vista ultimate help

Reo · Jan 28, 2009

i just got vista ultimat 64bit for my lab top but its unable to finish installation (from a clean slate completely formated). it freezes on the last step where its completeing. i have done every thing i can think of. check the memmory, hard drive, bios changes. but it never continues.

my labtop has
Processor:Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU T8300 @ 2.40GHz (2 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
Memory:2046MB RAM
Hard Drive:306 GB
Video Card:NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT

if any one can help, it would be greatly apreaciated.

PainlessTorture · Jan 28, 2009

Have you tried to use another installation disk? Or use that disk on another machine?

Reo · Jan 28, 2009

i have no other machine till i get my second one fixed. as for the disks all i have is the ultimate and home eddition both of them freeze on the same step. wsih i didn't have to do this but my hard drive had to be reformated deu to some virus or bug that corrupted all my system files

AstaLaVista · Jan 28, 2009

This is really a shoot in the dark but... have you tried resetting your Bios to Default and installing Vista after doing so?

Why would that make a difference? I don't know but I think that at this juncture, it may be worth a try. :confused:

Reo · Jan 28, 2009

Ok that's one thing I know nothing about I never work or messed with bios that may be the problem but idk how. Could any one tell me how?

sygnus21 · Jan 28, 2009

Reo said:
Ok that's one thing I know nothing about I never work or messed with bios that may be the problem but idk how. Could any one tell me how?

Since you've never messed with a BIOS before, It would be hard for someone to explain the BIOS settings you should be looking for because different BIOS’ use different terminology, and without knowing what kind of laptop you have, the BIOS it's using, or it's settings, this could turn out to be frustrating and dangerous. Understand that different machines use different BIOS’, even within the same company/manufacturer.

Also, once you enter the BIOS, you won't have access to the Windows desktop until you exit. A wrong setting and you may never get into the computer again without a major BIOS reset, and that creates a whole new set of problems which could be costly.

In this instance you would be better served by having someone who is knowledgeable about BIOS settings physically look at the machine and do checks for you.

It's your decision though.

Good luck

PS - and for what its worth, I don't think you need to enter the BIOS for your problem anyway.

Have you tried installing Vista without having it download updates. Turn that part off during the install process. And...do you require any additional drivers like RAID or SATA?

Reo · Jan 28, 2009

Don't know if this helps but I explored bios not changing a thing
The bios version is 060.084.070.000.008.000 on a dell XPS M1730

As for RAID and SATA I found sata operations area and it has raid set to autodetect/ahci.

Don't know if this help dell don't k ow what is going on and there no help

lordbob75 · Jan 28, 2009

Dell customer service is worse than s***. Every review always says that. Plus you always get some Indian (no offence) guy who has no idea what the hell he is talking about, he just reads a script. It pisses me off...

Anyways, I agree with Sygnus, BIOS is unnecessary at this point.

So, your install freezes at the last step. How long have you let it sit? 10 mins doesn't count as freezing, but all night does.

Try this, get on another computer, and DL and burn Ubuntu or Fedora (linux OS) to a disk and boot from that. This does not require an install, and is simple to get to. If that can boot up just fine, there should be a "Install to HDD" on the desktop. Click on that, and let it install. If it can install, then it may indeed be a problem with the Vista disk. You should be able to get a replacement from the retailer you bought it from.

~Lordbob

Reo · Jan 28, 2009

I let it sit over night and then on to work got back still same spot no change

While stupid dell say to contact microsoft

While I'm not able to get another disk cause it's my friends disk and it works fi e for him my only other os disks got destroyed and still waiting on replacement ones.

lordbob75 · Jan 28, 2009

Interesting. Definately try the Linux disk.

~Lordbob

sygnus21 · Jan 29, 2009

Reo said:
Don't know if this helps but I explored bios not changing a thing
The bios version is 060.084.070.000.008.000 on a dell XPS M1730

As for RAID and SATA I found sata operations area and it has raid set to autodetect/ahci.

Don't know if this help dell don't k ow what is going on and there no help

That BIOS version tells me nothing other then the version number.

As for the RAID/SATA if it's set to "autodetect/ahci" try this - when installing Vista and it asks if you need to install drivers by pressing F6, Press F6 and when then OS asks for the drivers on the floppy, pop in the floppy and follow the Vista's instructions, that should install the RAID or AHCI drivers. Once that's done, let windows do it's installation, and if the RAID/AHCI drivers were the problem, then Windows should complete the installation.

Be aware that you may have to install both the RAID and AHCI drivers as these are usually two different drivers. If you have both, install the AHCI drivers first, then the RAID drivers. I seriously doubt you'll need the RAID drivers as I doubt you're running RAID. But try installing both anyway. If you can't install the RAID drivers, don't worry about it. And If Windows balks about already having the AHCI drivers installed, tell it to use the ones from the floppy.

If you don't have the RAID/AHCI drivers, you'll need to find them and install them on a floppy, or USB if your system allows it. You'll also need to know which RAID/AHCI drivers to use. That's where your manual, or tech support comes in.

I can't say this will work, it may not; Vista will usually install without the manufacturer's AHCI drivers and it has its own generic set...but you never know.

Good luck

lordbob75 · Jan 29, 2009

sygnus21 said:
Reo said:

Don't know if this helps but I explored bios not changing a thing
The bios version is 060.084.070.000.008.000 on a dell XPS M1730

As for RAID and SATA I found sata operations area and it has raid set to autodetect/ahci.

Don't know if this help dell don't k ow what is going on and there no help

Click to expand...

That BIOS version tells me nothing other then the version number.

As for the RAID/SATA if it's set to "autodetect/ahci" try this - when installing Vista and it asks if you need to install drivers by pressing F6, Press F6 and when then OS asks for the drivers on the floppy, pop in the floppy and follow the Vista's instructions, that should install the RAID or AHCI drivers. Once that's done, let windows do it's installation, and if the RAID/AHCI drivers were the problem, then Windows should complete the installation.

Be aware that you may have to install both the RAID and AHCI drivers as these are usually two different drivers. If you have both, install the AHCI drivers first, then the RAID drivers. I seriously doubt you'll need the RAID drivers as I doubt you're running RAID. But try installing both anyway. If you can't install the RAID drivers, don't worry about it. And If Windows balks about already having the AHCI drivers installed, tell it to use the ones from the floppy.

If you don't have the RAID/AHCI drivers, you'll need to find them and install them on a floppy, or USB if your system allows it. You'll also need to know which RAID/AHCI drivers to use. That's where your manual, or tech support comes in.

I can't say this will work, it may not; Vista will usually install without the manufacturer's AHCI drivers and it has its own generic set...but you never know.

Good luck

I recall Vista having issues when trying to install on a RAID drive system... Did that ever get resolved?

~Lordbob

sygnus21 · Jan 29, 2009

lordbob75 said:
I recall Vista having issues when trying to install on a RAID drive system... Did that ever get resolved?

~Lordbob

I had a RAID 0 setup on pre-SP1 Vista 32 and it worked just fine. Don't have it setup anymore as my Marvel controller on my intel MB bites. But that's a different story for a different time. But yes, there are may user of Vista/Vista x64 using RAID setups with no problems.

Reo · Jan 29, 2009

Ok the problem is now fixed turns out thenproblem was with the raid being on the worng setting. I was lucky enuff to find a dell rep that KNEW what they were talking about and fixed it with in 30 min.

I find it funny I went to microsoft for answers and called dell like five times ( before the one that was great) non said any thing about Bios or any thing in it.

Case solved.

Lock if needed.

sygnus21 · Jan 30, 2009

Happy to hear you got it resolved.

Later.

lordbob75 · Jan 30, 2009

Yeah, for once a tech rep knew what he was talking about.... :s

~Lordbob

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