Do you have RAID?

Please use this link to learn how to wipe everything off your HD. Then you can install Vista.

Oops. http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=vista&message.id=7536#M7536

What you will have to do to get Vista installed, is remove one of your video cards, as there are no drivers yet for SLI, and remove 2 gigs of ram.

Boot from your DVD rom, when given the option, delete your partitions, and select your drive, and Vista will install in about 20 minutes. After first boot, you can install your other 2 gigs of ram and everything should be cool. Make sure you install the updated drivers for nvidia mediashield otherwise your pc will have to be shut down with the power button.

Good luck, you will really like Vista once you get it in. It's awesome!!!

jd

No RAID.

 

 

Have been considering the benefits of having one very recently.

 

 

CMN

Yes. It helped me get my xps 410 back when I tried installing. Nothing helped. The debugging cleaned it all up. Tt cleans more than formatting does.

Tandem,

 

I have already reformatted my HD (went to the c: and used the dreaded Format c: command).  Tried to install from the DVD after that - and my system stopped at exactly the same place as it had before.

 

After this didn't work, the Microsoft level 2 tech was convinced that this could no longer be a Vista software problem and that it had to be a Dell hardware/driver problem.

 

I tend to agree with that assessment.

 

Thanks

 

CMN

Its def not a Vista issue.

Does your link really help?  I've been trying to install Windows Vista since Tuesday, and I'm having the same problems.

 

I get to Step 3, about 21% complete...then I get a blue screen with Stop code:  0x000000E1.  I've been on the phone with both Microsoft and Dell, and no one can seem to point me in the right direction.

 

I, too, have completely wiped out my hard drive.  I even deleted and reformatted partitions hoping that this would help.  I'm back to Windows XP Media Center Edition, but I've lost files/music/etc. 

 

Is Vista worth it?

It's a Vista/Nvidia/Microsoft issue

Vista will not install with 4 gigs of ram without this patch: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/930261/en-us

I didn't use it, I just removed the ram

amydawn, what are your system specs.?

 

here's the latest one:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929777

Well, I can't say because I've had Vista in wayyyyyy longer than the patch has been out, also if you read the article, you must install Vista first, maybe it holds it in a cache until the system reboots?

Hmmm, thats quite strange then that no one can get Vista in with 4 gigs of ram?