Windows 7 install programs crash or freeze

Hi Healthnuttie,

This issue can be due to system hardware or Operating system. You can follow the steps below to resolve this issue.

Run a test on system hardware to ensure it is working correctly by following the steps below:

• Please restart the system.
• As soon as you see the blue Dell logo, start tapping the ‘F12’ key.

Note: If you wait too long and the Microsoft Windows appears, then continue to wait until you see the Windows desktop. Now shutdown your computer and try again.

• After tapping ‘F12’ key then a new window will appear. Now highlight the “Boot to utility partition” and press ‘Enter’. 
• When you get a prompt 'Were color bars displayed?’. Press 'Y' in case the color bars are displayed else press 'N'. 
• Continue running the test till you get a message: No errors found so far. Would you like to continue the remaining memory steps? It might take more than 30 minutes. Press 'N' and restart the computer.

Please make a note of error message if you get on screen. If all the tests pass then it is an issue with the Operating system of your computer.

You can uninstall and reinstall the Video driver for your computer following steps below:

• Click on “Start” and right click on “Computer”.
• Click on “Manage”.
• Click on “Device Manager”.
• Under “Display adapters”, you will find the video driver listed.
• Right click on it and click on “uninstall”. (Check and make a note of the driver installed on your system and re-install the wireless driver from the below steps accordingly).
• Check the box to delete the software.
• Restart your system and click on the below link:

             http://dell.to/OukFUO

• Enter the Service Tag of your system and select the operating system.
• You will find the video driver under “Video”.
• Click on the video driver depending on the video card your system has. (Install the same video driver which you uninstalled from “Device Manager”.
• Click on “Download File”.
• Select “For Single File Download via Browser”.
• Click on “Download Now”.
• Save the driver on your desktop.
• Once the driver is saved on desktop, right click on it and select Properties
• Check box to run it in comatibility mode for Vista and “Run as administrator”.
• Double click on downloaded driver.
• Install the video driver by following the on screen instructions.
• Check if the issue is resolved or not. If the issue still persists, update the system BIOS:

Note: Before flashing the BIOS please check the following:-

• No external devices should be connected.
• All other programs should be closed and documents saved

Click on the below link below to update the BIOS:

            http://dell.to/OukFUO

• Enter the Service Tag of your system and select the operating system.
• Go to “BIOS” and click on the BIOS available.
• Click on “Download File”.
• Select “For Single File Download via Browser”.
• Click on “Download Now”.
• Save the BIOS on your desktop.
• Once the BIOS is downloaded on the desktop, right click on it and select “Run as administrator”.

Please update the flash player for your browser from the link below: http://bit.ly/QES8Aa

Click on download and follow prompts on screen to install the updated flash player.

You can also check the functionality in safe mode with networking and see if you face the same issues there.

1. Restart the computer.
2. Tap the F8 key on the keyboard during the boot process until you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu on the screen.
3. Select “Safe Mode with Networking” from the menu using the arrow keys on the keyboard and then press the key.
4. Select the user account at the log in screen.

Please reply for further clarifications.

Ok, I did everything you told me to do. I am still having the problem. The games freeze up and Adobe keeps crashing, etc.

I did get an error message when doing the Diagnostics Check. It was error # 1100:012A.

Does that mean anything? Don't know what else to do but it is pretty messed up that these things keep happening. Thank goodness I have another computer or I would really be beside myself.

Hi Healthnuttie,

Inspiron 530 is shipped with Windows Vista. You can check if the system hardware is compatible in running Windows 7. You can run a Windows 7 compatibility check tool from link: http://bit.ly/R0NGcg

Error code 1100:012A means the drive did not respond in a fixed time to an access attempt. It is most likely an issue with the hard drive of your computer. I will suggest you to run a custom test on hard drive of your computer. If the custom test on hard drive passes, it is an issue with Operating system.

Note: If you do not get option of utility partition and have created a flash drive to run a diagnostics on your computer, you can use that as well.

You can run a custom test on hard drive following the steps below:

• Please restart the system.
• As soon as you see the blue Dell logo tapping the ‘F12’ key.
• If you wait too long and the Microsoft Windows appears, then continue to wait until you see the Windows desktop. Now shutdown your computer and try again.
• After tapping ‘F12’ key, a new window will appear. Now using the down arrow key highlight the “Boot to utility partition” and press ‘Enter’ key.
• Now, the Dell diagnostics will load the main menu will appear with four options:

A) Express Test (B) Extended Test (C)Custom Test (D)Symptom Tree

• Click on Custom Test and a list of devices will appear.
• Highlight the Hard Drive by clicking on it.
• Now click on the Run Test option which is at the bottom of the window.
• The tests will start.
• After the test is finished it will generate a report, it may even provide some error codes with description.

You can also check your computer in safe mode to check if the same issue exists there.

If the test passes, you can reinstall Operating system on your computer.

Note: Before you proceed with that, I will advise you to take a complete backup of your data (pictures, music, applications, videos, documents) as this step leads to complete data loss. Remove all the external peripherals (like printers, scanners, any USB device except keyboard and mouse) connected to your computer.

• Insert the Microsoft Install DVD into the DVD drive of the computer.
• Restart (or power on) the computer.
• Press the key as soon as the keyboard lights up. The Boot Menu appears.
• Click CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive, and then press the key.
• A window appears that says Press any Key to Boot from a CD or DVD.
• Press a key on the keyboard.
• Click Language, Time, Currency and Keyboard Method, and then click Next.
• On the Windows Installation page, click Install Now.
• Review the terms and click ‘I accept the license terms’ to proceed.
• On the ‘Which type of installation do you want?’ window, click Custom (advanced).
• On the ‘Where do you want to install Window’ window, click Drive options (advanced).
• Click Disk 0 Partition 1, and then click Delete.
• On the If you delete this partition, all data stored on it will be permanently deleted window, click OK.
• On the Where do you want to install Windows window, click New
• When prompted to select the size of the file, select the size, and then click Apply. 
• Click to select the partition, and then click Format. 
• On the If you format this partition, all data stored on it will be permanently deleted window, click OK.
• On the Where do you want to install Windows window, click Next.
• The Installing Windows window appears.
• The Setup window appears.
• Select a user name, password, and picture for your user account.
• On the Choose a computer name and choose a desktop background window, click Next.
• On the Help Protect Windows automatically window, click Use Recommended Settings.
• Click to select your time zone, and then click ‘Next’.
• The ‘Thank you’ window appears.
• Click Start.

Once the operating system reinstallation is complete, you need to reinstall the drivers for your computer. 

I am adding you as a friend; please accept my friend request and send me a private message with the system Service Tag so that I can check the system warranty details and help you further. 

Please reply for further clarifications.

Hi Healthnuttie,

I appreciate your efforts. Since the hardware diagnostics passed, I will suggest you to debug the hard drive and perform a clean reinstallation of the Operating system from the steps mentioned in previous post.

To debug the hard drive:

1. Boot to Resource DVD.

• Insert the Resource DVD in the CD/DVD drive and restart the computer.
• Tap the F12 at Dell logo to access the ‘One Time Boot Menu’.
• Press the ‘Down’ arrow key to highlight CD/DVD drive and press ‘Enter’.
• When the message ‘Press any key to boot from CD’ appears, immediately press any key on keyboard.

     2.   Once the system boots to the Resource DVD, please select the option ‘Quit without any action'.
     3.   It would present a prompt window. On the prompt windows, type the following commands:

• Type C: and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of C:\>, type debug and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of –F, type 200 L1000 0 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of –A, type CS:100 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of xxxx:0100, type MOV AX,301 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of xxxx:0103, type MOV BX,200 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of xxxx:0106, type MOV CX,1 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of xxxx:0109, type MOV DX,80 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of xxxx:010C, type INT 13 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of xxxx:010E, type INT 20 and press ‘Enter’.
• In front of xxxx:0110, press ‘Enter’.
• In front of -G, press ‘Enter’.
• When you see ‘Program terminated normally’ press . 

This would delete all partitions from the hard drive. Try re-installing the Operating system from the steps mentioned in previous post.

Inspiron 530 is shipped with Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit Operating system. Once you reinstall Operating system on your computer, you would need to reinstall all the drivers on your computer compatible with Windows 7. However, on support.dell.com the drivers are available only for windows XP and Windows Vista (32 and 64 bit).

After Operating system is reinstalled, Install the drivers in following sequence:

• Dell System software
• Chipset
• Intel Storage
• Audio
• Video
• Network Interface Card (NIC) / Ethernet Controller
• Dell Quickset
• Wireless Network Card drivers

Please private message with the system Service Tag so that I can check the system details and help you further. 

Please reply in case you have further questions.

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