on is install XP and upgrade from there. That's it, I'm all outta suggestions

I have it all working now thanks to the RAID tutorial. Thanks for the help guys.

What were ya doin wrong?

I am having a similar problem to nud funter, same set up GA-P35-DS3R Rev 2.1, Asus8800GT, 2x 160GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10, but my prob is I got the raid setup alright (RAID0) but when I go to install Vista x64, The preinstall drivers form the gigabyte site dont work? any ideas?

NOTE: bios ver: F3, and only got 2GB ram TWIN2X4096-8500C5D.