Almost no response from windows 7..angry wife

How do I know if the Dell chipset is properly installed? The Dell Readme file for the chipset says Intel (4) Series Chipset V9.0.0.1007 26/3/08. The 3 X48 entries (Express Chipset PCI Express Root Port 29E1 & 29E9 plus Express Chipset Processor to I/O controller - 29E0) in the device manager/ system devices are all dated 2006 and say provided by Microsoft. Am I looking in the wrong place or does that mean it still hasn't installed? if the later is there a manual way to install or only launching the intel installer?

The backup still falls over every time and there are no windows updates.

What do you have for SATA and Storage Controllers in Device Manager?

What is general performance like? Any hangs? Is it fast? What is exact problem with backup.

Storage Controller says Intel SATA RAID controller. Intel 8/4/09 8.6.2.1012

This all start because you advised to take a system image once the OS was installed, updates taken and auslogic tools run. I tried to put the system image on a network drive but it failed several times. I then tried to put it on the 2nd partition on the problem pcs HD to see if it was a network or pc issue. It seems to create the system image of 10.14GB, but the file backup fails with error 0x8007001. I didn't see any point moving forward until this was solved.

Oddly I just ran the file backup only and it has worked fine! I'm utterly baffled as getting different reponses each time. It would be nice to know which chipset driver is actually installed and move on to testing the performance.

That Storage driver (part of chipset) is newer than the latest one on the Dell website.

So the problem was caused because I suggested you make an Image backup, not because the image was failing?

Did you make a Primary partition (suggest 12gb) to store the image on your second HD?

Are there any other performance problems? Is the computer fast without any lags or hangs?

I just thought I would try the system image again and it failed. "Incorrect function 0x80070001".

Started again wiping backup partition and did Backup including system image also failed same error.

However the backup says System Image 10.14GB plus small amount of data files so I have no idea if this actually worked or not. Seemed incredibly quick. I also don't know if this is relevant in the original performace question or a red herring. No point moving on to performance issues if this indicates some fundamental issue.

Running it again gets to 57% saying create system image then falls over.

I partition the 320GB HD into 100GB for the OS and rest as a primary partition of 200GB.

I may have been very dumb. The error message says the backup is failing but also says that some files were skipped. These are because I included some folders from my own pc in the problem pcs library. Usuaully I select the folders individually which is why I've never seen this file skipping before. This is what the error message is alluding to i.e. the backup has completed but only partially NOT FAILED! Removed the offending folders from the library, wiped the partition and ran it all again. This time I expect no errors - fingers crossed as hasn't fallen over yet.

So many apologise this has been a wild goose chase caused by the errors thrown up by Windows and my nervousness to get it right at each step. Will now move on to looking at performance with IE8 only etc etc . Thanks for all the input

File skipping is generally a result of things it couldn't access properly due to being open or being messed with. When you do a system image as Gregrocker suggested, you focus just on the system, nothing else.

Whenever you are worried about the system and changing anything with the system, don't back up anything but the system, because right now, your focus is just having snapshots of a 'working' system to fall back on. Your Data should be backed up separately for the purpose that it is data... Has nothing to do with the stability of your computer.

When troubleshooting system stability issues, your data should not be part of your problems, so no 'configuration' beyond just system operation, no personalization, nothing. It helps you 'tune' things and find out what is causing the problems. Customization comes later once you got your baseline configuration working to something that seems stable. Then you use that as your main baseline snapshot and work on your customization, as that introduces its own problems as you see there.

I was wrong. Came back in the worming to find no error messages but blue circle spinning and unable to do anything with the pc. A 10GB system image file seemed to have been created. Had to power pc off again.

Rebooted and installed the newest X48 chipset (22/12/09) from Intel as Greg suggested and rebooted.
Checked the Storage controller RAID driver and the 3 X48 chipset driver properties in device manger. None of them had changed or could be rolled back. Does this mean it didin't install or not looking in right place? Is there any other way to install other than using the Intel installer?

Anyway wiped the backup and started again with system image. This time failed quite quickly with "Incorrect function 0x8007001". However again a 10.22GB system image files seems to be created. Had alook in system image "change settings" where it was set to Windows manage but oddly said said maximum 0 bytes. When I clicked OK got "not implemented 0x8004001".

For entertainment ran a file backup without systme image and got same incorrect function error.

As an aside yesterday after one of the failures and reboots I lost the boot drive again and had to use the DVD to get started.

Two questions:
1. Where exactly in device manger can you see if the chipset driver has been installed. If i am looking at the right tihng why are the newer chipsets failing to install.
2. I seem to have numerous issues and so seems a waste of time trying to move forward. Shall I surrender and start again with the OS install. I dont believe I had ever tried to update the chipset driver before and yet the problem system never had any of these new issues i.e. backed up smoothly to another drive. Maybe the install got corrupted.
3. Someone mentioned "checking the OS", but how do I know if there is a problem with this specfic install disc? I have 2 other upgrade discs that I used for my children (who perversly have old pcs E521s) that work no problem. Can I use a different disc but changet the product key after install?

Once again thanks for any advice. Mike

masplin said:

I was wrong. Came back in the worming to find no error messages but blue circle spinning and unable to do anything with the pc. A 10GB system image file seemed to have been created. Had to power pc off again.

Rebooted and installed the newest X48 chipset (22/12/09) from Intel as Greg suggested and rebooted.
Checked the Storage controller RAID driver and the 3 X48 chipset driver properties in device manger. None of them had changed or could be rolled back. Does this mean it didin't install or not looking in right place? Is there any other way to install other than using the Intel installer?

Anyway wiped the backup and started again with system image. This time failed quite quickly with "Incorrect function 0x8007001". However again a 10.22GB system image files seems to be created. Had alook in system image "change settings" where it was set to Windows manage but oddly said said maximum 0 bytes. When I clicked OK got "not implemented 0x8004001".

For entertainment ran a file backup without systme image and got same incorrect function error.

As an aside yesterday after one of the failures and reboots I lost the boot drive again and had to use the DVD to get started.

Two questions:
1. Where exactly in device manger can you see if the chipset driver has been installed. If i am looking at the right tihng why are the newer chipsets failing to install.

You should see something similar to this:

Driver Provider: Intel
Driver Date: <Some Date>
Driver Version: <Whatever Driver version the chipset information stated>

2. I seem to have numerous issues and so seems a waste of time trying to move forward. Shall I surrender and start again with the OS install. I dont believe I had ever tried to update the chipset driver before and yet the problem system never had any of these new issues i.e. backed up smoothly to another drive. Maybe the install got corrupted.
3. Someone mentioned "checking the OS", but how do I know if there is a problem with this specfic install disc? I have 2 other upgrade discs that I used for my children (who perversly have old pcs E521s) that work no problem. Can I use a different disc but changet the product key after install?

Once again thanks for any advice. Mike

Well, one of the questions would be is what is your Source that you are using to install Windows 7? Are you using an ISO image, an actual Retail DVD? USB key install?

I can find the details by clicking on properties for each component in device manager which is why I know the 4 listed above havent changed. The question is which entry in device manger should change when you update the chipset driver. All the obvious candidates are not changing implying either a) update failed b) looking at wrong item. There are 30 odd things listed under system devices 10 of which include the word Intel but all say Driver provider Microsoft date 2006.

I am using a retail upgrade disc from microsoft, but as I say bought 3 of them.