The first problem....Vista

Step 1:

Turn on computer, insert Vista 64 business edition (all legal thanks to the good people at MSDN). Sure boot from DVD, and wait a lot. Still waiting....yep it takes forever for things to happen but they eventually do you just have to be patient.

So after choosing what language I want and my time zone I press the next button, and I wait some more, ok so a lot more. Eventually the "enter your activation code" window comes up, cool done. Wait a lot more (frustration increasing).

Disk partitioning section, sure i'll choose partition 2 on disk 1 (190GB) and press next, "this disk does not have the requirements for a system disk" ??? WTF ok format partition.....wait......same error.

Now i'm stumped, it has NTFS on it I just formatted it, I know format again...wait...press next, same error. Ok extream measures delete partitons on disk, good bye linux (home dirrectory is on another disk, no loss of personal info). Ok empty disk, partiton about 2/3 for vista format and leave the rest empty....wait...same error.

By this point the level of frustration i'm feeling is extreme, goodbye power....start again.

My frustration is inversly proportional to the amount of information being supplied by the process, since Vista just gives you a pretty picture to look at for most of the waiting time frustration rockets towards infinity.

After the restart same problem with the HDD, so far this has taken about 40min my frustration is through the roof and I can't stop as i have no system installed at all now...seeya power (again)....go make a cup of tea.

Remove power to other HDD's in the computer, try install again.....the computer gods are smiling the actual install starts....this shouldn't be long now.

So far it has taken approx 45min of my time just to start the installation process, and about an hour and a half later Vista starts for the first time. yay :(