Vista Installation Issues

I just bought a new Dell from Best Buy, and I threw my own graphics card into it and was attempting to do a clean install of Vista, so I don't have to deal with all the preloaded crap.

When I start installing it, it goes through the "Copying Files" stage instantly, and then hangs up at 0% on "Expanding Files". Then, anywhere from 10 seconds to 3 minutes later, my screen goes black like it's not receiving a monitor signal anymore, and nothing else happens.

I Googled the problem and found a ton of threads here and elsewhere with the same issue, with a slight variation, but none of them had issues posted, and they were all relatively old. Anyone have any suggestions?

PC: Dell - Studio MT Desktop with Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q8200 - SMT-117B
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon™ HD 4600 Series - Overview

Thanks in advance for the help.

Install vista with only 2GB of ram after installed add the rest of your ram back in.

It didn't work. :-/ Went to black on "Expanding Files" after about a minute or two.

Are you installing a brand new os that you bought or with the disc that came with it.

It's my own copy I bought.

See if your screen goes black using the on board graphics.

Er, actually I just left it running after the screen went black, and it seemed to have worked. Next time I started it up, it went into Windows, which is configuring itself right now. I just hope it was a full installation without errors. o.O

On a side topic, maybe you can help me with another random problem. I want my Vista folders to display in the details view, sorted by name. When I set a folder to show that, and then tell it to apply to all folders, it never sticks, and each consecutive folder just does its own thing. Is there a particular reason for that?

here this might help you.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/70819-windows-explorer-folder-view-settings.html?filter[11]=File%20Folder%20Settings