Vista won't install to my new Raptor??!!

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beelzibub

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 11, 2007
Messages
153
I built my new rig this weekend and worked for hours and hours trying to install Vista x64 onto my 150gb Raptor. I tried everything I could think of and many ideas from searching the net....loading SATA/RAID drivers from the Abit IP35 Pro driver CD, different DVD drive, Vista x32, and many different BIOS settings. Vista had no problem finding the drive, but when installing it would error out on "Expanding Files" at random percentages of completion saying it could not find the install media (or something like that). I decided to give up late last night and try installing to my other Samsung drive. No issues at all! Install went smooth as hell! Anyone have a solution to this? I bought the Raptor for my OS and programs, so I really want to use it for them! Please help!!! :confused:
 
beelzibub said:
I built my new rig this weekend and worked for hours and hours trying to install Vista x64 onto my 150gb Raptor. I tried everything I could think of and many ideas from searching the net....loading SATA/RAID drivers from the Abit IP35 Pro driver CD, different DVD drive, Vista x32, and many different BIOS settings. Vista had no problem finding the drive, but when installing it would error out on "Expanding Files" at random percentages of completion saying it could not find the install media (or something like that). I decided to give up late last night and try installing to my other Samsung drive. No issues at all! Install went smooth as hell! Anyone have a solution to this? I bought the Raptor for my OS and programs, so I really want to use it for them! Please help!!! :confused:
Click to expand...

Just throwing stuff out there...you could install onto a partition on the Samsung drive, then Ghost the image to the Raptor drive and see what happens. It could've just been luck that it worked on the Samsung drive - it sounds more like an issue with the media or the CD-rom drive. The Vista installation routine seems much more susceptible to media errors than previous versions of Windows...so make sure the disk is clean first. Also, for one of the drives in my server rig (I think it's an HP burner), it does not work well unless it's in PIO mode.
 
Run some diag tools on your HD, WD has some tool we used when I worked for a computer shop, not sure if you can download it from their website easily or not though.

It was some simple program that fit on a floppy disk and ran when booting.
 
So you can Ghost the install from one drive to another drive and use that copy as if you installed to that drive? You are talking of Symantec Ghost right?
 
beelzibub said:
So you can Ghost the install from one drive to another drive and use that copy as if you installed to that drive? You are talking of Symantec Ghost right?
Click to expand...

Yep. Have it ghost the working copy, then restore to the other HD.
 
Is there a freeware or cheaper version of the ghosting software? I checked on the Norton one and its $70!!!
 
Sweet, I'll try messing with ImageX first! Thanks! I really wish there was a more direct way to install Vista! If anyone else has any simpler ideas please feel free to speak up!
 
beelzibub said:
Sweet, I'll try messing with ImageX first! Thanks! I really wish there was a more direct way to install Vista! If anyone else has any simpler ideas please feel free to speak up!
Click to expand...

Speaking of that.. I think you can install it off a USB Drive if you have one, probably requires a 1gb if not 2gb drive though, not sure if it uses a compressed version or what exactly, just read you can install off one.
 
Do you plug your raptor into sata port 0 or 1 (which ever is the lowest number)? if not do this and other hds in the second number port etc. sata-dvd in last port (next port after the last hdd drive). I have noticed on numerous machines that I have built for vista and that it almost always solved the problem.

I had the exact same problem, turned out that my secondary drive operating off the jmicron had the issue. I did try the intel ahci drivers but that crashed every single time...

Solution went out and bought a sata dvd-burner (the pioneer 212D ) and never looked back i now no longer have ide in my case or floppy (eeek) and all is great :) even linux installs just dandy.
 
Just use a spare IDE drive. Install to it with the sata drive not in the system, plug in the sata drive after the OS is up and running. Install any drivers for sata controller needed. Then use Maxblast4 or equivalent to "install NEW boot drive". Target the sata drive. and presto all done.

Works for setting up sophisticated RAID arrays as well.

Windows XP and Vista still have a hard time installing to sata drives and sata raid arrays.

It's only 2007, I owuldn't expect MSoft to have it's act together yet.... cough.
 
Depending on your version of Vista it may come with the imaging software. I know Vista Ultimate does. I've used it to perform "fresh installs" of Vista on my machine in under 10 minutes. I created an image of my HDD after installing Vista. It's nice being able to just restore it in a matter of minutes every few months instead of going through the whole format and reinstall process.
 
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