Vista - I am at my end with the installation problem

Hello, I am a student who purchased the Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition
from Microsoft through the Digital River website partner.

As of now I have attempted all the following to install. I corresponded with
digital river who forwarded me three files for the Vista upgrade. After
downloading via FireFox I begin the installation. Once the installation
begins I get the following error message:

"Cannot extract Windows Vista Setup to your hard drive. Please ensure that
you can create files and folders in the same folder where VistaSetupPrep.exe
was downloaded."

Now, I have troubleshooted this way:

I have unprotected the folder that contains all the files and unclicked the
Read Only option. I have attempted to copy and paste the install.wim and the
boot.wim files into the source folder that is created after I have begun the
install, as someone in the Microsoft Answers Forum suggested. I also tried to
burn it to a DVD, which gave me another error message.

This is extremely frustrating as I purchased this OS on discount thinking it
is an affordable alternative. I can also see that I am not the only one with
this issue. So it would be nice if someone from Microsoft found a solution to
this issue. I currently have Windows XP Media Center Edition SP 3.

Hi, cinderelly.

You haven't mentioned your computer HARDWARE. Please tell us the make and
model of your computer - or of your motherboard/chipset/CPU if you built it
yourself. How many hard drives, how big and are they IDE or SATA or other?
And is there anything already on them?

In what form did you buy Vista? Was it in the sealed plastic box? An
upgrade package or full retail? Or downloaded from the Internet? Or...?

You've already told us a lot, but not the most important stuff.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@xxxxxx
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8064.0206) in Win7 Ultimate x64

"cinderelly" <cinderelly@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:339EFCB8-FE8F-4CEF-B7CB-15088BBF01C0@xxxxxx

Since the OP mentioned Digital River & installing from a file, the Q 'in
what form' seems fairly obvious
I'm surprised you missed that

"R. C. White" <rc@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eBkc$oIHKHA.4436@xxxxxx

Hi, DL.
Not to me. I never heard of Digital River until I looked it up before my
previous reply. And I still don't have a clue as to HOW Cinderelly was
trying to install Vista.

So I'll back off now and watch from the sidelines. Maybe I'll learn
something. ;^}

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@xxxxxx
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8064.0206) in Win7 Ultimate x64

"DL" <notvalid@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ut1x1aLHKHA.2516@xxxxxx

cinderelly wrote:
Unfortunately, the 64 bit Vista Ultimate upgrade that you purchased
through Digital River is not going to work on your computer, as you are
running 32 bit Windows XP. There is no upgrade from a 32 bit operating
system to a 64 bit one.

Upgrades obtained via Digital River have to be started from the current
desktop, and even if you did get the files extracted correctly, you will
not be able to install the 64 bit upgrade.

Did you request physical DVD media at the time of purchase?

As you would have to clean install 64 bit Ultimate, do you know anyone
with an Ultimate x64 DVD that you could borrow? You can still use the
Product Key obtained at the time of purchase.

--
Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
MVP - Windows Desktop Experience 2007-2009

Not meaning to be sarcastic or imply anything;
Digital River is / was the online distribution partner for MS, in that if
you visited MS site and chose to buy, you were redirected to Digital River
to complete the purchase, download the installation file(s), order a cd, for
an extra cost, the key being emailed to the purchaser.

regards

"R. C. White" <rc@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:O9I$h0OHKHA.3736@xxxxxx

Did you select the option to purchase the 'backup' cd/dvd,? if not it might
be a good idea to log back on to your Digital River account and purchase
that cd/dvd

I cannot realy comment on the method of installing Vista from these files,
other than by saying its my experience of installing / upgrading an o/s it
has to be done by booting from that o/s upgrade cd/dvd You cannot usually
upgrade an o/s whilst you are booted within Win. - and I am willing/stand to
be corrected on that -
It would seem to me that the files downloaded are to be used to create an
iso image, which you burn to cd/dvd and use that to boot from and install
I would think that you might want to re-read the Digital River installation
instructions again as to how to create the iso image

"cinderelly" <cinderelly@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:339EFCB8-FE8F-4CEF-B7CB-15088BBF01C0@xxxxxx

This response is now irrelevent, as Jane C hit the nail on the head

"DL" <notvalid@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uK$s1OTHKHA.4024@xxxxxx