Vista - Vista x64 on Dell Vostro 1700 install problem

Hi folks,

I've decided to give Vista a try and I'm attempting to install Vista Ultimate x64, but unfortunately with no success.

I did read the many useful posts on this forum and I've downloaded the required drivers. But I seem to be stuck at the very beginning, with the SATA controller.

At the very start of the setup, I'm trying to "Load Driver" and get Vista to load the Intel SATA driver with AHCI support. This is simply failing miserably, I have tried to use the Dell driver that's been mentioned many times here. When that didn't work, I got the latest version from support.intel.com, and that one doesn't work either.

The error message that vista presents is something to the effect that it doesn't like unsigned drivers and that I should load the 32-bit driver first and then the signed 64-bit driver.

Regardless of which driver I chose (Dell or direct from Intel) and whether it's 32-bit or 64-bit, the same error appears, and the selection of drives is gone.

Does anyone have a solution? I would prefer not to go down the route of disabling AHCI and running a normal setup. Surely there has to be a signed driver somewhere?

Any help is much appreciated!

Just to clarify, I'm using Vista x64 ultimate DVD with SP1 integrated.

After failing to load any SATA drivers at all during install I decided to just give it a try with the normal install, and go down the route of turning off AHCI when vista starts BSOD-ing.

I printed off the guides, had everything ready and was mentally prepared for the nightmare ahead.

To my great surprise, the whole install went smoothly, no BSOD, intel SATA with AHCI was correctly recognised and installed, upon restart vista got a hold of all the correct drivers like the nvidia 8600M GT and the troublesome sigmatel audio.

The only thing that I had to install manually was the Intel wifi driver, and vista gave me the correct link, so didn't even have to google for it.

It's quite amazing really, all the scaremongering here is completely unfounded, just put the DVD in, type in the key and done! Ok there's the 20 min wait in there as well.