Endless Boot Loop During Vista Express Upgrade

Question

Hi,   Before I begin, let me apologize if this issue has been addressed before (I actually hope it has).  I'm on my computer at work, and my company's WebSense makes browsing forums a royal pain.  If somebody could direct me to a link that will help me, no other responses are needed.   I'm currently running XP Media Center on an E520 PC I bought back in January.  I recently got my Vista Home Premium express upgrade DVD (with Dell upgrade advisor).  Yesterday, I finally got a chance to try and perform the installation.  Before getting into my issue, here are my specs:   2.13 mhz Core 2 Duo 4 GB Memory 250 GB SATA Hard Drive ATI 1300 256MB Video Integrated Sound DVD-RW Drive 13 in 1 Media Card Reader   Let me know if any other specs are needed.  Also, please note, I am running a dual boot configuration, with 130GB dedicated to my Windows volume, an 80GB fat partition, and Ubuntu installed on the remainder of the drive (with the obligatory 2 gig swap).  This configuration has worked fine with XP.   OK, now for the problem.  Grab some popcorn; it's a bit of a tale.  I begin with the Dell disc and upgrade my Bios.  The comp restarts and I'm told everything is go for my installation.  I load up the vista upgrade disc, and it goes through the scanning phase, entering my product code, agreeing to the EULA nobody reads, and finally begins the install.  As for the choices I made: Upgrade (as opposed to a clean install, since I've got a fair number of programs installed), Check for Installation upgrades (it downloads about 850kb), and 'go online to activate product'.  In the step where it checks for compatibility issues, the only hit I got is for my antivirus software, which I proceeded to disable.    With all that good stuff out of the way the installation begins.  I see a screen with 5 stages and we're off to the races.  I cruise through the first four stages with two automatic reboots, both of which bring me right back to the install.  After the second reboot, I see a window which says something like 'Windows is preparing to start for the first time'.  I'll admit, even though I use Linux for about everything other than gaming, I got a bit excited about the prospect of Vista starting.  Anyway, after the slow march of the dots, I get back into the setup on the 'Completing Update' step.  It climbs slowly (after starting about 21%) past 30% and then past 40%.  Sometime around 49% - 58% (varied for different installs) my system goes to reboot again.  This is where the problems begin.    After the initial boot sequence, I get the three option screen where I can choose between continuing with Vista (default), loading my previous Windows OS, or rolling back the setup to XP.  I leave it alone and it automatically tries to load into Vista (presumably to complete the installation).  I get an all black screen, and then the little sideways cylinder that usaually displays a left to right, colored progress bar appears for a split second.  Please note, the bar doesn't actually scroll; I just see the empty cylinder.  After the aformentioned split second, I hear the hard drive shut off, the monitor light goes orange, and the computer procedes to restart again.  The first time this happened, I figured it was part of the install.  Once again, my system goes through the initial boot sequence, and then gives me the three option window.  However, instead of jumping to the black screen with loading cylinder, I instead get kicked into the many options load screen (safe mode, safe mode with networking, last good configuration, start normally, etc).  The first few times I got hear, I chose 'Start Windows Normally' with the same result mentioned above (black screen, brief glimpse of cylinder, reboot).  After it was clear this wasn't working, I tried safe mode, and last known configuration with the same results.  Eventually, I gave up, and after a final reboot I chose (in the initial 3 option screen) to roll back the installation.  This took a few minutes after which I was able to get back into XP and continue on as if nothing has happened.   Before letting the great minds of this forum help me with my issue, here are a few steps I have tried, and answers to some questions I might be asked:   Fix Attempts: 1.  Reformat Windows Partition, and reattempt upgrade (failed) 2.  Completely remove antivirus software and reattempt upgrade (failed) 3.  Copy files from Vista DVD to hard drive and reattempt upgrade (failed) 4.  Boot from Vista DVD and attempt repair operation (aborted, after I got stuck on 'searching for problems' screen for over an hour with no CPU activity.   Answers to Potential Questions: 1.  Although I get my dual boot OS selection screen prior to attempting upgrade, and after rolling back the unfinished upgrade, it does not ever make an appearance during the upgrade. 2.  Although I could do a clean install, I would prefer not to.  My computer easily excedes the operating specs for Vista Prem, and neither the Dell cd or Microsoft upgrade assistant list any hardware or software conflicts (aside from the antivirus which I uninstalled) that should hinder my installation.  3.  The closest issue I came across on Google was someone who had the installation hanging up at 67% of the 'Completing Upgrade' phase.  This is definitely unique from my issue and I have even tried some of the advice this individual received (such as copying all the setup files to my HD) with no luck.  4.  If I attempt to boot in safe mode, rather than showing me the cylinder, I get a list of all drivers being loaded.  I tried to see what flashed right before it rebooted, but the scrolling was too fast.  If it would help, I can try to record this boot sequence so I can freeze frame it and see what the last driver loaded is.  This will take me a little while (as I'll need to go home, start the upgrade process again, wait an hour to get to the problem area, boot in safe mode, record the screen with my camera, roll back the install, load the video from my camera, analyze it, have a beer, and then come back on here to share my results) but if it's the only way to get help, I'll glady do it.  5.  I am indeed one cool dude.   Thanks for any help you fine folks can provide.  I've emailed Dell with my issue, but have found in the past that community input usually provides better solutions.  Hopefully history will repeat itself in this instance.   Regards (and sorry about the long post!),   -B

jsano19 · Answer

I just wanted to tell you that I am experiencing the exact same problem on my E1505 laptop. Core 2 Duo 2GHz 2 GB Ram   I have not searched through the rest of the posts yet either, but hopefully this issue can be resolved soon because it is very frustrating and is making me very disappointed with my purchase.

Rorsach · Answer

Thanks for your advice.  I'm preparing for the possibility of a clean install, as much as I dread the prospect.  Since I'll be away for Easter this weekend, I'm going to hope that Dell or a community member will come along before Monday and provide me with an alternate solution.  If this does not happen, I'll follow your directions for a clean install.

Rebel9 · Answer

Well, by the description of events that you've provided, you have followed the correct upgrade procedure without any success. Your hardware is certainly more than capable of running Vista. I really hate to dampen your expectations, but I think at this stage it's time for a clean install. I know, I know - you don't want to do this, but it may be inevitable.   If you've done any reading through this forum, you will find that the VAST majority of problems and failures are associated with 'upgrades'. If an upgrade works, you don't have to back up all of your data, you don't have to re-install all of your applications, you don't have to reinstall all of your hardware drivers, etc., etc.......... BUT, at least from my observations, unless you have a 'squeaky clean' XP installation to begin with, the odds of running into problems are very real (as you have discovered). I won't even try to advise on the upgrade method. Even though the Dell upgrade advisor or the Microsoft upgrade advisor may not find any incompatibilities, obviously there are some.   So, if you are ready to bite the bullet, read on.   Obviously the first order of business is to back up all of you data files, record any unique settings that you may have for any of your software, export your current email settings (and any data that you may want saved), etc., etc. You will also want to make sure that you have the installation CD's handy for any software that you may want to re-install.   Next, read (and print out) this article. This gives you instructions on how to perform a Clean install of Vista with upgrade media (which is what you have). Next, read and print this article (the article refers to XP but the same holds true for Vista). Before proceeding, I would disconnect any peripherals that you may have attached (scanner, printer, etc. - your mouse and keyboard are fine). Make sure that you have an internet connection (preferably a hard wired ethernet connection if available).   Now (and this should take less than an hour), follow EXACTLY the procedure outlined in Thurrott's article to install Vista. What you are doing here is installing a 'trial' version of Vista (you didn't enter a product key and you didn't choose to activate on line). During this install, Windows will install generic drivers for most of your hardware, and that's fine for now. The next stage is to then re-install Vista by 'upgrading' the trial version that you have installed. As Thurrott's article states, this is a backdoor procedure that Microsoft had to make available for users who legitimately bought 'upgrade' versions of Vista, and then for example,because of a hard drive crash had to reinstall. Many computers ship without OS CD's (the OS is on a recovery partition on the hard disk), but if the disk crashes, these users are left without any OS to upgrade.   Once Vista is installed, go to Dell's site and download all of the required Vista drivers for your particular configuration, and install them in the order as indicated in the previous link.   You should now have a fully functioning version of Vista installed. Now if you have other peripherals, go to the various manufacturers' sites and download and install the appropriate Vista drivers. The same obviously applies to software. Some older (and even some newer) software will not run on Vista, but that's something all Vista users have to deal with.   Now, for the dual boot to Ubuntu. This is an extremely good tutorial on this dual boot scenario. As well, a Google on dual boot Vista and Ubuntu brings up many more articles.   Hopefully this is of some use to you. As I stated earlier, I realize that you don't want to do a clean install, but I think you've exhausted most of the 'upgrade' possibilities. Perhaps someone else may have an answer for your problem, but I really believe that in the end, you will be much happier with a clean install.   Good Luck.

Rorsach · Answer

I just came up with another quick question that someone on here might know the answer to.  What exactly is happening during the 'Completing Upgrade' phase of the installation?  Since my upgrade doesn't run into problems at the exact same percentage, it seems to me like I might be hitting a program compatibility issue that wasn't caught before the installation began.  If anyone knows what prompts the third reboot, I'd be very interested to play around with some of my apps to see if I can discover the root cause.  Thanks again for any feedback.   -B

Rorsach · Answer

Thanks for the suggestions.  I did try booting into safe mode with little success.  However, when I get home today I'll make sure to try all safe mode options before rolling back.   I'll also do as you suggested and skip the program checking.   I too prefer a clean install, but if the upgrader worked on my system it would save me a bit of time reinstalling software.  The more I read various tech articles and forums, the closer I get to just starting fresh.  It's probably worth it in the long run for the added stability.  Anyway, I'll try out your suggestions tonight, and I'll post the results back here so others can view them in the future.

JDAdams6 · Answer

Bill, I did not have Internet connection during most of the install attempts. I stripped off everything from tower except the keyboard and the mouse. I spoke with 5 Dell technicians and none of them can fix my problem.   JD

JDAdams6 · Answer

I am having the exact same problem as this person did (see below). Our PC specifications are the same. I can install XP without a problem. Dell  replaced my hard drive, but  I am still having endless boot loop during both Vista Express Upgrade and clean install.   Help!   JD ======================== Hi,   Before I begin, let me apologize if this issue has been addressed before (I actually hope it has).  I'm on my computer at work, and my company's WebSense makes browsing forums a royal pain.  If somebody could direct me to a link that will help me, no other responses are needed.   I'm currently running XP Media Center on an E520 PC I bought back in January.  I recently got my Vista Home Premium express upgrade DVD (with Dell upgrade advisor).  Yesterday, I finally got a chance to try and perform the installation.  Before getting into my issue, here are my specs:   2.13 mhz Core 2 Duo 4 GB Memory 250 GB SATA Hard Drive ATI 1300 256MB Video Integrated Sound DVD-RW Drive 13 in 1 Media Card Reader   Let me know if any other specs are needed.  Also, please note, I am running a dual boot configuration, with 130GB dedicated to my Windows volume, an 80GB fat partition, and Ubuntu installed on the remainder of the drive (with the obligatory 2 gig swap).  This configuration has worked fine with XP.   OK, now for the problem.  Grab some popcorn; it's a bit of a tale.  I begin with the Dell disc and upgrade my Bios.  The comp restarts and I'm told everything is go for my installation.  I load up the vista upgrade disc, and it goes through the scanning phase, entering my product code, agreeing to the EULA nobody reads, and finally begins the install.  As for the choices I made: Upgrade (as opposed to a clean install, since I've got a fair number of programs installed), Check for Installation upgrades (it downloads about 850kb), and 'go online to activate product'.  In the step where it checks for compatibility issues, the only hit I got is for my antivirus software, which I proceeded to disable.    With all that good stuff out of the way the installation begins.  I see a screen with 5 stages and we're off to the races.  I cruise through the first four stages with two automatic reboots, both of which bring me right back to the install.  After the second reboot, I see a window which says something like 'Windows is preparing to start for the first time'.  I'll admit, even though I use Linux for about everything other than gaming, I got a bit excited about the prospect of Vista starting.  Anyway, after the slow march of the dots, I get back into the setup on the 'Completing Update' step.  It climbs slowly (after starting about 21%) past 30% and then past 40%.  Sometime around 49% - 58% (varied for different installs) my system goes to reboot again.  This is where the problems begin.    After the initial boot sequence, I get the three option screen where I can choose between continuing with Vista (default), loading my previous Windows OS, or rolling back the setup to XP.  I leave it alone and it automatically tries to load into Vista (presumably to complete the installation).  I get an all black screen, and then the little sideways cylinder that usaually displays a left to right, colored progress bar appears for a split second.  Please note, the bar doesn't actually scroll; I just see the empty cylinder.  After the aformentioned split second, I hear the hard drive shut off, the monitor light goes orange, and the computer procedes to restart again.  The first time this happened, I figured it was part of the install.  Once again, my system goes through the initial boot sequence, and then gives me the three option window.  However, instead of jumping to the black screen with loading cylinder, I instead get kicked into the many options load screen (safe mode, safe mode with networking, last good configuration, start normally, etc).  The first few times I got hear, I chose 'Start Windows Normally' with the same result mentioned above (black screen, brief glimpse of cylinder, reboot).  After it was clear this wasn't working, I tried safe mode, and last known configuration with the same results.  Eventually, I gave up, and after a final reboot I chose (in the initial 3 option screen) to roll back the installation.  This took a few minutes after which I was able to get back into XP and continue on as if nothing has happened.   Before letting the great minds of this forum help me with my issue, here are a few steps I have tried, and answers to some questions I might be asked:   Fix Attempts: 1.  Reformat Windows Partition, and reattempt upgrade (failed) 2.  Completely remove antivirus software and reattempt upgrade (failed) 3.  Copy files from Vista DVD to hard drive and reattempt upgrade (failed) 4.  Boot from Vista DVD and attempt repair operation (aborted, after I got stuck on 'searching for problems' screen for over an hour with no CPU activity.   Answers to Potential Questions: 1.  Although I get my dual boot OS selection screen prior to attempting upgrade, and after rolling back the unfinished upgrade, it does not ever make an appearance during the upgrade. 2.  Although I could do a clean install, I would prefer not to.  My computer easily excedes the operating specs for Vista Prem, and neither the Dell cd or Microsoft upgrade assistant list any hardware or software conflicts (aside from the antivirus which I uninstalled) that should hinder my installation.  3.  The closest issue I came across on Google was someone who had the installation hanging up at 67% of the 'Completing Upgrade' phase.  This is definitely unique from my issue and I have even tried some of the advice this individual received (such as copying all the setup files to my HD) with no luck.  4.  If I attempt to boot in safe mode, rather than showing me the cylinder, I get a list of all drivers being loaded.  I tried to see what flashed right before it rebooted, but the scrolling was too fast.  If it would help, I can try to record this boot sequence so I can freeze frame it and see what the last driver loaded is.  This will take me a little while (as I'll need to go home, start the upgrade process again, wait an hour to get to the problem area, boot in safe mode, record the screen with my camera, roll back the install, load the video from my camera, analyze it, have a beer, and then come back on here to share my results) but if it's the only way to get help, I'll glady do it.  5.  I am indeed one cool dude.   Thanks for any help you fine folks can provide.  I've emailed Dell with my issue, but have found in the past that community input usually provides better solutions.  Hopefully history will repeat itself in this instance.   Regards (and sorry about the long post!),   -B

JDAdams6 · Answer

I am having the exact same problem as this person did. Our PC specifications are the same. I can install XP without a problem. Dell  replaced my hard drive, but  I am still having endless boot loop during both Vista Express Upgrade and clean install.   Help!   JD

scott784 · Answer

JD and Rorsach, I don't have your system type. However, you may both be aware that many users experienced "endless loops" and failed attempts to install Vista on Vista capable machines dating back to a half a year ago when this OS was first released. I know this from my own personal experience as previously posted on these boards.

At least with the Dim 9200 and XPS410 systems, the solutions have ranged from a combination of updating optical drive firmware to the latest releases, updating the BIOS, chipsets, and swapping out the optical drives for ports 4 and 5 (versus ports 2 and 3). I can tell you from my personal experience that when I followed these steps, I no longer experienced "endless loops" and was finally able to install Vista on my XPS410. (Note, I am referring to these updates above from a "preinstallation" standpoint of Vista, although many folks with Vista "factory" installed have also discussed topics about instabilities, particularly on the Dim 9200).

There are so many variables that it is difficult to say with any degree of certainty what may be causing the problems you have both experienced. It sounds like both of you have done your homework and then some! However, I would ensure all of your settings are up to date and modified as briefly indicated here and explained in more detail in other posts.

I will also say that I agree with Rebel9 in this thread 100 percent! It is a known fact that upgrade installations are more prone to failure and lack the degree of stability of a clean install. Therefore, even if it takes you 5 times as long to do a clean install, the payoff is usually worth it in terms of better system stability and reliability in the long run.

Finally, Bill makes a good point about making a ghost image of your current configurations. I can tell you from personal experience that "Acronis" is an awesome program! Using Acronis, I created a ghost image of the entire contents of my C drive (including the OS itself) and placed this ghost image on an external hard drive. I then deliberately crashed my hard drive to put Acronis to the test (with the ghost image on my external drive). I was back up and running with everything in 35 minutes. So yes, if things go south, that program and the ghost image you make can be a lifesaver.

Rorsach, I noticed that you indicated you have 4 gigs of ram. You might want to remove two of those 4 gigs during the installation of Vista and then reinsert the memory after the install as this sometimes creates problems. Also, if you've got "Raid" set to "on" in your BIOS, you might want to download and store the latest version of the Intel Storage Matrix Manager on a USB memory stick. Then if Vista wants to go searching for "drivers" during the installation, it can grab this off the memory stick during installation (although I didn't find this second step in this paragraph necessary in my case).

In any event, please keep us posted of your efforts/results. These boards are here to help you to the extent possible. At the same time, your feedback is useful to others :smileyhappy:

Message Edited by scott784 on 08-08-2007 07:13 PM

Windows General

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