Failed to boot even after harddrive replacement

Ok, heres the deal.

Awhile ago, my computer started getting bluescreens and restarting itself when I wasn't around. I'd come back to the computer and it would be at the login screen. After a few weeks, It wouldn't restart and would say "failed to boot" because it couldn't find anything to boot from. So I'd turn it off and then right away it would start up no problem. This happened a few times and it would always start up the second time I tried it. Eventually, it wouldn't start up at all. So, I went through the process of checking the cables (both the power and the other ones) to see if they worked on my CD drives. Eventually, after several hours talking to tech support etc, I figured my 4 year old Hard Drive was dead and went about getting a new one.

So, I installed the new harddrive and it worked great for about 4 months. Then the same thing started happening. I'd get blue screens and it would restart, then it would tell me it couldn't boot and would start up the second time. As of today, I can't get it started.

So, my question is: what's the deal? Did I just get unlucky and have two harddrives coincidentally explode, or is there something seriously wrong with my computer?

The new hard drive was a Western Digital 80GB SN: WCAJ98059616

The last BSOD I got said something like this at the bottom:

"holy monkey, your computer's dying and windows is doing you a favor by showing you this BSOD. Something about how Atapi.sys is broken. Address F745e806 Base at F7450000 Datestamp 367d83e5 "

I have a Dell Dimension 8100, but I've upgraded pretty much everything in it. I have 786 mb of ram, a new video card (Radeon Pro 9500, softmodded Omega drivers) a new sound card (audigy 2z or something like that) and a new powerleap 2.8 processor. The inside of my computer is fairly dusty, but no more so than it ever has been. I don't know if any of that stuff is relavant, but either way there you go.

Please let me know whats up.

 

Welcome to the BB!

Have you tried booting to Safe Mode from the F8 menu?

Have you tried opting for the Last Known Good from the F8 menu?

Have you tried running the HD diagnostic utility available for download at the manufacturers site?

Have you tried booting with a bootable disk in the floppy drive?

Have you tried booting to the XP install CD and running the Repair option?

Can you give the exact wording of the error message?

Have you checked this this MicroSoft Fix that just may be relevant?

Lots of questions. I know you came here for answers but first you have to give some. Post back with more information about these items and we'll have something more to go on.

 

I sounds like you have memory problems. I would try some other memory and check for system stability.