Vista Install Problems. Help Please!

[Effitol]

I downloaded Windows Vista Beta 2 and burnt it to dvd. When I load my computer and boot it from the DVD everything works until I get to the screen that asks to select a language and currency and time stuff and my keyboard freezes. I've tried multiple keyboards and none seem to work.

After all that didnt work I re-formated my hard drive and re-installed XP Pro and tried to do an upgrade and the setup gets as far as to the first system reboot and I get the blue error screen saying that something bad happened and the installation gets botched.

I've searched the net for anything on this and nothing comes up. Can anyone help me please?

[EXreaction]

First of all, you should never install a Beta OS as your only OS.

Install XP on a small partion of your harddrive, then create a second partion and format it as NTFS. Then run the Vista installer while you are on windows xp and select custom install. Install Vista on the extra clean partion.

That way when you have problems with Vista(I am sure you will, its a beta still) you can always fall back to XP.

(I am on Vista now )

[Effitol]

When in the boot screen for XP how do I go about creating 2 partitions on one drive and installing XP on one and then vista on another?

I currently have 2 hard drives on my computer: an 80GB for my storage and a 120GB for the OS and anything installed.

Should I install XP on one partition then install VISTA through XP on the other partition?

And if I'm still having the blue screen problem what should I do?

[EXreaction]

Create one partion during your windows XP install(since you just reformated and tried to upgrade it, I would reformat again). I would make it 20-40GB depending on what you would install on it.

Install XP on that partion.

Then after its done installing, go to:
Control panel - Admin Tools - Disk Managment(something like that, I am not on XP now so I am not completly sure) - and then it should come up with a menu that shows your harddrives and the partions on them.

On your OS harddrive, right click on some of the unused space and create a new partion. Format it with the NTFS file system and do a quick format(saves a lot of time).

Then run the Vista installer when you are in XP, and don't upgrade XP! Install it fresh on the new partion you just created.
(give it an hour or so to install(I reccomend you turn off your monitor and leave, it might look like its freezing a lot when its actually working, and if you leave it alone you don't have to worry about reinstalling everything again if you think it froze when it probably didn't), and it will be ready to go. )

[Effitol]

Alright I will try to do that... Woop I get to reformat for the second time in 24 hours.

I'll be sure to post more questions (more like problems) up when and if it finishes.

Thanks for the info... Now off to my adventure!

[Effitol]

I reformatted with 2 partitions and re-installed XP on the first partition and went to install Vista on the second partition and again it got to the first reboot and a blue screen came up saying that a problem had occured and it shut down windows to prevent damage to my computer.

This was the issue I was having before. Can anyone tell me why this is doing this?

[Effitol]

Yea it says

*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0x81b99bb0, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

It happens everytime it tries to boot up Vista.

[GroundZero3]

well trying to troubleshoot a beta product isnt gonna get you far but this is what MS has to say about that error and XP

maybe it can give you some direction

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;324103

[Effitol]

None of that seemed to work. I couldnt figure it out. I'm going to try and re-download it and try and re-install it.

Other than that has anyone experienced this or know of anyone who has?

[Imperion1]

Is the hard drive an SATA drive?