Installation Issues with Vista

All night I have been trying to figure this out, I get it to copy the files, expand the files, "update" even though its not connected to the internet, then it will restart and hang up on the completing installation part of the install.

System:
Q6600
DFI LANParty UT ICFX3200
Sapphire HD 3870
4GB OCZ @ 2.0v
2 160GB SeaGate Sata - Raid 0

I've disconnected my other drive, sound card and wireless card.

I've removed 2 sticks of RAM, then removed a third, changed a couple of BIOS options (C1E, serial ports, FDD, Ram voltage).

The main reasons for the switch from XP are: DX 10, x64, 4+GB RAM, then the plus would be the RAID.

The last thing I'm going to try that I have yet to try is installing Vista without the raid, which I really do not want to do.

Any Ideas?

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You registered for QuakeCon on April 30, 2008, 6:56 pm. You were # 366 to sign up for QuakeCon!

Are you loading the RAID drivers at start up?

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In order for me to install Vista I have to load the raid drivers in order to find my raid right before it copies the files over (when it asks where you want to install Vista).

Just thought of this, would it matter what raid chipset I use? Right now I have my drives on SATA 5,6 with the Promise chipset. Would it be better if I used the ATi southbridge SATA 1,2?

EDIT: Nope, no difference... I wonder whats making it hang...

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You registered for QuakeCon on April 30, 2008, 6:56 pm. You were # 366 to sign up for QuakeCon!

Can you connect one of your drives directly to a SATA port-not a RAID port, just a standard SATA port? If you do, does it work?

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I'm going to try it out, I've been busy (on a date) all day today and I'm prolly not going to have any time to test tomorrow either.

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You registered for QuakeCon on April 30, 2008, 6:56 pm. You were # 366 to sign up for QuakeCon!

Update:

Ive gone as far as to disable/remove the following

Sound card
Extra HDD/Cd-rom/USB
Ethernet
Wireless
1394

Currently connected:
Usb mouse
ps2 keyboard
Cd-rom drive
2x160gb sg hdd - raid 0 (i want it to be in raid :S)
4gb ocz @2.1v
HD 3870

I got rid of my vista home prem upgrade for oem ultimate, sadly same problem happens.

The best part is, I have searched other forums/websites, microsoft's site, nothing, nada, no help nowhere other than the fact that there are many other people with the same problem as me

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You registered for QuakeCon on April 30, 2008, 6:56 pm. You were # 366 to sign up for QuakeCon!

Yah I've got it narrowed down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111!1111one!!1eleven!!11

Its my ram.

My roommate has the exact same setup as me (well almost)
Lets see if I can recall his specs:

Intel C2D E6400? 2.13Mhz
4GB o Corsair (4x1GB sticks) XMS2 DDR2800 4-4-4-12 @ 1.84v
DFI ICFX3200
2x Sapphire HD 3870
2x320 SG Sata I hdd
750 SG Sata II hdd
Blah blah blah, he asks me what I would suggest and he does it. >.<'

His copy of Vista installed perfectly. So I slammed one of my hdd in his pc, installed Vista flawlessly, brought that hdd back to my system, FREEZE! I changed some ram timings/voltages, and north bridge voltage, Vista ran for about 5-10 minutes a couple times after hard reboots.

Right now Im going to go into town grab some caffeine, then borrow one of his sticks of ram, hopefully it will install Vista, then I'm going to try the raid if that works.

If this all works out I may end up selling my OCZ ram.

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You registered for QuakeCon on April 30, 2008, 6:56 pm. You were # 366 to sign up for QuakeCon!

Wait a minute, you're over clocking and screwing around with the timings of your ram before an OS installation? I don't think I need to say it but you've asked for instability and you got it


The ram is probably the issue, like you had suggested. I would just use the OE speced timings for the install. After the OS is up and running, go nuts with changing up the ram.

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Spike

Its not overclocked -.-'

Go check the volts for the OCZP800R2GK

The 1.9 is a joke and OCZ says to set it to 2.0 or 2.1

It froze with his one stick of RAM too, both on BIOS stock settings (1.84) and factory recommended (2.1)

Yes I have tried using bios stock and 1.9v with my ram, but memtest throws up red flags left and right, setting it to 2.0 and 2.1 it runs without errors.


Yes I now have tried without a raid, no dice.

My system runs XP just fine, but WTF not Vista? Our bios versions should be the same, he bought his board 3 months after the latest release, and mine was all most a year after that with no newer releases. None of the releases talk about stababilty for C2Q other than some issue with the Q6700. Could it be that I or he may be running a different bios version? If so how could I find out? I have not seen anything anywhere about what version I am running.

EDIT: Found the bios version, both the same, so I'm going to try updating it if DFI's site ever comes back online.

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You registered for QuakeCon on April 30, 2008, 6:56 pm. You were # 366 to sign up for QuakeCon!

Im going to QQ

Updated my BIOS and blamo, it works.

I feel like deleting this entire thread out of retardation.

Remember kids, ALWAYS UPDATE YOUR BIOS!!! Even if you think there isnt a reason to!

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You registered for QuakeCon on April 30, 2008, 6:56 pm. You were # 366 to sign up for QuakeCon!