Two months ago I purchased a brand new computer and since then it hasn't worked without fault since day one. I start up I often (not always) suffer a BSOD message about a SECURITY file missing, not being able to written to etc. It has been in and out of the computer shop for weeks on end and each time they are unable to ever got a blue screen when starting it up.

Currently it is in at the shop and they are saying there is a problem with the raid and that files are not identical across the raid. There are two segate 500GB SATA2 HDD's connect in raid 1 via the GSATA port (this motherboard does not have an Intel raid chip on it but instead uses a third party chip to supply raid via GSATA).

The full specs are
2 seaget 500GB 32MB cache SATA2 drive in raid 1
Gigabyte EP35-DS3
Liteon SATA DVD
MSI 8800GT 512OC
Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit
Coolmater Real Power 550W Extreme
2 2GB PC2-6400 800Mhz OCZ ram
Intel E8200

So far all the computer shop has been willing to say is that it is likely the raid array causing the problems (or windows vista) but these comments have not been backed up by any argument what so ever (other then raid inst fully reliable which I find very hard to believe as the whole point of raid is to provide more reliability) and that I should lose the raid and go normal set up.

That is all fine and good but when I ordered the PC from them I explicitly specified that it MUST have an intel CPU, must be windows vista 64, the hdd must be seagate and be in a raid 1 array and finally it must have an nvidia gfx card (my reasons my be illogical, stupid etc but regardless that is what I ordered and payed for).

Does anyone have the slightest idea what the hell might be going on? So far it seems that they have sold me an incompatible system and haven’t ballsed up to say that to me. I am very very close to walking in there and demanding a complete and utter refund and ordering the components and assembling it myself.

I just finished building a nearly identical system for one of my own clients (same drives (although I choose 16mb ES models), same mobo, nearly same video, same RAM sizes at 1066mhz), and I've just picked up the system for exactly the same type of issues. The major difference between the two units is my customer doesn't run in RAID 1, but rather as seperate hard disks.

The stop errors are inconsistent, but they all point to back at the hard drive and/or the Chipset and HDD Controller drivers: (4 diff stop codes: 0x...a1, 0x...50, 0x...24, 0x...8E).

I too have been unable to replicate the issue, but I did find a substantial number of clues in the Event Viewer, which again all pointed to the hard drive, the NTFS file system, controller drivers, and the general inability to write the hard drive(s).

I've scanned both drives w/ the Seagate Diags (the long test) and both report just fine. SMART also reports no entries (useless as SMART may be...), and both drives report no temps over 46C have ever occured ('worst temperature'). I had high confidence in the drives I selected, so this wasn't a big surprise.

I found that Gigabyte released several driver updates for this board, since I first loaded in back in early May 08'. The chipset driver and IDE/SATA RAID drivers both document 'fixes' for missing hard drives and NTFS write errors, although the nature of RAID drivers could require a reinstall to fully integrate the updates (or to use your tech's words, 'get all the same driver dates...').

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw

Be sure they select the 'SATA 2 driver' or they'll just bork the install again...I'm guessing that's where this whole thing went wrong in your particular case (probably mine too), as most guys in my line of work don't think about controller drivers much, but SATA 2 (esp in onboard RAID) is extremely fussy.

I'm running the 1/4/08 bios rev, so hopefully yours is the same or newer. Ask them to flash up to the most current rev, whatever it may be.

Alternatively, for your specific case and setup, it may be desireable to install a PCI-E SATA2 RAID controller, like those made by Promise and Adaptec, and get away from these ongoing issues around onboard controllers (yes, sadly, the issue isn't limited to the Gigabyte P35 boards...it's very widespread).

If I find more proof about what's going on, I'll post that info back here.

-Lee

This is the error message I receive
Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SECURITY
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

The computer is currently at the shop and it seem I may have made a deal with the devil.

They are sending down the exact same motherboard model to the local shop which they will then keep for 3days for testing. I will then get it back. This is the email I received from the head store manager after I started to kick up a fuss because they system they had supplied me didn't meet my requirements not that I had changed my mind about the system.

"Further to our phone, we appreciated your understanding and the following works will be carried out by our Technician due to "Blue-Screen" problem:

We will isolate and resolve this issue by end of next week and hand the PC over to you. As explained and agreed with you, during the first 14-days in use, we will be guaranteed that this particular issue is resolved under the condition that only Microsoft Program(s) will only be installed and void any other downloads/upgrade during this time, as we wish to isolate any possible software related problem."

More or less they told me I couldn't use the internet or use the computer to do anything other than run MS Word (I managed to get them to say ALL MS software so I can still do something on it other than have an expensive paper weight).

After the first two weeks I don't really know what happens if I then install something and it goes back to blue screening (I suspect they will say that is not our problem these are the term you agreed to but I will be kicking up more of a fuss and will bring the Australian Fair Trading Commission into it if they don't fix the problem).

I have posted my problem on the MS Vista 64bit computing forum and nothing has really come from it except one person has suggested that the error has been caused due to incorrect (or lower then needed by the system) ram voltage and to increase the voltage to 1.9 volts (http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.mspx?pg=2&p=1&tid=47e2336b-f378-41cc-b642-078b67d2592d&dg=microsoft.public.windows.64bit.general&cat=&lang=&cr=&sloc=en-us), second last post.

As for the raid drivers the shop has told me there have been no new driver updates since Dec 2007 (looking at the link you gave me (http://www.giga-byte.com/Support/Motherboard/Driver_Model.aspx?ProductID=2741) I can see some newer raid drivers from the 30/5/2008 for vista 64 so I really don't know what they are on about. I will ask them if they have updated the BIOS when I go to pick it up (I don't want to try and update the BIOS myself encase something goes wrong because the warranty does cover a bad bios update).

Does this look like it migh thelp?

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/ [...] html?ltr=R

I never installed the raid array in the first place as I left that up to the shop as I had know idea about how to install a raid array and I wanted to avoid any potential problems that I might have like the one I currently have so I got them to install and set up everything for peace of mind (hasn't worked that way at all).

Thanks anyway

Update. I called the store today and it seem the guy who was handling my computer has left (this must have occurred over the weekend, needless to say I am not impressed that know one bothered to inform me). The new person who seems to know what has been going on has told me today that it is the graphics card (MSI 8800GT OC) and its drivers for 64 that are causing the problem. Currently it is being tested with a differnt manufactures card (Leadteak I don't know what model) and I will receive a phone call tomorrow.

This has become such a circus, currently the computer will have been at the shop for a month and only know they have identified that it *may* be the graphics card causing the problem. At the moment I am either going to take my money back or get a brand new pc, My mum wants me to take it back when/if they fix it because if I get a new one I could have the same problem, my think it that I should not have had these problems so I want/deserve a fresh start with a new pc (it may be selfish/greedy but I will be able to get a better speced pc for the price I paid for this one).