I am getting a "Bad Image" error when running setup for the second
time after an interrupted first run. The message in full is: "The
application or DLL D:\sources\input.dll is not a valid Windows image.
Please check this against your installation diskette." Of course, the
disk in question is the official Windows Vista disk which just arrived
in the mail from Microsoft and it ran the first time without giving
this error. The first run got as far as the screen that asks if one
wants an upgrade or a clean install, and I realized I needed a better
backup before proceeding beyond that point, so I stopped the install
and backed up. Apparently, the first run left behind some evidence of
partial installation that is interfering with all attempts to install
for real. So, my question is, what do I have to remove in order to
install?

So, the reason there are no posts about this is that the remedy is
elementary, but for those who are still learning the basics, here it
is. Restore the last system checkpoint.
In detail, click Start -> Help and Support to get the help dialog.
Type "system restore wizard" in the search box to get a link to the
wizard. Click "run system restore wizard" to get a choice between
restore and backup; choose restore. Select the latest restore point
and click Next to start the restoration. Wait for Windows to reload.
Then, "when the light is green, the [machine] is clean" (Dan Akroyd in
"Ghostbusters"). All the interfering debris is gone and installation
proceeds without error.

On Feb 1, 6:56 am, drwtwil...********.com wrote:
[color=blue]
> I am getting a "Bad Image" error when running setup for the second
> time after an interrupted first run. The message in full is: "The
> application or DLL D:\sources\input.dll is not a valid Windows image.
> Please check this against your installation diskette." Of course, the
> disk in question is the official Windows Vista disk which just arrived
> in the mail from Microsoft and it ran the first time without giving
> this error. The first run got as far as the screen that asks if one
> wants an upgrade or a clean install, and I realized I needed a better
> backup before proceeding beyond that point, so I stopped the install
> and backed up. Apparently, the first run left behind some evidence of
> partial installation that is interfering with all attempts to install
> for real. So, my question is, what do I have to remove in order to
> install?[/color]