Vista installation

[mattyc]

Hello, I am having a bit of a problem upgrading from xp to vista. I currently have windows xp media center and am trying to upgrade to vista home premium using the upgrade version. Basically whenever I get to 27% of the 'expanding files' process on the installation i get a message which says 'windows cannot prepare the computer to boot ino the next phase of installation. to complete installation, please restart the wizard' or words to that effect.... I have tried opting for a clean install or an upgrade and get the same problems every time. I have run the upgrade advisor and it says everything is fine apart from my network card which needs the driver updating (even though it has the latest drivers from the belkin website.....).

Can anybody suggest what might be causing this problem and how i might be able to solve it please?

Thanks
Matt

 

[Neverhavemoney]

Hey Matt Welcome To Vista Forums!
Now you say that you are trying to do this through the upgrade version. Could you please specify how you are doing it? Are you using a CD? A file that you downloaded from Microsoft?

Please let us know as soon as you can so we can help,
Ben

 

[Frostmourne]

If it can't expand the disc might be scratched if you are installing from a disc or your hard drive may have problems. Can you schedule chkdsk for the next reboot?

 

[mattyc]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies.

I am using the upgrade DVD as purchased from a shop. It allows you to either upgrade directly from xp or do a 'clean install' through windows but cannot directly from the DVD.

I have also tried running chkdsk and everything came back normal, and the same problem occurred when i tried to install again.

Thanks again

Matt

 

[Neverhavemoney]

Can your computer support vista? What are your system specs? Memory(RAM) HD space, processor speed?

Let me know,
Ben

 

[Frostmourne]

I think for xp you need to wipe everything and do a clean install from the upgrade disk.

 

[lemur]

Here is the Vista Upgrade Adviser...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx

 

[Neverhavemoney]

I just read a little piece in Maximum PC and someone has the same problem problem as you. They have 8GB RAM and it wont let them get past the expanding files part of the installation.
Try with only one stick of RAM (Or 1-2GB) of RAM.

Let us know,
Ben

 

[mattyc]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the ideas.

As I said in my original post, i have tried upgrade advisor and it says everything is fine.

I have also tried to do a clean install through windows as you cannot boot from the upgrade disk and that didn't work either.

I have run chkdsk at startup and still get the same problem.

My computer is a 2.2Ghz Athlon 64 with 1gb RAM. My HDD is 250Gb and has over 150gb free. I know it is not the highest spec but it meets all the minimum and reccommended requirements so vista should still work!!

I will try taking out one stick of memory and see if that works.

In hindsight it would have been a lot easier to buy the full version in the first place and then just boot from the DVD and format my HDD in the process!!

Matt

 

[zigzag3143]

Is this dvd a MS vista dvd, or the computer makers restore dvd? does it work in another computer?


Ken

 

[mattyc]

I have tried it in another PC and it boots from the DVD. I have also tried removing all surplus hardware, trying another HDD, remove some RAM, but still all i get when I try to boot from the DVD is a blank screen with a flashing underscore!! I have also been able to boot from my old xp disk so there is no problem with the DVD drive. The only thing I have not been able to test is the motherboard so I'm guessing this is where my problem lies!! Any ideas....?

 

[lemur]

Hmmm... this may be the long way around. What if you run chkdsk /f, if no errors then reinstall XP (reformatting drive), then perform your Vista upgrade?

 

[mattyc]

I have tried the reinstall xp route and then upgrade from there but it didn't work, just stalled after the first reboot with no way of accessing anything!! I am now in the position of having no OS on my computer so cannot run chkdsk again. Surely if there is an error on my hard drive then that wouldn't stop me being able to boot from the vista dvd would it?

 

[Frostmourne]

Can you try another dvd drive?

 

[Neverhavemoney]

mattyc,
If you are using a dvd to upgrade, why dont you try another install CD and just punch in your key from the upgrade version that you bought.

I have the install files if you need them. You would need to download the file, burn the .iso file to a DVD and then install it.

Let me know,
Ben