Hopefully this may help.

When you do a "clean" install using a Vista upgrade DVD, you need to run the
install (first pass) without entering the product key. After the install
completes and brings you to your desktop, run the install again from within
Vista. Enter the product key and activate the product.

I didn't have any issue with needing my DVD in the drive in order to boot
into Vista.

Keith

"mhonzell" <mhonzell@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0D26BD2C-1D4D-4879-BB13-DC0F79B2E77A@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Performed a "Clean Install" of Vista using an upgrade disk. (No dual boot
> action.)
> To do this, had to set the BIOS to boot from the CDROM first.
>
> Everything worked great, until I rebooted and removed the Vista DVD. Now,
> Vista refuses to boot unless the installation DVD is inserted and the BIOS
> is
> set to seek it first.
>
> Tried formatting my primary and extended partitions on Drive 0 and
> reperforming the upgrade only to end up in the same situation.
> (Yes, this can be done with an upgrade disk.)
>
> Bootmgr is nowhere to be found on the system disk. System Repair won't fix
> the problem.
>
> What files need to be on the System Disk for a C: drive boot?
> What is the exact command needed to make the MBR look there instead of any
> other drive?
>
> Lastly, why doesn't it install correctly?
> (Put the correct files on the correct drive...)[/color]

--
Keith