Hi. I've run into a problem trying to do a clean install on my xps400. The reason for the clean install was due to the fact that I was starting to get error messages every now and then. So I just figured that since I've had this system for a year and never had to do one that maybe it was time. Little did I know how much of a pain in the the butt it was going to be. So I started it as I normally would do a clean install. When it came to the part of the partitions I deleted the C (it was the largest). There were two others as well. Anyways, when it came time to restart it said that it could not start Windows due to a hardware configuration. I restarted again and got the same message. I went back and started the clean install again except this time I deleted all the partitions and now I am waiting for it to get done. But this has me lost as to what the problem is. I've done clean installs before but now on a store bought system, only the ones that I had built myself.I'm not firmiliar with sata drives. I also got this system with the Data Safe. I guess it mirrors onto the other drive. The drives are Western Digital 160 gb there's 2 of them). Any help would be appreciated. I've already been at this for almost 4 hours. I've even searched the Dell forums but didn't get anywheres. What is iastor?

Can't help with the problem but Google has stacks of pages for "Iastor" Once I thought I was wrong, now I'm not so sure!

http://www.dellcommunity.com/suppor... You need to hit the F-6 key at the appropriate time and install a driver via a floppy; that computer is SATA. You also have to confirm a BIOS setting too; that's why it is showing you a hardware error. It's a bit more complicated than what I really understand, but there is quite a bit of info on the Dell link above from other folks who encountered XPS 400 bug-a-boo's. Those two smaller partitions you deleted were the Dell PC Restore partition and the other was the Dell Diagnostics partition. It sounds like you completely wiped the drive and are starting from scratch now.... Hopefully you can get info from the link above or somebody will jump in here with knowlege regarding SATA. Good luck..

Well, I finally got it to boot up into Windows. I changed it from Sata Array to just Sata. But there are some other wierd things happening. When I right click and go to the "send to" the C: and D: drive doesn't show up. I had to create a shortcut for the D: drive. When I look in device manager it shows two controllers, Intel(R)82801G (ICH7 FAMILY) Ultra ATA Storage Controllers-27DF and Intel(R) 82801G B/GR/GH (ICH7 Family)Serial ATA Storage Controller-27C0. I also have two Primary IDE Channels and one Secondary Channel. Does anyone know if this is correct. Again I am not firmiliar with SATA Array or SATA.