Posted on 02/01/2009 10:21:40 PM PST by Spacetrucker
I jsut yesterday purchased a Dell Studio 17 (S1737) laptop computer with Windows Vista(x64)Home Premium factory installed. Upon starting it for the first time, I went through the usual info entry bits and pieces, and Windows Update wanted to install a bunch of updates... It went through the process quite normally; however, upon restart, Windows BSOD'ed me and the system went through an extensive attempt to do a startup repair... I had to restore Dell factory settings and such and it will now still not allow the updates to work without the BSOD reappearing and having to do the whole process over again... I AM AT A LOSS. Dell Support line is almost quite useless, they just tell me to do what I have already done...
I love XP Pro too. FWIW, I’ve been running Windows 7 beta for about a month now. I like it so much that I have replaced all my Vista and XP installations with it. Everything works like a charm. Even on a 6yr old 1GB P4 box. MS may have gotten something right for once.
This really an issue you need to go one on one with someone who has the Vista experience in order to trouble shoot it.
Really, it would all start with the event viewer, and go from there.
OTOH, if you want to shortcut it, try, as someone else mentioned, allowing only one update at a time, then rebooting till you find the offender, and eliminate that.
Lastly, Microsoft does offer free tech support on new machines. I’m sure they would want to know about this issue.
Forward looking: Putting on my Karnac hat, I see an issue with a non 64 driver for the chipset, a known Dell weakness. If so, you can dl them here: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=2753
Good luck.
This is not the right place to get serious computer help. The best suggestion here was to attempt to return the product. Maybe that will get Dell’s attention.
Just give Microsoft a copy of your product key:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/2057/ordermedia/default.mspxAnd they will ship you a DVD without all the crapware on it.
PS: Before starting this process, make sure that you have all the most up-to-date drivers for each piece of hardware on your laptop [ethernet chipset, sound chipset, video chipset, etc etc etc].
The drivers which come on the Microsoft DVD will be older, and, while they might be "adequate", you usually will have the best luck with the very latest drivers.
Return it.
Get a different brand, model, whatever.
If they start out as a problem, they don’t magically get better.
And your box is still under warranty.
Yes, but I would return this machine just on principle.
VMWare sells Fusion for the Mac. http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/. It's supposed to have some pretty cool stuff available.
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