BOOTCAMP EXPERT NEEDED (Detailed problem)

I'll try to be as clear and concise as possible. First, here are the specs of my computer:

• Running Snow Leopard OS
• 20inch iMac, 2.4GHz Intel Core Duo Processor
• 6MB shared L2 cache
• 1GB of 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; supports up to 4 GB
• 250GB Serial ATA hard drive
• Slot loading superdrive
• ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT graphics processor with 128 MB of GDDR3 memory

If any more specs are needed, I can add them later. Here's the exact problem I'm having:

PROBLEM: Using Bootcamp and a successfully partitioned hard drive, I cannot boot up in Windows using the windows install disc.

DETAILS: I opened Bootcamp assistant and selected the option to partition my hard drive. My hard drive was already partitioned, but I had previously given too little space for the PC side to function properly after downloading a rather large game. Anyway, I divided the drive into two equal parts, each part receiving 150GB of space.

Next, the directions say to insert the windows installation disc, and click "Start installation" in the Bootcamp assistant. I used a compatible Windows Vista Ultimate Edition installation disc. I clicked on "start installation" with the disc inserted, and my computer restarted...

This is where the problem occurs. When the computer restarts, it recognizes the disc and begins to read it...I can hear this happening. However, Windows fails to actually start up. The screen I am stuck on is a black screen, with a white blinking underscore at the top left corner. The directions say that if the computer fails to boot up in Windows, to hold down the option key when starting the computer. Then you are supposed to click on the windows installation disc icon that appears, and press any key, quickly, to begin the installer. I have tried this (several times), and it has not fixed the problem I have, being stuck at the screen with the blinky underscore.

I've been trying several different methods of starting up the computer, and trying to get the installation disc to actually run. I've held down the option key with no disc inserted, then inserting the disc once the Mac HD icon appears, then clicking on the Windows disc icon once it shows up.

Misc. Information: I have called Apple tech support and while the man on the line was very nice, he could not solve my problem and suggested taking it in to the Genius Bar. I suppose I don't mind doing this but the last thing I want is 5 23 yr olds repeating the exact process I've done and saying, "Oh, ya it doesn't work. DURRRRRR."

If there's anything else you'd like to know about my computer or about exactly what I did in trying to install Windows, I'd be more than happy to elaborate because I understand this might be a lot of information to take in at first. All I can say is I have the printed Bootcamp directions in front of me, and they have once again failed to be correct, or to address the issue I'm facing.

Thank you in advance for help. <3

Have you read this "Sticky" Thread first:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/wi...otcamp-save-yourself-possibly-hours-time.html

Probably a good place to start before asking questions.

- Nick

DETAILS: I opened Bootcamp assistant and selected the option to partition my hard drive. My hard drive was already partitioned, but I had previously given too little space for the PC side to function properly after downloading a rather large game. Anyway, I divided the drive into two equal parts, each part receiving 150GB of space.

Click to expand...

This is where you "lose" me. You say the drive was already partitioned but had too little space for Vista. How about giving us some details on how you re-partitioned the drive? Boot Camp will refuse to partition a drive that is already partitioned so I have to think that you may have either removed the original partition or did the partitioning some other way?

That may or may not be relative to the problem you're having trying to install Vista. The "blinking" white cursor on a black screen usually indicates an incompatible version of Windows was used, or, the boot sector for Windows was never created.

A bit of advice: You might want to think about starting over with a clean install of everything. Of course, much depends on what it is that occurred on the original install attempt.

Post back and we can go from there.

Regards.

If it's not booting from the disc, and assuming it's a fully compatible, bootable disc, it sounds as simple as a disc error to me. It's either dirty or damaged. At worst it's a hardware fault with your reader.

Do you have another machine (pretty much anything will do) to just try and boot from the disc?

Can the disc be read in OSX? If so you could try making a duplicate and booting from that.

Are you able to boot from you mac os disc?

Answering these questions will help diagnose the fault