Trouble updating to Vista

[detoam]

Hi there!
I am trying to update to Vista but having issues.
When the PC restarts for the first time it reaches the loading frame and then goes into the mad loop of rebooting. I got it once to get into the setup, but it crashed again after a few seconds and started the loop again. I have disconnected everything from the computer (except mouse, keyboard and monitor) but it still does the same thing.
I also thought of doing a clean install, but I have so many programs installed that it would take me a long time to reinstall them and set them up again to the way i like.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thank you.
Regards.

 

[Bobbye]

How are you trying to 'update to Vista'?

 

[detoam]

From within the XP.

 

[detoam]

I was finally able to upgrade. To do so however I had to remove my 2Gig stick of memory and replace it with two 512MB sticks. I installed Vista and then added the 2Gig stick to the other two. The system seems to run just fine. However there are some strange things. It's a 32 bit OS, but it created a pagefile that is more than 3Gig. Add that to 3Gig of physical memory and it does not make sense. I thought that 32 bit can only recognize 4 Gig max. It seems however that it added 1300MB of that memory to my Video card. This is truly a messed up OS.

 

[Bobbye]

I think you must share part of the problem. You tried to "upgrade" to Vista on a system using Windows XP. Compatibility and drivers are a great issue, along with amount of RAM.

Chances are the system was not appropriate for the upgrade.

 

[detoam]

I finally figured out that the RAM I was using is not compatible with the board. Had to return it. But not before I totally scrapped everything and reinstalled XP. I use my PC for work and it is important to have it running most of the time. I still want to install Vista though. Gonna have to do it sooner or later anyway. I'd rather start now.

 

[Everlong18]

If you're upgrading from within XP, a clean install is best. I tried upgrading straight from XP, even after uninstalling graphic/mobo drivers it still blue screened and kept restarting because of some other drivers I had forgotten about.

And it only counts for physical memory on the graphic card and RAM for the whole "32bit can't recognise more than 4GB" thing.