vLite install freezes, full install gets further, and crcdisk.sys prob

[Jpok]

My vLited installation freezes just at the end of the "Completing Installation" message. I wanted to know if this was a problem caused by missing components, so I tried to do a regular, full install with the bloated MS setup. To my surprise, the MS setup worked . . . well, I can't say that it worked, it just gets a little farther and then freezes later on.

I would've guessed that such a freeze on the vLited install could be caused by missing drivers, but the only drivers that I removed were: Diva Server, Ethernet adapters, Printers (the brands I don't have), and QLogic Adapter. I don't have any of these hardware items attatched to the computer.

Also, under the Compatibility option, I have these features protected: "Aero Glass, Internet Explorer, Recommended, and Scanners and Cameras".

Does anybody know which removed component could be causing such a freeze on the vLited install? Could it be maybe a needed service? I wish I could post my entire vLite preset here, but I don't know how to do that, nor do I know if it would be helpful.

When I tested the bloated MS installation, it was freezing after the installation was complete, on the screen that says "Microsoft Corporation" at the bottom. I tried starting it in Safe Mode, and then I saw that the freeze was happening while loading "crcdisk.sys". Not only this, but at this point the floppy drive and DVD drive (which was empty, I installed from a hard disk) were being polled about every 10 seconds, like the OS was looking for something. I'm sorry for posting this last paragraph, because it's not really related to vLite. You don't have to respond to this last problem, I was just wondering if anyone had a quick-and-easy solution.

Thank you everyone for your help! Happy New Year!

[Jpok]

Well I finally got Vista installed, only without vLite. Can't wait to try vLite if I ever get past the freezing problem. The freezing on the regular installation was fixed when I disabled my DVD drives from the BIOS. The NEC 3550a drives I have are giving Vista some trouble. It's a shame because they're very reliable drives. I might try doing a vLite install again with the DVD drives disabled in the BIOS. . . Could this be what was causing the vLite installation to freeze earlier in the game? But if it is the DVD drives that are causing vLite to freeze at the "Completing Installation" screen, then shouldn't the regular installation have frozen at the same place? Does anybody know the answer to this?

By the way, I don't see why there's so many compaints about Vista on the net. My computer's over 2 years old, and I was expecting to experience the slow, crawling delays that everyone complains about, but I didn't notice any. Vista seemed to be the same speed as my XP (nLited, of course) installation. Plus I was using the full install, and without SP1, and I haven't even disabled any services yet. My vLited install cut the disk down from 2.5 GB to 1.0 GB.

[nuhi]

If full Vista locks for you why not post on Vista forum?

Btw if you post there don't remove components when testing what people tell you.

About locking around Completing installation this is what I know:

www.vlite.net news post "Setup locks at Completing Installation"

Also if you get in vLite 1.1RC popup on Apply to remove $OEM$ settings try that.

[Jpok]

Nuhi, I read the news post "Setup locks at Completing Installation" before I posted anything to this forum. If I was using an illegal, preactivated copy, then I already would have had my answer, and I would never have posted any questions here.

You seem pretty sure on your post that "this can happen ONLY if you use illegal pre-activated Vista installation", especially since you put the "ONLY" in all caps. . . Well, I thought you'd be insterested to know that this is not the case, since I'm using a legal DVD with a legal product key from MS. This may be a rare case . . . maybe even VERY rare, since it seems that you haven't heard of it before, but I'm sure sooner or later somebody else with the same problem will show up.

I'll post a reply here if I ever figure out the problem. My only guess is to try again with the DVD drives disabled in bios this time, since that was what made it work in the full setup. I'm a little skeptical about this, though, because the full setup didn't freeze at the same spot on "completing installation", but a little later. It also seems to me that it's probably not freezing because of some missing components . . . if that was the case, then I'm sure you would have heard many other cases of this same issue that I'm having.

Thanks for the help, and thank you again Nuhi for such a great program!

[nuhi]

Ok. I hear you. Is it then Dell Vista and/or what did you integrate in it? (attach the preset, last session.ini)

[Jpok]

Thanks for the reply.

It's not Dell Vista, although it's a Dell XPS Gen4 Desktop that I'm trying to install it onto. The computer has an ATI Radeon X850 256mb graphics card, 2 monitors, 2 disabled DVD burners, 2 HP printers (one is very old with an old serial connection), a UPS battery backup, 2 external USB drives, an external USB memory card reader, and a 2gb SanDisk USB flash drive for use with ReadyBoost. The processor is a Pentium 4 Prescott 3.4 ghz with HyperThreading enabled. I have XP SP2 installed on the first physical hard drive, and I'm trying to install Vista vLite on the second physical hard drive. I already have the full Vista installed on the second hard drive, as the installation was successful, but it's full of junk that I'll never use. I want vLite!

The Vista DVD is a 32-bit Ultimate version, given to me from the U of M. On the outside edges of the DVD it says "Licensed for use only by students and faculty". On the top it says "English MS Windows Vista Ultimate, For Upgrade Use Only (Product Key Required)". At first I was confused on the "For Upgrade Use Only", thinking that it was an upgrade version, but it definately works as a clean install. On the right side of the disk it says "May 2007, Systems Student Media".

I've attached the Last_Session.ini presets. Can you please tell me if you see anything questionable with my setup? If you don't, then I'm just gonna try doing some experiments by disabling / removing different pieces of hardware. It's probably going to take me a long time if I try to figure it out on my own, so that's why I wanted to get your advice before I proceed. In my search for the solution, I've run into similar situations on other forums (concerning Vista locking up on the "Completing Installation" message, but they weren't using vLite). Others have gotten their installations to work by pulling out half of their RAM, or by using a different DVD drive, or by downgrading their BIOS (can you believe it!), or even by unplugging the monitor from the graphics card and plugging it directly into the motherboard (I don't even know if my motherboard would have such a slot!). It is for these reasons that I'm hoping for a solution before I start opening my computer case!

Thanks again for the help. If I ever find a solution I'll post it here.

Last_Session.ini

[nuhi]

Besides that Upgrade Only part you could try it in Virtual PC and see if it just fails on the real PC. If it's in virtual as well then it should be the same when I try your preset, and if it's not then it's that specific Vista version. You could then find what breaks it and I'll try to adapt it.

Also try without Unattended (just delete Autounattend.xml and remake the ISO) just in case it's something trivial.

[Jpok]

I tested it in Virtual PC, and it works fine.

I'll try what you said by deleting autounattend.xml. That, along with disabling my 2 DVD drives, should be a nice experiment. I don't know if I'll have time to try it tomorrow, but I'll keep you posted.

By the way, you mentioned about remaking the ISO . . . does it matter that I'm not using an ISO? Of course I made one to do the test with Virtual PC, but for installing Vista on my PC I just run Setup.exe from my XP installation.

Thanks again.

[nuhi]

It shouldn't matter. Also try to integrate motherboard chipset drivers, storage controller...maybe it helps. And I have reread your first two posts, forgot that you had the same issue on the full one, disable the drive, play with the bios, it's definitely the machine (or the drivers) since the virtual works.

[Jpok]

Finally got the vLite install to work! All it took was to disable the DVD drives in the bios. For anyone who has the same NEC 3500a drives: After installing Vista you can re-enable them and they work just fine.

A while ago I posted how Vista was about the same speed as my XP installation . . . well, after more careful evaluation I started noticing the delays, and they got pretty annoying. After logging on I would have to wait 10-15 seconds before I could do anything.

BUT, the vLited Vista is very snappy! To me it seems almost twice as fast, because most of the delays are gone. Truly, vLite makes Vista useable. Thanks!

[Brinbane]

Just for the record. I also have a "Upgrade Only" Academic version of Visa 32bit. I can do a fresh install. When I follow up with the Upgrade step so I can activate it, it hangs every time at the "Completing upgrade" step. I have found no solution for this.

This is using the Vista DVD, not vLite. I'm actually here because a forum moderator sent me here to attempt a Vlite version with drivers built into the install as a potential solution.

I can't disable my DVD as a test because I need the DVD to do the install.

Edited January 8, 2008 by Brinbane

[Brinbane]

I'm using an MSI p6N motherboard. MSI tech support just told me this:

It seems to be caused by the academic upgrade since other customers and us used full version without any problem so kindly consult with Microsoft on this issue: www.support.microsoft.com

So pass the buck

Incidentally, I'm also have problems with Vista locking up while using a SATA hard drive which is apparently also related to the Academic upgrade.

[Jpok]

Brinbane - use vLite to copy the DVD contents to your hard drive, then run the setup from there using Setup.exe. That's how I did it.

I would try messing around with the hardware. I'm pretty sure it's not because I have the academic edition that I was having problems - I believe I would have had the same problems with any other version had I not disabled my DVD drives. Although I can't prove this because I haven't tried another version. But considering that it contains exactly the same software as the "regular" versions of Vista, I believe it's just a licensing difference. Can anybody confirm this?

What kind of hardware are you using? How old is your computer? Are you installing it on a second partition?

Another note - if you do try to install from the hard drive using Setup.exe, make sure you use vLite only to copy the DVD contents to your hard drive. I don't know why, but when I tried to copy the DVD to the hard drive using Explorer, it didn't copy the files correctly.

Good luck.