Vista will not boot - work around

>I have installed the various versions of Vista on 56 various computers. On
> eight of those computers I have run into, and solved, this nasty boot
> problem. I have also assisted with this problem for a rather large handful
> of people who post here with a similar condition.
>
> The problem concerns computers with the following configuration/condition:
>
> 1. A computer with multiple hard drives (any mix of S-ATA or PATA it
> turns out)
>
> 2. Any of the 2nd, or higher, drives has been setup as having a logical
> partition/partitions
>
> 3. The user installs Vista by booting from the DVD
>
> When a drive is setup with a logical partition, 8 meg of unallocated space
> is reserved at the beginning of the drive.
>
> The Vista installer, it appears, will start installing boot code to the
> unallocated space on a 2nd, 3rd or 4th drive. I have used a hex editor and
> have found this code there. This 8 meg of unallocated space is quickly
> filled and the installer places the remainder of the code on the disk chosen
> by the user for the Vista install.
>
> The Vista install completes and the user removes the DVD. Upon startup, the
> user finds that Vista will not boot. Vista is looking for the boot code on
> the drive where the user had chosen to install Vista (system partition). It
> is not there. Part of it resides on another drive where it is not
> recognized.
>
> If the user puts the DVD into the drive tray, Vista boots fine. Startup
> takes the code from the DVD.
>
> This should not occur, but it is too late to change the code on the Vista
> DVD's at this point. The work around is to physically disconnect any drive
> that you do not want the Vista installer to touch. In this way, all of the
> code is written to the desired drive/partition.
>
> Upon arriving at the Windows desktop, go to system management | Disk
> Management and change the drive letters for your CD drive, DVD drive, USB
> drives, card readers etc. to the end of the alphabet. This gets them out of
> the way prior to you shutting down the computer and reconnecting your other
> drives.
>
> Now, shut down your computer and reconnect your drives. Upon booting to the
> desktop, you will see that the new drives are recognized and initialized.
> You will also see that the drive letters are in sequence, and not broken up
> by the various other drives (you previously moved them). You may be asked to
> reboot so the changes can be made permanent. Do so if directed.
>
> The next time you boot to the desktop you can rearrange those re-lettered
> drives if you so desire.
>
> Now, I am not certain how pervasive this problem is but I have seen it on
> old/new motherboards from 3 major M/B manufacturers. It is not, of course,
> going to affect those who purchase a new computer with Vista on it. It
> "will" affect those who upgrade or build their own computers, as these are
> the users who are more likely to have multiple drives installed in their
> machines.
>
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban MVP
> Microsoft Windows Shell/User
>
>

> Interesting post, but this is not the correct newsgroup for that topic.
>

> "Gary VanderMolen" <Gary@nomail.invalid> wrote in message
> news:e$wG9weXHHA.992@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> Interesting post, but this is not the correct newsgroup for that topic.
>>

>
> Learn to read followups, he posted as much.

> Plus we do answer more than just Windows Mail questions. Have yet to see a
> group that didn't.

> If the group couldn't help, they were pointed to the
> right group instead of the "this is not the correct newsgroup for that
> topic."

> lot of expertise. He was quite capable of finding the pertinent newsgroup.
> I agree that newbies need more hand holding.

> "DGuess" <majik@mindspring.oops> wrote in message news:u3g1CBfXHHA.4628@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> "Gary VanderMolen" <Gary@nomail.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:e$wG9weXHHA.992@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>>> Interesting post, but this is not the correct newsgroup for that topic.
>>>

>>
>> Learn to read followups, he posted as much.

>
> Somehow his followup had scrolled off my screen.
> I should have been less hasty.
>

>> Plus we do answer more than just Windows Mail questions. Have yet to see a
>> group that didn't.

>
> The OP didn't post a question or ask for help. He posted a saga of his
> experiences with installing Vista on a bunch of computers.
>

>> If the group couldn't help, they were pointed to the
>> right group instead of the "this is not the correct newsgroup for that
>> topic."

>
> The OP didn't sound like a new user. I got the impression he had a
> lot of expertise. He was quite capable of finding the pertinent newsgroup.
> I agree that newbies need more hand holding.
>
> Gary VanderMolen

>> The OP didn't sound like a new user. I got the impression he had a
>> lot of expertise. He was quite capable of finding the pertinent newsgroup.
>> I agree that newbies need more hand holding.

>
>
>More hand holding????????? And of course you are not a newbie. And you should be the one that should be riding shotgun on
>others and saying how to post in newsgroups >when you do not read the issues correctly and answer as such.

> "Peter Foldes" <okf22@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:eD5iIAiXHHA.2268@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>>More hand holding????????? And of course you are not a newbie. And you
>>should be the one that should be riding shotgun on others and saying how
>>to post in newsgroups >when you do not read the issues correctly and
>>answer as such.

>
> I haven't seen you help many newbies around here.
> At least I try.

> I have installed the various versions of Vista on 56 various computers. On
> eight of those computers I have run into, and solved, this nasty boot
> problem. I have also assisted with this problem for a rather large handful
> of people who post here with a similar condition.
>
> The problem concerns computers with the following configuration/condition:
>
> 1. A computer with multiple hard drives (any mix of S-ATA or PATA it
> turns out)
>
> 2. Any of the 2nd, or higher, drives has been setup as having a logical
> partition/partitions
>
> 3. The user installs Vista by booting from the DVD
>
> When a drive is setup with a logical partition, 8 meg of unallocated space
> is reserved at the beginning of the drive.
>
> The Vista installer, it appears, will start installing boot code to the
> unallocated space on a 2nd, 3rd or 4th drive. I have used a hex editor and
> have found this code there. This 8 meg of unallocated space is quickly
> filled and the installer places the remainder of the code on the disk chosen
> by the user for the Vista install.
>
> The Vista install completes and the user removes the DVD. Upon startup, the
> user finds that Vista will not boot. Vista is looking for the boot code on
> the drive where the user had chosen to install Vista (system partition). It
> is not there. Part of it resides on another drive where it is not
> recognized.
>
> If the user puts the DVD into the drive tray, Vista boots fine. Startup
> takes the code from the DVD.
>
> This should not occur, but it is too late to change the code on the Vista
> DVD's at this point. The work around is to physically disconnect any drive
> that you do not want the Vista installer to touch. In this way, all of the
> code is written to the desired drive/partition.
>
> Upon arriving at the Windows desktop, go to system management | Disk
> Management and change the drive letters for your CD drive, DVD drive, USB
> drives, card readers etc. to the end of the alphabet. This gets them out of
> the way prior to you shutting down the computer and reconnecting your other
> drives.
>
> Now, shut down your computer and reconnect your drives. Upon booting to the
> desktop, you will see that the new drives are recognized and initialized.
> You will also see that the drive letters are in sequence, and not broken up
> by the various other drives (you previously moved them). You may be asked to
> reboot so the changes can be made permanent. Do so if directed.
>
> The next time you boot to the desktop you can rearrange those re-lettered
> drives if you so desire.
>
> Now, I am not certain how pervasive this problem is but I have seen it on
> old/new motherboards from 3 major M/B manufacturers. It is not, of course,
> going to affect those who purchase a new computer with Vista on it. It
> "will" affect those who upgrade or build their own computers, as these are
> the users who are more likely to have multiple drives installed in their
> machines.
>
>
> --
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban MVP
> Microsoft Windows Shell/User
>
>
>

> Richard-
>
> I think I experienced the same problem installing Vista. After
> installation, the system went into a cycle of trying to boot, but I got an
> "installation unsuccessful-restart from installation disk.", but my
> computer
> would not start up from the Vista DVD upgrade disk. I finally figured out
> how to interrupt the start-up and do a roll-back to Windows XP. I have a
> floppy as my A: drive, main hard drive is C:, CD drive as D:, DVD drive as
> E,
> sd card reader as F: a Second Hard Drive as H:. and then partitions on a
> NAS
> Server as X, Y and Z.
>
> If I understand your instructions, I would, before reinstalling Vista:
>
> 1. Disconnect the second Hard drive (currently H
> 2. after restarting the computer, rename my A,D, E and F drives to T, U,
> V,
> and W.

> 3.Shut down, and reconnect the second hard drive,
> restart and check the drive letter assigned to the second drive is in
> sequence with the C: drive (at least, no intervening drives between the
> two
> hard drives.
>
> Does this appear correct?

>
> All I have to do now is wait for Linksys to release the VIsta compatible
> driver for the ethernet card (LNE100TX v5.2 EtherFast 10/100 LAN Card )
> which
> is "coming soon"...
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Henry
>