Hi!

I have tried to use the recovery disks almost a dozen times but the
install always fails.

And people wonder why these things are a bad idea compared to a real
operating system installation disc?

Sorry, I know it doesn't help, but I just had to rant.

Intel problem of not providing the Linux drivers for every sound chip
they produce, as they do for Microsoft Operating Systems.

The "sound chips" are nothing more than digital to analog converters from
some vendor, usually Conexant in the case of HPaq hardware. The main part of
the sound system exists in the south bridge, and most of the work actually
happens in software. AC'97 and the later HD Audio are both standards, one
driver ought to work them all.

I thought those things were a joke then, and I think they are only slightly
less of a joke now...

I had to start running Dban on the Sata drives (Two Drives) as the
recovery disks are only good for one try, or they come up with errors
early in the recovery.

Don't bet that the discs aren't bad. This whole disaster was developed by
SoftThinks, and I think that's actually an acronym, standing for something
like "the author of this Software didn't have the ability to Think". I've
seen this so-called "recovery" system claim that a second disc was required
when their very own burning utility only made one and said it was done. When
it does burn a disc, it burns the disc as fast as the burner will allow.
This does not improve the odds of the media surviving in the face of bit
rot.

I don't think you will get this to work.

Get a real Vista installation disc and start there. Or just get a copy of
Windows 7 and use that.

William