zarkpros

I will attempt to be as concise as possible, despite the evolving nature of this problem and my numerous varied efforts at solving it.

Starting from the beginning:

I have a Dell XPS Desktop purchased in the summer of 2005. Its stats:

-Windows XP Media Center Edition, SP2
-Pentium 4, 3.4GHz
-1 GB RAM
-250GB SATA Western Digital HD

So I want to install Vista because I can get it for free from my school. But I don't want to get rid of XP, since I've heard shaky things about Vista, and XP runs fine (except for the 15-minute startup time). To pursue this end, I purchased a new hard drive (Western Digital SATA 250GB; basically the same type as the original HD, with a faster transfer rate). The idea is that I'll set up a dual boot system with Vista on the new HD, while maintaining the old XP installation on the old HD.

The problem first appeared when I attempted to install Vista on the new hard drive. Installing by either booting from the Vista DVD and starting the installation from within XP produced the same unfortunate result: the installation would finish "copying files" and move on to "expanding files". Once in the "expanding files" process, it would proceed to 37% completion and freeze. After 20-30 minutes frozen there, an error message would appear with the code 0x80070003, claiming that the required file could not be located. The only thing to do at that point was to restart. After restarting, a BIOS error message would appear, claiming that the new HD was no longer detected. It would continue not to be detected until such time as the computer's power was physically turned off. However, after turning the computer off and back on, the drive would appear again as if nothing had happened.

I decided that the problem had to be with the new HD (overheating, I guessed), so I arranged for a replacement drive on Western Digital's website. The new one came and produced the exact same problem. I talked on the phone with Western Digital for some time, and they suggested the new SATA cable I had bought for the new drive might be defective. So I bought a new cable, then another, then I decided to use the SATA cable that used to be attached to the old HD, knowing that it has worked perfectly for almost two years. (Incidentally, the new cables work perfectly with the old HD). The new cable did at first seem to have a positive effect: the Vista installation completed! Hurray! I started using Vista, and it worked just perfectly.....for about 2 hours. After that much time (varying from 30 minutes to fully 8 hours at one point), the following happens: everything freezes (except cursor movement, which still works) for 15 seconds-2 minutes, then a blue screen appears (for about 5 seconds, with no text or error messages), then the computer restarts and the BIOS recognition problem returns.

So, I got the second new HD replaced by Western Digital. They sent me a new drive of a slightly better model (320 GB instead of 250), since they were totally baffled by the problem. The new HD has not changed the problem.

Other things I have tried:

-plugging the new HD into all of the four SATA ports on the motherboard (including the known good one that the old HD was plugged into)

-using the new SATA-style power (2 different power cables) and an old legacy four-prong power cable

-upgrading the BIOS to the most recent version supplied by Dell (A4, i think)

-rearranging the physical location of the drive within the desktop case (fearing that overheating was the problem)

-installing the driver for my Intel SATA controller during the Vista installation process

-burning a new install DVD from the known good ISO file supplied by my college

Any advice anyone might have on what to do would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks, and sorry that was so long!

Vipernitrox

try completely unplugging the xp drive. And just running Vista on the Sata drive for a couple of hours see if it happens again.

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zarkpros

Yeah, tried that. (when I plugged the new HD into the old HD's SATA port, the old HD wouldn't function anyway. so when i did that, i ended up unplugging the old HD, and using exclusively the new HD.) Should've had that in the list of things I tried, sorry. As I recall, when I did that, it lasted a bit longer than usual (overnight) before crashing. But it ended up crashing the same way it usually does.

Vipernitrox

uhmmm the last thing i could think of is an mobo problem...
you can check it for errors with pc check

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zarkpros

What's mobo?

Also: is PC Check a freeware program? I found something called PC Check but it doesn't seem all that helpful. Do you have a link?

Vipernitrox

pfff good question i usually run it off a boot system... got it a long time ago dont remember where...
but it's not freeware... really hard to come by sorry forgot about that...
ehhh try finding some other mobo checking tool maybe?
i'm out of options right now

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zarkpros

Truly baffling, isn't it? Because why would the motherboard not work with a brand new HD? Do you think Dell might have some kind of devious protection on there to keep you from upgrading with stuff not purchased from them? I can't believe that that would fly. Just bizarre.

shawn_selig29

15 minute boot up xp??..wow..i got only 1-2 mins..must be dell crap they install... by a chance u try formatting drive with vista setup ?

PC eye

One question was partially asked by shawn selig29 on what was used when going to partition and format the new drive? A "mobo" is the typical expression for "mother board" or main system board. The online free pc check is usually a marketing gimic and not reliable. If the board used by Dell there has two ide channels and not one like some boards for strictly sata use along with optical drives your settings may be incorrect. The bios may see the second drive as an array and not a sata master #2. Refer to the Dell support site's Faq section on adding drives if you find nothing in their version of a user manual.

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zarkpros

Yeah, I have been formatting with Vista's install, because if I try to format in XP it does not work after I've partially installed Vista. I assume this problem has to do with XP being too far behind to handle Vista. I have zero-written the drive in addition to formatting it within Vista, to no avail.