Vista Install Stalls

[whovous]

Working on a new build:
C2D E4300 CPU
Gigabyte 965P DS3 w/ F10 BIOS
2 Gig Corsair XMS RAM
Biostar 7900GS GPU
Antec 900 case and HE550 PSU
WD SE16 250GB
Lite-On SATA DVD Player
Samsung DVD Burner

This is a clean install, not an upgrade. I have the full install OEM DVD. I can boot from the DVD and use it to partition and format drives (FAT-16 was the default choice). It asks me which partition, which language, and finally it asks for my product code.

Once I tell it to proceed, it says something like "Windows is Copying Files (0)%." As near as I can tell, it never gets past 0%. I let the machine run for a while, and when I come back, I see the message:

"Windows Setup could not reinitialize the deployment engine. To install Windows, restart the installation."

If I click OK, all it does is start me over again, with the same result.

I also tried partitioning the HD with the WD tools. It allowed to NTFS the drive at least, but when I went to install, I got exactly the same result.
s
I am at a loss on what to do next. Advice please. I cannot call MS support, because this is an OEM disk. My impression is that their support is not all that good anyway.

 

[loup garou]

Did you try loading SATA drivers for your board during setup?

 

[whovous]

Not sure I understand. This is not a RAID setup. Also, things work until quite a ways into the process. Wouldn't a driver problem be evident from the git-go?

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: whovous
Not sure I understand. This is not a RAID setup. Also, things work until quite a ways into the process. Wouldn't a driver problem be evident from the git-go?

I'd say the fact that you can only format your drive FAT 16 would be that sort of evidence.

Drivers here.

 

[whovous]

I'll try em, but I did say that the WD tools allowed me to NTFS the drive.

But I will definitely try em, as I am clearly missing something here.

Just a bit later: Those are SATA RAID drivers at your link...

 

[whovous]

The problem appears to be solvedd, or at least Vista is installing as I type.

I cleared CMOS, got an error message or two, ran one WD diagnostic and got a mysterious error code, then ran an older diagnostic and was told there was something wrong with my data cable. It may have simply been a connection issue, but I replaced the cable, then used WD Data Lifeguard to restore the MBR and re-partition the drive to NTFS.

From there, I put the instsll disk in, and when it got to "copying files" the step that normally caused things to stall indefinitely became about a three second process. As I type, it is almost done with the "expanding files" step.

Thanks all.