I recently experienced some problems with my computer. After running Dell and Norton diagnostics both came back as hard drive failure. I purchased a new hard drive and had a professional install it. I installed the OS and drivers from the Dell disks that came with my computer. The computer was running fine after installing Microsoft Office, QuickBooks and Norton, downloading Java, Adobe and Blackboard IM. Windows then performed a 104 MB update. When the computer was re-started it started a Windows Configuration. It only made it to 30% and then froze for over an hour. I restarted the computer and Windows was able to restart and complete the configuration. Once I was logged in to my computer Windows Explorer continually froze or was super slow. I restarted the computer and it will not start normally. It mandates that I launch system repair and takes me to the System Recovery OPTIONS. From the next screen I am only able to restore computer using a system image created earlier. It is not recognizing my computer as having an operating system and I cannot restore from a system image because there is none. I ran the diagnostics TOOLS off of the Dell Driver and Utilities disk and from the Dell screen (F12). Both come back as telling me there is HDD errors.

I am wondering if the problem is really with my HDD or if it could be the motherboard or Windows itself.

My system is/has the following;

Dell Inspiron 570
Windows 7
New Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache Internal Desktop Hard Drive Bullk/OEM - WD1002FAEx

I am familar with computers but I don't know a lot about the inner workings of them so please feel free to simplify replies  It shouldn't be a problem with Windows, seeing as you have already done a fresh install. Would it be possible to take the drive out, slave it to another computer, and run this tool so we can eliminate your PC being the problem?
http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Hard-Disk-Utils/Western-Digital-DLG-Diagnostics.shtmlNo reason to go thru all that if he DLoads the 1 that creates a bootable CD...How do I download one that creates a bootable CD?

Samantha
Quote

I am familar with computers but I don't know a lot about the inner workings of them so please feel free to simplify replies 

...I am wondering if the problem is really with my HDD or if it could be the motherboard or Windows itself.
My system is/has the following;
Dell Inspiron 570...