Windows Vista Clean Install of Vista on formatted drive

[Speedbird184]

Hi all,

My apologies if this is a repeated question; I am at my limit with computing today and have been scrolling through forums to find people with similar issues as I have.

I had installed Windows 10 TP from Windows 8.1, and after realising what a mistake that was, I tried to revert back first to 8.1 then to 7. The "rollback" wasn't an option, and every installation technique I tried did not work. After much thought I decided to try to install Windows Vista. Unfortunately, each time I tried to install the OS, it reverted to the TP.

In the Command Prompt I formatted the drive that contained TP and Windows, and made a boot USB drive with Windows Vista. I can boot the computer from the USB drive and the Windows Vista installation begins, but upon choosing a drive to install it to, it says "Windows is unable to find a system volume which meets its criteria for installation".

After Googling this phrase, there is an article from Microsoft that outlines to make sure the HDD is a higher boot priority, or to remove the USB drive during boot up and to only insert it after Windows Install starts.
I have reconfigured the BIOS and made sure the HDD has a higher priority than the USB drive, and the same issue occurs. I obviously cannot boot the computer without the stick because there is no information on the HDD to which to boot to.

Any insight / help would be great!

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like you're encountering difficulties with installing Windows Vista after unsuccessful attempts to revert from Windows 10 TP to Windows 8.1 or 7. Here are a few steps you could take to try and resolve the issue with the installation from the USB drive: 1. USB Boot Drive: - Ensure that the USB drive is properly created for a bootable installation. - Try creating the bootable USB again using a tool like Rufus to ensure it's set up correctly. 2. BIOS Settings: - In the BIOS, check that the boot sequence is configured to prioritize the internal HDD. - Disable Secure Boot if enabled, as Windows Vista doesn't support this feature. 3. HDD Partitioning: - Check if the HDD is correctly partitioned and formatted. - Use a partition management tool like GParted to configure the partitions correctly before starting the Vista installation. 4. Drive Recognition: - During the Vista installation, check if it recognizes the internal HDD as a viable installation target. - Sometimes switching SATA modes in BIOS (AHCI, IDE) can help with drive recognition during installation. 5. Offline Installation: - Consider disconnecting the USB drive after booting from it and selecting the installation options to see if the Vista installer can locate the system volume once the USB drive is removed. 6. Driver Support: - Windows Vista might require specific drivers for newer hardware components. Check if your PC manufacturer provides compatible drivers for Vista for your system. By following these steps, you may be able to address the installation issue and proceed with getting Windows Vista installed on your system.