XPS 420 with Vista 32 bit hangs when loading desktop-- please help?

Hello Peppurr101, I have experienced this very same issue on three different XPS420 systems.

I have installed three different sets of hard drives from three different manufactures with the same results.

I install the OS and no other programs, run the system for about a few days to a week or so, and I start to get the data corruption issue.

I tried the Dell Recovery Restore many times with the same results.

I contacted Dell support probably 50 times, and still have the issue.

I have now installed just a single drive, not Raid, and the issue has stopped.

It is my belief that the XPS420 Intel chipset that controls the Raid drives, is defective, or the drivers are faulty.

I have used many Raid array systems for over 12 years without any issues at all, except for this Dell XPS 420.

Hope this helps.

This sounds to me like a problem with that specific update.  Until MS releases an update to it, the best option is to just not load it.

While disabling Auto-Update is one way to do this, my personal recommendation would be to change the Auto-Update setting to let you know when updates are available so you can pick which ones to load.  This does put more "work" in your lap for keeping the system up to date, however, it also allows you to view the list of updates to be installed and de-select the one that is causing the problem.

Hi Larry,

Thanks for your reply.  I have already shut off the Auto Update and told it to just tell me if there are updates and let me decide whether or not to download them.  So far, since my Factory Restore last week, the computer is running ok.. just using more system resources than usual.

Having said that, I have not shut it down and restarted since.  I am afraid if I do, the same thing will happen and I won't be able to do anything about it..

Dell says they have a premium service for troubleshooting software. Have you heard of this service and do you think it might help if I have further problems?

Thanks

Peppurr101

Hi Hanspuppa,

Thanks for your reply.. it's good to know I am not alone!

I have spoken to Dell about the RAID issue and they say they will not support 'breaking' the array, so being concerned about my warrantee, I've left it as is.  I do remember though, that way back when I first had the computer  I had to call Dell for a separate issue and in the process of that conversation they Remote Accessed my computer and downloaded the update to the Intel Matrix Storage Manager (version 7.8) which is what popped up when my RAID array needs reverifying.  Do you think that might help?

Thanks

Liz

PS Same question for you as for Larry.. have you ever used the Dell Premium Software Tech support?

Unfortunately, I know it exists, but don't really have any information beyond that as I left tech support for my current position before that support option was created.

I am not aware of any "defect" with the RAID capabilities on that system.  If I'm understanding the problem you ran into correctly, the data corruption could be caused by the motherboard, the system memory, the hard drives or their onboard cache, in addition to the RAID controller itself.   By switching to a separate RAID controller card and drive you have shown the problem is most likely not with the remaining common components: the motherboard and memory.  That still leaves the hard drives (one or both) and the original RAID controller as a possible cause of the problem.

Hello Peppurr101, I have called Dell XPS support, Dell chat, emailed Dell support, mailed Dell Corporate in Texas, escalated the issue, and Dell simply refuses to admit to this defect.

Dell escalation response to me was they had no issues with the Raid arrays on the XPS 420.

So to satisfy myself that Dell was indeed correct, I purchased the add-on card and the corruption went away.

I installed an add-on 4 port SATA Raid card to verify that the controller chipset or drivers are the issue.

When configured in a Raid0 array with the add-on card, the corruption does not appear.

I didn't like the idea of using the add-on card so I removed it and purchased a WD VelociRaptor 300 GB drive and the performance is almost as good as the Raid0 array on the add-on card.

I know of no way to get around this issue except to do as I did, and buy a fast single drive and perform a fresh install.

This solved my data corruption and gives me almost the same performance.

Hope this helps.

Hello DELL-Larry R, I appreciate you response. I had the very same issue on three different XPS 420 systems.

I used three different sets of drives from three different manufactuers, WD, Seagate, Maxtor, all the same models of each manufacurer.

I even changed the memory from the original modules to another name brand, certified to work in this system.

I did many hardware test and none found any defective hardware.

At two points, Dell took control of the system and walked me through the installation of a Raid0 array, as if I didn't know how to do it, and it still failed.

Dell then took control of the system and went to the Dell web site and downloaded the proper drivers and installed them, as if I didn't know how to do this. At one point the system would not boot after Dell installed the drivers.

I had to do a last known configuration boot in order to get back to the desktop.

I have removed all the drives and installed them in other Raid0 systems without issues.

I, nor Dell, were ever able to get these XPS 420 systems to work in a Raid0 array without data corruption.

I finally gave up, after 9 months of dealing with this, and failing to get Dell to do anything about it, and installed a single hard drive, and the system works perfectly.

The original Raid controller is the onboard Intel x38 chipset. It would not let me update the latest drivers for this chipset, as indicated by the system lockup when Dell tried to install them.

I do appreciate your input.

Hello again,

Thank you for your replies.  Unfortunately, though I can get around a computer fairly well, some of this is over my head.

Hanspuppa, when you had your problems with the RAID configuration, were there problems with running the machine or just on startup?  The thing is, I've had my box up and running for a week now with absolutely no problems at all whatsoever.  I am just afraid to shut it off.  My problem seems to stem from Automatic Updates as far as I can figure out.  When it freezes on startup and I have to hold the power button down to shut it off, if it successfully starts it rebuilds the Array-once that is done it seems to be fine.  It was fine after the first Factory Image Restore up until I downloaded the updates..

Larry,  Vista seems to have a lot of bells and whistles to monitor performance and reliablilty, is there somewhere I can look  for information about what happens during startup so if there is a problem again I will know what to look for?

Second question.  Back when I first got the machine, I had an issue that had something to do with the Intel  Matrix Storage manager.  A Dell techie remote accessed me and downloaded the upgrade from 7.6 to 7.8.  I had no problems after that until now.

The only other issues are occasional error messages in my event monitor that says my 'spooler failed to open a connection' which is probably because I don't h ave a printer installed and my Roxio Easy Media Creator refuses to open since my Image restore because it thinks the certificate is missing or corrupted.

I know this seems a bit random, but my next option is to call the Dell Premium software line and pay for support.  I want to see if there is anything more I can find here..

Thanks

Peppurr101

Hello Everyone,

Wanted to add my experience as I've just spent 2 days on this.  I have a new XPS420, bought in August, yesterday the system froze, and since then has failed to load normally.  I did the usual round of safe mode, diagnostics, disabled services and startup program's, ran disk check etc.  Multiple repeats of re-booting after changing one setting etc.  The only consistent aspect was when I disabled the services and loaded in safe mode, at least then I had local control of the PC and was able to back-up all my files.  Re-enabling these services caused the same freeze up, that being either after re-boot and login the system hangs, doesn't respond to ctl-alt-del and one double click of the mouse on any application causes the freeze, or the screen goes black - in all cases I had to hold my finger on the power switch to force a re-boot..  My deduction is that one of the MS services is corrupt, and the diags cant find it.

Spoke with Dell in India, the first guy wouldn't accept it to be a software problem until he had checked my results ( a check I'd run 3 times) then passed me across to the XPS Premium software team, who charge £19 for advising you what to do, or £39 to talk you through it... after much discussion I advised him what he could do (nicely of course).  The only remaining option was a factory restore, which has fixed the problem so far, just loading back all my files before I start loading other software.

One forum I looked at seemed to point at issued with a MS update in late November as being a recent culprit.

Have to say not happy about the premium service, given the age of the PC... seems very unfair in this economic environment... Dell... r u listening?

Rgds

Gerrado7

Hi Gerrado,

Thanks for your reply.  Where did you find the forum that said that the MS update seemed to be at fault?  Honestly, I've been all over looking for a problem similiar to mine.  And it's been a ghost town around here since this new forum!

 One day I restarted and I got to the User Account log in screen and I signed in and it just locked up as the desktop was loading.

I have factory image restore'd twice and it worked just fine till I downloaded the automatic updates.  I think it was some update in late November as well.  I remember clearly that there were a few.. maybe 7 or 8 and that there were mostly updates to the MS Office programs help files (Excel, Power Point etc) and maybe a security update for Vista.  The box worked FINE until the updates.  Twice.

To compound the problem, each time I 'hard boot' my RAID drives have to reverify which takes about 4 hours.

The result of my conversations with tech support were similiar to yours.  After guiding me through one Factory Image reinstall I downloaded the updates, and they then guided me through another before recommending that 1) I call the premium software support service (I thought that was what I bought with the warrantee) and 2) not to download anymore updates 'for awhile' or 'until something came up on the Dell website@.  They also said that disabling the RAID would void my warrantee.

Once I got it restarted the last time it took me two weeks to run up the nerve to shut it down and restart it again.

The computer works fine now apart from one or two little tiny issues.. my Roxio says it has an invalid certificate and wants me to reinstall it(?) and my Windows Sideshow says I'm not logged in on the device again (?)

I also have 16 updates that I have not downloaded or installed since I don't know which is the culprit but I realise I can't do this indefinitely.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Peppurr101

Hi Peppurr,,

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-vista/555234-vista-hangs.html

I found more information in the tecguy.org site, I cant find the exact wording at the moment as I used different search terms (can't recall them all) - Some of these blogs go back to 2007, but they all sound similar to the symptoms we have had.

So far the factory restored setting have worked (5 days so far, but I have also started putting in restore points after every few days.  I hope I don't have to go through  this again.  Sorry I don't have RAID so I don't have any experience to share there.

I have installed all of the updates that windows threw at me, and so far so good. 

Watch this space I guess...

Seasons Greetings...

Gerrado

Hi Peppurr, I

Thanks for posting what worked for you.  Hopefully this will help others if they have run into a similiar problem.