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• Update (31 May 2009): Note that this same process (in particular the pcmcia related caveats) has been successfully tested with Vista RTM, and Windows Server 2008. Refer to my comment from today for Windows Server 2008 instructions (31st May 2009).

Well, looking at the date of my last post... I guess it's that of year again, yes, the annual post!

MSDN is a real pain sometimes. Anyways, I finally got hold of my MSDN Vista Ultimate, they finally cleared the server backlog and gave us some serials, and I finally got Vista installed successfully!

Microsoft Vista on the Toshiba Satellite M40

If you, like me, have a Toshiba Satellite M40 (other machines seem to suffer the same symptoms), and can't figure out why Vista isn't booting, perhaps you might be interested how I installed it (yes, it happened to me from their earliest releases right up until RTM, just in case you were wondering). I guess I'll do the standard thing, and list out my hardware specs, as it seems to be the normal thing to do in these types of technical rants (I already told you--I have an M40!):

Toshiba Satellite M40-SF3 (PSM40C-SF300E)
Intel Pentium M/Centrino 1.87ghz CPU
2048MB ram (stock machines come with 512mb)
Dedicated Nvidia 6600 Go 128 mb video card

Ok, so now that we've confirmed that our computers are similar (or not), let's see if we suffered the same symptoms:

Vista looks like it installs properly. When it reboots, the computer starts up and the lowres windows splashscreen loads (with the green moving progress bar). The bar moves across a few times, then stops completely. All lights/activity cease shortly after.

-OR-

Vista looks like it installs properly. When it reboots, I see a blank black screen of death.

I'm glad I finally managed to figure it out after trying every single MSDN release of Vista unsuccessfully (sigh), luckily, my boss is a downloadaholic.

This is exactly what I did to get Vista to install:

I had the delight of discovering two problems interfering with Vista. After trying as many "one step" fixes as I could, of course.

ISSUE #1:
You need an external monitor/tv/etc. I plugged into the LCD TV here at home. Make sure the video out is enabled in your BIOS (Toshiba HWSetup in Control Panels, for instance), make sure it all works beforehand to save yourself some grief. Plug it in. Reboot the machine or run the upgrade from within Windows.

Don't ask me why--just do it...I know it sounds ridiculous. I can't begin to explain the delicate and mysterious ways in which Microsoft bugs work. The LCD must not initialize properly during the installation, for one reason or another. That's about all I know about it.

ISSUE #2:
1. Let it install.
2. When it reboots, make sure your Vista DVD is still in the drive. Boot from the DVD.
3. Select the Windows installation when it asks, and then select repair.
4. It will go through a long period of scanning or some sort of other bullshit. You should just cancel this.
5. You will see an option for advanced repair options. Go there.
6. Go to the command prompt there.

Now, two files are messing everything up at startup, you have to rename them:

c:\windows\system32\drivers\pcmcia.sys (rename it to anything else, i.e., pcmcia.bad)

- AND -

c:\windows\system32\driverstore\filerepository\pcmcia.inf_1234a123 (the numbers at the end vary with the release)

So, now you've renamed them. Reboot. Vista should continue to finish off the install now. You can unplug from the video out (forever, if you wish).

I hope this works for you. If it does, please confirm it with me by dropping me a note! Thanks.