Re: Can't install Vista

"Jan :)" <abuse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:u3rOZB%231IHA.5728@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Earle Horton" <earleh_nospam_@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:eY5Mr791IHA.5564@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So you deleted the old x64 partition, installed an x86 partition, and
then reformatted that in x86 Setup?

Not that I am aware of, this is an x64 bit machine, not an x32.

I get that. I have a Dell Inspiron with dual x64 processor myself, but it
came with Vista x86 (32 bit) installed. An x64 computer is able to run an
x86 operating system, which is 32 bit.


Now run the x86 Install disk, system repair
option, and see if there is any hope presented there. What you may have
left of the x64 install, is an x64 "Master Boot Record", computerese for
x64 claiming this disk as belonging to x64.

It does not ask me, as it should, if want to install the x64 or X32/86
version. That tells me that it may not be properly reading the drive.
or......when I reformat the drive, why am I not given a choice of which
format to use?

Afaik, there are two install disks, one for x64 and one for x86. Are you
using the right install disk for what you want to do? The one I have from
Dell says "Reinstallation DVD Windows Vista (TM) Home Premium 32BIT".
Another one says "Microsoft Windows Vista (TM) Business For Upgrade Use
Only". These are examples of 32 bit Vista install DVDs. You may be trying
to install the 32 bit system using the 64 bit DVD.

If this is not the case then you may have to install another disk driver at
Setup boot time, as others have suggested, or there may be a problem with
the drive. The last seems unlikely since you say you were running x64 on it
previously. Is there a "drivers and utilities disk" that came with the
computer? That may have an essential piece that you need.

Earle


You may have to put x86 system
repair into command prompt mode, type "help" or "?" and see what commands
are available. If there is a "fixmbr" listed run it.

I tried that, and there is nothing of that sort offered.

Good luck,

Thanks, I gonna need it. Right now my machine is dead in the water.. :-(

Jan :)

Earle

"Jan :)" <abuse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%233a5kq91IHA.5472@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That is beyond doable, if you read my post, as the drives have both been
deleted and reformatted. so I don't think there is any chance of a
repair. Trying a repair is what got me into the mess in the first place,
as when I tried to do a repair, it said it could not repair the problem,
and then when I tried to boot back into Vista, I got an error in the
command window that said it could not find the OS. Imagine that. :-)

Jan :)

"Earle Horton" <earleh_nospam_@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ORtZKl91IHA.4572@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Run Setup repair mode, start up a command prompt, and see if there is
an option to "fixmbr" or something like that. This command prompt
doesn't have as many commands as XP Recovery Console, but there are a
few useful ones. Then you may have to repartition the drive, even
though you have reformatted it. As they say, there may be a low level
Vista x64 driver or boot block left on the system. It is also possible
that the x64 partition which you formatted is the wrong "type" to
install x86. I am thinking that you need to delete a partition, create
a new one, and then format it in x86 Setup. You may also have to mark
the desired boot partition as active. There is a program "bootsect" in
the "boot" directory of the install DVD, which installs the Vista Boot
Manager, also something called "bcdedit" which you may have to get
involved with. These are documented more fully in TechNet
http://technet.microsoft.com.

Good luck,

Earle

"Spirit" <noone@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23DBhUb91IHA.4492@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I am still thinking a low level driver left on system.

"Jan :)" <abuse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uiGM2U91IHA.5560@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Spirit, yes, I have tried both drives, they are separate drives not
partitions. I have seen this happen before with another user, and they
had a
very long and difficult time trying to reinstall. I don't see why it
is so
difficult to reinstall Vista on a drive that it has been installed on
before
if the drive has a) been deleted and b) reformatted. There is not
reason I
can think of that should prevent the installation for seeing my
drives as
having the sufficient criteria for installation. That is what is the
problem, and I have never seen this before, and I have done a lot of
reinstalls during the Vista beta. And yes, I have done a test on the
drives
and they test fine.

Jan :)

"Spirit" <noone@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23Stc7P91IHA.3756@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Since you mentioned "Drives" have you tried only with the 2nd one now
as the primary? In fact leave the primary now out of the machine until
OS is installed..... I am thinking the 64 bit might leave a low level
driver
on machine.

Might need to contact Driver Maker and/or Microsoft.

"Jan :)" <no abuse@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ufQrUI91IHA.5728@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I had Vista Ultimate x64 installed on my machines, and wanted to
install
the
x86. But, when I tried to install the x86 after deleting the x64
version,
I
now get an error that says that "Windows is unable to find a system
volume
that meets its criteria for installation." I have reformatted the
drive
and
all else that I can think of, but, it it continues to throw the error
message. What should I do? I am sure that my system and hardware is
sufficient to handle the Vista install, and I am trying to install to
the
same drive that I had the other installed to:
Processor
2.00 gigahertz AMD 64 Opteron's (2 installed)
Main Circuit Board
Tyan Tiger K8WE
Memory Modules
2 GB RAM

I don't understand what the problem is and I hope someone here can
help.

Jan :)










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