[Muser]

My Gateway notebook (new 2/4/07) came with Vista. Had to ship it back w/i first week b/c power supply failed. A week after I got it back I had to work through "Invalid Product Code" after installing MS Powerpoint Viewer and MS Office 2003. A week later while using it on vacation, the thing wouldn't boot at all... thought it was a hard drive problem.

Gateway support said to reload Vista using from the Operating System Disk that came with it. Since then, I can boot or restart fine BUT only if I DO NOT connect to the internet! If I give it wireless or hardwire connection to the internet, then it will not re-boot on the next attempt... it gives a screen with 3 safe mode boot options and one "Last Known Good Configuration"... none of which allow it to boot. Instead it briefly flashes a black error screen with some instructions that I could only do if it booted... then would cycle through startup attempts forever if I let it.

At this point, I have to reinstall Vista from the Operating System Disk. It took me many such re-installs to figure out that the problem arises only after I give the machine access to the internet. Thus I've had the opportunity to try all the iinstall options provided by the Operating System Disk, including trying the repair option which did not seem to repair anything but whose logfile ended with either of two messages: "System Volume on Disk is Corrupt" or "A Patch is preventing the system from starting".

Main Issue:
So why can't I re-boot after allowing it to see the internet? Is it because MS then sees it and thinks it is invalid?

Side issues:

Operating System Disk only contains about a third of the programs that were preinstalled on the machine when I bought it. Gateway is sending me a DVD that supposedly contains everything and will allow me to reformat the machine from scratch.

Each re-install renames the previous Windows folder which eats up disk space at about 9GB per install. Apparently these old Windows folders can be deleted only via the cleanup facility... but the options on that only allow an all or nothing delete of Windows.old's and I want to keep the first and last ones, but I am running out of disk space.

There is a system restore partition on the hard drive but apparently no way to get to it according to the Gateway support people.

The CD/DVD+/-RW drive can play or read previously recorded media and can burn data CDs but cannot burn data DVDs. When I try to burn data DVDs using the built-in Vista facility, it either craps out or hangs after many minutes or many hours.

I'm almost ready to wipe Vista off for now and install WinXP Pro but Gateway says that will invalidate any support... and it may be a hassle finding all the drivers required.

Any suggestions on fixing any of these issues would be appreciated.

[etaf]

My suggestion would be to get gateway to replace the machine as its new and under warranty.... dont try and fix it, should work out the box - even vista

[Rich-M]

I agree with etaf, this sounds like a hardware issue, perhaps having to do with network card or something that internet connection affects.

[techy689]

Maybe Gateway isn't working for you.... I would recommend HP. Great quality. Great price.

[Muser]

I'm still having the same problems re-booting Vista after allowing my Gateway notebook see the internet. Then I have to reload Vista from the system disc. Importing the boot area from a previously working session does not fix the problem. I also tried to recover from a working Restore Point but I couldn't get to that point without re-installing. I also ran chkdsk on C: from the system disc but that didn't help. I even did a reformat of C: with one of the re-installs but that didn't resolve the problem either.

The problem seems to appear only if I allow the computer to visit the default MSN site that is preloaded on the IE from the system disc... or if I let the computer do automatic updating from Microsoft. To accomplish the latter, I had to choose the third of three options to avoid automatic updating when re-installing Vista.

I now plan to keep this machine from shutting down or restarting until I receive the full restore DVD that Gateway is sending me once they find a copy.

I don't believe the root problem is Gateway's... I think it is Microsoft Vista's... but the Gateway people probably are as clueless on how to fix it as any other vendor. They sold the system with this operating system and I will return the computer if they don't have it fully functioning by the end of this week.

The only useful advice I got from Gateway so far is how to restore the hibernate option after it went away during on of my many re-installs...
from a Command Prompt opened with administrator privileges with a right click, enter:
powercfg -H

I'd appreciate any detailed advice on how to identify and download all the drivers I'd need install Win XP Pro in place of Vista... in case it comes to that.

[etaf]

these programs will identify the hardware on the PC

http://www.belarc.com

online scan
http://www.d-a-l.com/hardware-scan.php

Great standalone program with pdf and email output
http://www.pxserver.com/WinAudit.htm

gateway should have the XP drivers on the website

[Muser]

Started looking for Win XP drivers for my Gateway ML6703. Vista drivers are available from Gateway but none for WinXP. I started looking for drivers by component manufacturers, but could not find a WinXP driver for the chipset Intel 943GML... it only is supported under Vista.

So going to WinXP on this machine may be impossible.

Two of the three hardware identification programs suggested by etaf above worked (the third did not produce any output), but while both indentified most components, both saw the Synaptics touchpad as a PS/2 mouse.

Best advice I saw today: Before you buy a PC with Vista, check that all components also have a current WinXP driver available for downloading in case you want to install WinXP.

Interesting statement on Microsoft's Vista License Terms window that pops up during an install:
"Instead of using the software [Vista], you may use one of the following earlier versions:
- Microsoft WinXP Professional
- Microsoft WinXP Professional x64 Edition
- Microsoft WinXP Tablet PC Edition
...
At any time, you may replace an earlier version with this version [Vista] of the software."

So I am allowed to install and use WinXP but, catch22, not all of the drivers are available.

[Muser]

Oops... I forgot to indicate which hardware scan did not work... it was this one:

online scan
http://www.d-a-l.com/hardware-scan.php

[Muser]

Gave up on Gateway delivering a restore DVD (ordered 3/5/07 but apparently still on backorder as of 3/28/07)... returned it and got a similar notebook (Lenovo 3000 N100). Keyboard & touchpad is not as comfortable as the Gateway, but at least Lenovo's tech support has a toll free number and knows how to give support. Advice for prospective buyers: test call tech support before you buy and see if machine has drivers available to run WinXP if Vista isn't for you.