Re: Can't install Vista

"Earle Horton" <earleh_nospam_@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:%23tVh7U%231IHA.5728@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"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

The media I have has both the x64 and x86 (32) on it and I am given the choice at the time of install. I have made sure I selected the correct version. I have run 3 different checks and the drive is good. I wll try installing the SATA dirve and see if that will work.

Thanks!

Jan :)



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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