Longhorn Installation Failing: 'An Error Occurred While Copying Files'

I wanted to install Longhorn today. The ‘Longhorn Pre-Alpha Client Preview’ version.

So here I go, I format my laptop (which is a test PC) and insert the CD.

After entering the key, choosing where to install and clicking continue, when the timer jumps to “13 minutes left” I get an error.

“An error occurred while copying files”. That’s it, nothing I can do about this.

I looked on Google for help, but nobody had a fix, except for one person who fixed it by using another machine.

Then, I installed Virtual PC 2004 on my main computer and decided to install it there. That must work, after all it’s a virtual PC, and everyone else already got it to run on Virtual PC.

No luck though, same error message.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do? I don’t even know where it goes wrong, can I get some debug info here to pass on to the MS team?

There goes my plan to install Longhorn and Whidbey on my test PC :(

Update: I got some additional info, I mounted the .iso in Virtual PC now, same error. Happens when it has written 424.4 MB.

Update 2: When I install Windows 2000 and run the setup from there it starts saying “18 minutes left”, the progress bar goes a bit further, until the reboot message comes. Then it continues installing with “14 minutes left”, and a bit after it goes to 13 it gives the same error again. I’m at a dead end now.

Update 3: it turned out the .iso got corrupted during my download; with a new download I got Longhorn installed.