BSOD on Ultimate Install

[mossmanfly]

Just installing a new PC and I get a BSOD on the install of Vista Ultimate 32 after I run through the initial setup stage (before you get to chose HDD location), but once I reboot it goes through fine and then I can load up Ultimate 32 without any issues.

The problem occurs when I try to install Ultimate 64 on either a 2nd partition, a 2nd drive or even as the the only OS. It will do the same as the Ultimate 32 in terms of BSOD once under the initial install, but when it finally finishes installing to the specific location it reboots as normal, but it will the BSOD very quickly once past the Vista loading screen and reboot. So it doesnt actually go through the performance checks and the setting up of username, computer name etc.

I have done a little research and it seems theres and issue if you have over 3GB of memory, which I do as I have 8GB, and also 3 768MB video cards, so im hoping this is the issue. But the thing that concerns me as that Ultimate 32 gets past this problem and once its BSOD once its fine. Yet the 64 version cant finish the install at all, considering the 64bit version is there to handle more memory its a bit ironic that if the above is the case, that to install the 64bit version I need to remove RAM.

I will try again tomorrow with removing 3 sticks of 2GB and just install with 2GB, hoping I dont have to remove the 2 of the video cards aswell to make it install.

Any ideas?

[badbob]

Try another 4GB of RAM, also another HD. If it still fails run memtest. Even if you have 8GB of RAM with Vista 32, it shoudn't BSOD. It just won't use the extra RAM.

[mossmanfly]

After doing more research it is a common issue during installation. 3Gb of RAM or more and you can get these BSOD, MS has fixes for these but as its during install its hard to apply fixes before you even finish installing, think there is a way will have to look into it. As I said with Ultimate 32 it only BSODs once during the 1st initial install before you chose the HDD and then after that its fine, it installs and works fine, no BSOD in Vista at all.

The main issue is with the 64bit where it just wont install fully, keeps BSOD but again it can be down to 4GB of RAM this time. Just hoping thats the issue. But as the the 32 installs fine after the initial BSOD I cant say its hardware related, plus I was using it fine as a factory installed PC, playing Crysis and UT3 demo for a few hours before reinstalling to get rid of all the extra rubbish they have installed, plus I wanted to dual boot it.

[chuwright]

Vista 64 is a lot more picky about hardware than v32. I found that if there were lost clusters/orphaned files on a RAID drive v64 would BSOD and subsequently refuse to boot, even to safe mode! My advice would be to remove any additional hardware/memory for the duration of the install. Once installed, add the additional hardware/memory, do this before activating. As someone pointed out, once v64 is installed perform a memcheck. Good luck with the install.

[mossmanfly]

Well I took out 6GB and left just 2GB in, and it installed fine. I then put the memory back in and again BSOD on startup. Removed memory and installed the hotfix and it works with 8GB in. Didnt install the fix before I reinstalled the RAM as I thought it was only for during installation, but obviously it effects normal boot up under certain situations. But its all working now, under dual boot.