Windows Vista Installing VISTA on a machine with 3 harddrives

I started the installation by entering the boot menu (F8) during post.
I directed the installation from my first DVD drive to the second EIDE harddrive, which was a perfectly functional Windows XP pro drive from a computer that I sold. The first go-through seemed to go fine: Copying Windows Files...Expanding Files...Installing Features...Installing Updates....Completing Installation...Windows then said it would reboot in ten seconds. Of course when it reboots without any input from me it would default to my primary harddrive-a SATA that also contains Windows XP. I stopped this boot and I rebooted again, this time interrupting with F8, choosing the EIDE drive to which VISTA was previously installed. This time the POST stopped at a black screen that said windows could not start because a file was missing or corrupt:system32\drivers\ndis.sys, and that I should insert the system CD and press "r" to try and repair this file. It apparently is trying to repair the previously XP installation.I rebooted yet again, this time choosing the DVD drive that contains the VISTA DVD, it took me through the entire process again. I typed most of this while it expanded the files for a second time. This time, when it rebooted, I caught it with F8 the first time, but got the exact same "Windows could not start" message. Help?

 

The Vista boot files have no doubt been placed on a different hard drive to the Vista OS. Probably your first IDE drive, because you would see a new boot menu when you start XP on the SATA drive. Any WinNT install will place its boot files on the hard drive that is seen as the first boot hard drive in the BIOS.

Your best option if you want to use your BIOS bootmanager as your means of selecting which OS to boot, is to make the desired hard drive the boot drive during the install. So either change the BIOS, or disconnect the other hard drives. Once Vista is up and running you can put things back as you have them.

 

Just some points.

You want a dual boot between SATA and EIDE. The first boot drive on EIDE is drive 0 on the primary IDE controller. You are looking at doing a lot of "switching ", because boot information will need to be placed on several drives.

I can't say "this" will fix it, but is it possible to install Vista on drive O of the primary IDE controller? The BIOS may not be able to untangle the redirections (I don't see why you need to "catch" F8. If Vista has set up a dual boot, it should boot to itself).

Check in the boot settings of the BIOS, the BIOS will have a big role to play in switching between controllers (if possible).

I think it will be due to changing between SATA and PATA.

If you are stuck, consider:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us
I would have my system backed up though.

Matt

 

I wouldn’t go messing with the bootrec tool unless you know exactly what you are doing. Replacing MBRs and partition boot sectors is not a good idea as a wild stab at trying to get Vista booting in your situation. If you are not getting a Vista bootmenu when you boot XP, then Vista is not there, so replacing the XP drive’s MBR and boot sector with Vista ones will stop you booting XP. You could then try and get the Vista boot files inside XP and configure them to let you boot both OSes, but it may not be straight-forward with your mix of SATA and IDE.

 

Hi McTavish, you posted a little before me and I had not seen your reply.

Agree! On the subject of the bootrec, I was amazed to see that they did not recommend a full backup...I did a double check and suggested it as a precaution.

Dual boots may work flawlessly until you want to make changes in your drive configuration (say, remove an OS), then it might be...you name it

If problems occur at setting up a dual boot, it may be wise to think again.

I have not used third party boot controllers (I like testing the in-built ones )

Matt