Vista Installation troubles (big surprise)

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MrHood22

Supreme [H]ardness
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Aug 21, 2007
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Alright. I'm trying to install my vista ultimate x64 I just got. I install it. After 30 minutes or so i've entered my key and did the actual install portion of it. Once installed it makes your restart, once restarted I take the CD out so it boots from my HD. When it goes to boot from my HD it says:

"WIndows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe"

So I boot with the CD in and I go to repair mode. It scans and then it says "Windows cannot repair the problem" or something along those lines. I've tried this 3 times now!!!!!!

I consider myself a above average in the computer field and if I can't figure out how to install it It makes me wonder how regular joes do it.

Please tell me i'm missing some small step that causes this error.

Thanks.
 
First off, it's not a CD, it's a DVD.

Second, you shouldn't have used the key for the install, it's not necessary. Vista has a "grace period" for legitimate owners of the OS so you have 30 days to make sure it's solid on your hardware with driver support, applications, a chance to make sure everything works before you're required to commit to entering the key and performing the activation to lock it to that key and that installation permanently. Most people don't know this, so I'll let it go...

I don't see anything in your attempts that's blatantly wrong or sticks out like a sore thumb. I look at your sig and see "OCed" and immediately that's what DOES jump out screaming at me. I don't care how good you think the hardware you have is, or how much it cost you to buy it, stop overclocking the entire box and then install Vista at stock speeds for everything: CPU, RAM, video, etc.

Then come back and we'll see if perhaps you still need help at all.

At least that's how Joe Average does it, not sure about Joe Regular... ;)
 
Noticed as well besides the overclock that you are using an Asus M2N-SLI Deluxe. I run one as well (see sig). When you overclock, it is hard to install Vista. Caused problems for me. So most likely, it's the overclock that is causing issues... Give that a whirl! :)
 
Take off the overclocking while installing, and check the media for scratches or anything.
 
Going by the other thread, I'm assuming this is still a new laptop, and not the system in the sig. Since Vista x86 went on okay, I'm starting to wonder if the DVD isn't scratched (or a bad burn) depending on the disc.
 
Alright. I'll take that OC my next time around. Right now i'm in the middle of trying it with 2 gigs of ram instead of 4.

I didn't think the OC would be an issue because it's ran countless hours in Orthos and has turned out stable.

But as i said before, my next try around will be around 9-10pm when I get back home.

Thanks for the help.

Edit: And btw, i'm posting from my laptop with vista x32. I'm putting the vista x64 on my desktop in my sig.
 
Okay, now I'm really confused. Are you having this problem on two separate systems? If so, I'd definitely start looking at the media.
 
MrHood22 said:
Alright. I'm trying to install my vista ultimate x64 I just got. I install it. After 30 minutes or so i've entered my key and did the actual install portion of it. Once installed it makes your restart, once restarted I take the CD out so it boots from my HD. When it goes to boot from my HD it says:

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I am not sure if I am understanding exactly when you are removing the Vista DVD.
But I think your problem is that you are removing the DVD to soon. After the Vista install disk is finished unpacking files to your hard drive, your system will reboot. Do not remove the DVD.
Your pc will boot to the hard drive as long as you do not press any keys on the keyboard. When the pc has finished rebooting your pc will look for the Vista DVD and conintinue to load files to complete the install process. Do not remove the DVD untill the install is fully finished and you are on your desktop.
 
Yanno, I missed that. Good call, CpuMan. I didn't even consider that possibility... :) Would be a first in my experience with supporting Vista that someone did such a thing, but hey, there's a first time for everything, right? When you get to the part where Vista runs the WinSAT test to check the machine's performance, you're close to being done, but still not done totally. As CpuMan said, once you're at the Desktop, you see Vista, the Sidebar loads, you see the initial system information screen, etc - at that point you're actually done.

Now we wait and see...
 
Alright. I got it (half-assed) installed. I have to sorta boot from the CD to install it. If I have my comp set to boot from the HD it gives me that error but if I have it boot from the CD it lets me go in. Now when I boot it from the DVD it gets to the point whre it says "press any key to bot from the CD..." and I don't press anything and it boots from vista.

Now I restarted it after installing my Soundcard driver and my GPU driver and it gets to that point and then loads vista and gives me a BSOD..................


I think i'll have to install it again tomorow. So you're telling me I have to...
Put the DVD in and go through all my selecting my language options and all that and then put my key in, when it gives me the choice of which HD to install it on, I should highlight the one I want and then Click Format, once formated I should select to install it, once I select to install it let it auto install. After it installs it will prompt me to reboot, I should reboot it but LEAVE THE DVD IN THE DRIVE so it boots from the DVD (because I have the BIOS set to boot DVD 1st, HD 2nd) and then once it boots from the DVD it will continue/finish installing.

Is that correct?

Also, if I have it boot from the DVD after the first restart and it prompts me to "hit any key to boot from dvd" should I NOT hit any key?

I don't remember XP being this difficult but I can't remember the last time I installed an OS.

But back to the "pulling the DVD out".

I would put it in and install it then after it loaded the content, added the updates, ect it would prompt me to restart. As I was restarting i'd take the DVD out.

Thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate it.
 
- Turn on computer, open the CD/DVD drive tray, put the Vista DVD in it, close the tray.
- Turn off the machine, turn it on again.
- When it gets to the point where it asks you to input the key, click "No." It'll bitch and pop up a box about not putting in the key, click No again and continue.
- After a few moments, you'll get a list of Vista editions. Pick the one you are about to install - Vista Ultimate - and check the box saying you chose the one you're installing (redundant, yes) and it'll continue.
- Do the hard drive partitioning as necessary and continue, it'll go into the file copying, bleh bleh bleh
- Above and beyond all, don't touch the CD/DVD drive, don't eject the disc, ever.
- It'll go through all that and reboot.
- More file copying, more bleh bleh bleh, a few questions, another reboot.
- More file copying, more bleh bleh bleh, then it'll ask you to put in the username, etc.
- When you finish and it says "Thank You" then it'll typically reboot once more (sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't - just my experience) and come back up with the WinSAT test to check the performance of the hardware you have.
- After the WinSAT test you'll spend some more time waiting, etc. Leave things alone.
- When you get to the Vista Desktop, a window will appear with some basic Vista information on it, you might get a popup from the System Tray about updates, or Security Center, etc. Sidebar will load and appear, etc.

At that point, when you're actually staring at a Vista Desktop, with a Start orb and you can do stuff with the mouse, right click, open things, etc. - that's when you're actually done and can remove the DVD. After doing any required or available updates, drivers, etc, work towards getting the box set up the way you want and test it or do whatever. After a few days, or weeks, when you're confident it's solid, then put in the key and activate it as required. But don't do that till you're sure it's solid.

You might consider getting something like True Image or Ghost also - True Image is my most valued application as it saves my entire system every few hours and I can start over clean in minutes, not hours. I cannot recommend True Image high enough, really.

Congrats, and good luck.
 
Ok so do I set the bios to boot from the DVD 1st (then HD 2nd) before I put in the Vista DVD or do I just leave it at default (HD 1st, DVD 2nd)? Do I change it back after the first reboot or do I not touch the BIOS at all throughout the install?

Thanks for clearifying everything Joe.
 
If your machine is set like most, it'll look to boot off the CD/DVD drive first if there's a bootable disc in it; if not, the boot then hands off to the hard drive next. You don't need to change anything there - you've been doing this already so your system is already booting off the DVD fine.

However...

Now that you ask the question, this could be part of where the problems are. Set the BIOS boot order for CD/DVD drive first, then HDD0 (Hard disk drive 0, meaning the first hard drive) or perhaps it'll be listed as SATA, or some BIOS will treat it as SCSI. I can't say for sure with your mobo as I don't own it, sorry.

Basically, you want it to boot off a CD/DVD that's bootable if one is present in the optical drive, else the hard drive becomes the boot device. After Vista is installed, there's absolutely no reason to muck around in the BIOS for that sort of stuff.
 
1. Make sure your bios is set to boot from a cd/dvd drive before the hard drive.
2. Insert your Vista DVD into your DVD drive and start your pc.
3. When you see "hit any key to boot from dvd", do that this time and this time ONLY.
4. Follow the prompts, no need to install a key just yet, just make sure you choose the correct version of Vista that your key is good for.
5. After the dvd unpacks files to the partition on the hard drive of your choosing, your pc will reboot a couple of times. Leave the DVD in the pc, but do not press any keys, you want the pc to boot to the hard drive from now on, but the dvd is still needed to complete the install.
6. Once you boot to your new Vista desktop, the install is finished and you can remove the DVD.
7. Install your chipset drivers.
8. Install your video card drivers.
9. Install all of your Vista updates.
10. Install any other hardware drivers that are still missing if any.
11. Install programs, games ect....
12. Install anti virus of your choice.
13. If everything is just the way you like it, enter your Vista key and activate Vista.
14. Make a image of your OS drive for safe keeping.

Edit: Looks like i showed up for the party late, Joe Average pretty much summed it up already.
 
Alright. I installed it and restarted with the drivers and it worked and all that. I still have 2 problems.

1) Vista gives me the same error of a file not being there or it being corrupt UNLESS I have it set to boot from the cd, with the vista DVD in, then once it prompts me to "hit any key to boot from dvd" I must let ignore that, and then finally vista boots.


2) Vista hates my OC settings apparently. It runs fine when I set my ram to run at DDR2 400 instead of DDR2 533. If I set it to 533 (which i've had it running fine for months on XP) it will BSOD as i'm loading vista.
 
MrHood22 said:
Alright. I installed it and restarted with the drivers and it worked and all that. I still have 2 problems.

1) Vista gives me the same error of a file not being there or it being corrupt UNLESS I have it set to boot from the cd, with the vista DVD in, then once it prompts me to "hit any key to boot from dvd" I must let ignore that, and then finally vista boots.


2) Vista hates my OC settings apparently. It runs fine when I set my ram to run at DDR2 400 instead of DDR2 533. If I set it to 533 (which i've had it running fine for months on XP) it will BSOD as i'm loading vista.
Click to expand...

bump
 
it sounds like vistas boot loader is looking in the wrong place for some system files. how many partitions do you have? ive seen times where during a vista install the boot loader will be put on a partition other than the one where vista is installed if i were you id blow everything out, start with 1 partition and install vista from there.
 
rhexis said:
it sounds like vistas boot loader is looking in the wrong place for some system files. how many partitions do you have? ive seen times where during a vista install the boot loader will be put on a partition other than the one where vista is installed if i were you id blow everything out, start with 1 partition and install vista from there.
Click to expand...

4 HD's, 5 Partitions
 
Is your windows drive your C:/ drive? I try to make sure to only have one hard drive hooked up/powered while installing windows.
 
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