Windows Reinstall Problem - Installer Repeats Until Disk is Full !!!

This is a new thread, because it's a completely new problem, but follows advice I received in an earlier thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows-os-software/737970-bsod-driver_irql_not_less_or_equal.html

I took the advice to do a complete reinstall / clean install of Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit

I backed up all my files.
I downloaded a copy of Windows Vista Home Premium. Mounted it to a disk then created a bootable 4gb USB stick using WinToFlash

(I tried doing it using the windows 7 usb/dvd download tool but came across the 'not an iso' problem, I tried to correct that with the isoavdpcopy.exe fix, but that kept telling me the disk was read only, so I tried ImgBurn but had similar problems so finally went with WinToFlash)

I set my laptop to reboot to the USB drive and things appeared to progress correctly.
1. I was asked which language
2. I accepted the license agreement
3. I was given the option to choose a partition to install to
4.I am told it is installing and may restart a number of times.

After about 15 mins or so the computer restarts.
It goes back to
1. which language?
2. license agreement
3. option to choose a partition to install to - But now the partition I chose is smaller by about 8-9GB
- I figure it's just doing its thing so I click next and
4.I am told it is installing and may restart a number of times.

After about 15 mins or so the computer restarts.
It goes back to
1. which language?
2. license agreement
3. option to choose a partition to install to - But now the partition I chose is smaller by about 16-18GB
- and this repeats every time until there's about 20 GB left on a 150GB partition.

I try starting all over again but the same thing happens.

I try recreating the USB drive a couple times, in case there was a glitch - but same thing happens.

I find a different copy of Windows Vista Home Premium, which I know I used to install successfully it on a virtual drive a short time ago, so I create a whole new bootable usb drive with that - but same thing happens.

So what am I doing wrong?

 

I'm not sure, but it might be that Vista won't allow USB install? Did you try it with a DVD?

But still check your boot order in the BIOS, that seems the most likely place for this to happen. Make sure the HDD you're installing to is the first.

You could also try loading the defaults for the BIOS.

BTW, it's not filling your disk don't worry. It's just not finding the boot disk after install so it's restarting the installer and overwriting.
You could probably search around, it's called: the endless install loop.

Here: vista endless install loop - Bing

 

Thanks for your help!
That was driving me a little bit nuts.

You were right to direct me back to the bios. I'm not so familiar with that and it was probably the problem.

I was avoiding using the dvd/cd drive as it has been disfunctional on that laptop for a while. So I was using a Flash USB drive.

After reading your post I went back to trying a dvd I'd burned and took another look at the bios. What I didn't realise was that I needed to change the boot order of drives - and not just select one. Maybe that is why the USB boot wasn't working, I don't know but it's done now and I have a newly installed Windows Vista, at last!
Thanks again.

Unfortunately, my newly installed OS just went to blue screen with the driver error again - so it hasn't solved the problem!
- And so I'm going back to my earlier thread again to see what other suggestions there may be.

If you have any ideas, I'd be glad to hear from you again.

 

Did you by chance get my PM suggesting to clean the drive first using the clean command?

Definitely shouldn't be getting that error without any drivers installed yet. There must be corruption somewhere or you're getting a fouled install.

------------------------------------

Either of these will make data completely unrecoverable for the selected drive - be careful.

Disconnect any attached devices.

Start the Windows install and at the language form press SHIFT + F10.

You may want to do a CLEAN ALL - it's up to you to decide.

Type the following commands exactly (omitting notes), Press Enter key after each line:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK n (n = number of the target disk to bring into focus to operate on)
CLEAN (CLEAN: < 1 minute, deletes/resets MBR; CLEAN ALL: ~ 20 minutes per 100GB for HDD to complete, resets entire drive to zeros)
EXIT
EXIT

You're done. Select a language, click next to install Windows.

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EDIT:

If you haven't started already, do this: Disconnect all power supplies and batteries, hold the power button down for >1 minute; reattach all batteries and power supplies.

 

After it reboots first time you have to take away flash drive otherwise it gonna boot from flash drive again. Looking at Bing it looks ере many people are like that who were cached by this trick.

Have you formatted C drive before installing it? Do this.

And just format flash drive with HP USB Format Tool and simple copy all files from iso to адыр drive with UltraISO.
And check hashsumms of iso too.

 

No, I didn't see that.

But I did run DBaN on my HD - would that be enough, do you think?

As for the blue screen - I ran WhoCrashed and posted the results on my earlier thread (which was about the blue screen), here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...ver_irql_not_less_or_equal-2.html#post9465023

It seems it's the driver for my Wirelss USB Adapter that's causing the blue screen problems.
- I downloaded a fresh driver from the site but it's still doing the same thing.

 

Dban zero write would be sufficient.

As for the BSoD: driver_irql_not_less_or_equal, I would try that and your suspected driver name into search engines and see if there is a work around for it.

Pity we didn't try that before. Did you recently add that wireless USB hardware to the system before the problems started?