P-7811fx Request for minor help.

I just started with my P-7811fx, and decided to RAID 1 the drives and reinstall OS. During the reinstall, it could not open install.wim. Basically, my DVD media is bad. The files could not be accessed in another computer as well - so it is the media. I am in the process of requesting, and hopefully receiving a new DVD media. My request here is for an copy of the media, or the actual media, because waiting for Gateway or Tiger may be a quite lengthy process. I will pay with PayPal for one sooner. Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

I think that the VISTA ket is already "pre keyed" in the OEM disks, so I don't think you can do it this way. Read the EULA.

 

did you see if it was dirty? I know it sounds simple, but it happens

 

Thanks for the quick replies. It does go so far as to request the key, validate the key, and then comes up with an error that it cannot open d:/sources/install.wim. It is/was a brand new disc, and I have removed any smudges or imperfections that I could detect. Unfortunately the disc is indeed toast. It's funny, I was able to install Vista using the Upgrade Anytime DVD. It would not take the Key from the COA on the underside of 7811fx, but it doesn't need a key to install. I'm really just trying to figure out how to install the OS on the Raid Array, with BIOS 9c.12.00. The last time I went through the install, I had the 32 bit raid controller drivers on a flash - they were detected. Oddly, after selecting the first partition (50GB) in my array, the install said it was unsure whether the bios could boot to the selected partition - or something along those lines.

 

This same kind of issue occured in a friends computer due to corrupt memory... but it was a different problem with an install file each time... so yours is probably the case of a bad disk as you described..... maybe check the memory just in case?

 

Definitely not memory. I have gone through and installed Vista 32 a few times using a Windows Upgrade Anytime CD without using a serial number. On install time number two, attempting Raid 1 install, it just would not continue after LOAD Driver, and volume selected. And then I just could not get back into the BIO 9c.08.00 at this point, so I couldn't turn off raid to weasel back into loading vista on IDE setup. Load driver at early stage of install I really believe isn't required. I don't think I needed a flash drive with raid driver at all. So then, I used CTRL+I to delete and rebuild, because I couldn't get into bios to turn off raid, and just could not get past selecting the volume for installing vista. Anyways, I decided to delete and rebuild the array and try one last time to install Vista on Raid - only this time I chose striped (meaningless), but that is what I chose, even though I didn't want it. So this time through I did not LOAD driver, I didn't format drives or anything. All I did was select the volume and hit next. Now I have fully functional vista on striped volume w/9c.10.00 done with Vista Upgrade Anytime CD. In the end, I have a good idea which steps and time involved to load the OS on Raid 1, and then what drivers are needed. In my case, it only needs Chipset, Matrix, Wireless, Ethernet, and Camera. No yellow ticks after loading those five. Sound is good, and I didn't load anything for sound.

 

OEM disks are not pre-keyed.

 

An OEM Dell "recovery" DVD will work, if you can get ahold of one. You'll just have to reload the drivers manually.