Just wanted to update this for the record. I went through the same process
with a retail copy of Vista and hit the same roadblock as above when going
through the Upgrade route. However, after checking again on the Maxtor site,
I decided to do a "Custom" or clean installation and I am proud to say that I
am writing this on my computer with Vista running! I used the file transfer
wizard to transfer my files and settings to an external hard drive and that
gave me the peace of mind to do the clean install...(the Custom path involves
formatting the hard drive)

Here's the key thing I found on the Maxtor website:
"Question / Symptom
I am looking for new or updated software drivers for my hard drive. Where
can I locate these drivers? Does Maxtor supply these drivers for my hard disk
drive?

Answer
Maxtor does not supply software drivers for SATA, ATA or SCSI hard drives.
Hard drives do not require specific device drivers. However, separate
software drivers are normally required for third party PCI cards or for a
motherboard’s embedded hard disk interface. These are the components that
manage the transfer of information between the operating system and the hard
drive. If you are trying to obtain updated controller or motherboard device
drivers, you will need to contact the respective motherboard, system, or
controller manufacturer.

Note: The CD-ROM and/or the floppy diskette that is included with the Maxtor
retail kit does not contain disk drivers. However, the MaxBlast (II, 3 or 4)
CD-ROM does contain drivers for the Maxtor's PCI adapter cards.

To obtain replacement or updated drivers for the Maxtor (Promise) ATA PCI
card please visit the Product Support Download Page.

For information on where to obtain Ultra ATA or UDMA drivers for your system
or motherboard please Click Here.

If you would like to download an updated version of either the MaxBlast or
PowerMax utility please visit the Product Support Download Page."



"Peter" wrote:

> Did you find a solution for the Maxtor driver? I have the same problem upgrading Business edition of Vista. No info from Dell, no info from Maxtor.
>
> EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
> http://www.eggheadcafe.com
>