[cva66snipe]

How much RAM does it have?

[jessduntno]

I had a similar problem with a Dell desktop - yanked Vista and installed XP Pro - been happy ever since...a lot of my software wouldn’t work with vista and it is notoriously unstable...

[Doofer]

http://www.winvistaclub.com/t3.html

[rabscuttle385]

Apply the updates one by one until you find the one that BSODs the box. Then, restore, and apply updates except for the ones the cause the BSOD.

[DeFault User]

Had a similar problem with an HP. I finally determined the reason for the foul-up was my trying to do a little unloading and customization as it loaded all the crapware. When I reinstalled the factory setup with all the default settings and junk, it worked fine.

After it finished all the updates, I went back and unloaded the crapware.

[ASOC]

Simple fix

take the Dell back to the store and get a refund

then, go and buy a Toshiba or a MAC even.

[SERE_DOC]

With 17+ years in the industry, the best advice I can give you (NS) power the machine to the off position, replace all documentation in the original packing material, and return it to the establishment and demand your money back.

Go to either a Apple store or MacMall and get yourself a MacBook Pro Intel and a copy of Parallels and XPpro (you can get a deal from MacMall on both) and although you may have small issues with MS your system won't fail you like Dell, MS.

Now you may think this is facetious but after suffering with Windows for 14+ years I went to Mac and never have issues that I did with MS.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Does it reboot before you can see the error report? If so disable the auto reboot so you can get the error it reports.

.NET Framework 3.5 causes a lot of problems for laptops and there is a fix, but you need to make sure that is what is causing it first.

[ccmay]

[celtic gal]

Take it back and get a Mac.

[Fred]

Get rid of it. Refund now. Life is too short for this kind of frustration and there are tons of options. Good place to get started http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/

[joseph20]

Download a linux distro like Fedora or Ubuntu. Say goodbye to Windows forever.

[Woodman]

I'll ignore all of the buy a MAC people and tell you this. Try updating the BIOS and Core drivers first. In Windows update look and choose first those critical changes one at a time. Since you are running 64 and I run 32 on a similar laptop, I can't tell you which one may be the problem, but I am willing to bet it is a driver.

[ShadowAce]

[papasmurf]

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.

[McGruff]

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.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

I would get the genuine Vista software from Microsoft, and re-install the operating system from scratch, without the crapware.

Just give Microsoft a copy of your product key:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/2057/ordermedia/default.mspx

And 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.

[Malsua]

Return it.

Get a different brand, model, whatever.

If they start out as a problem, they don’t magically get better.

[Tribune7]

Dell should have tech support for a situations such as this. Use it, man.

And your box is still under warranty.

[Tribune7]

I'm sorry, I missed where you did use Dell support.