The short version is I've been without my computer for nearly two weeks in spite of it being under warranty.  Apparently, there was a problem with my system board or chipset that was causing Intel Matrix Storage Manager error messages inside & outside of Windows.  I lost data in the various crashed, but I can recreate it once my system is operational again.  Of course, before tech support decided that's what the problem was, they had me do every troubleshooting step they could thing of, including reinstalling the OS TWICE.

In the process of all their troubleshooting steps, they wiped out the Intel Matrix Storage Manager, which is required on non-RAID XPS 420s for the external eSATA port to work.  I know this because I went through the whole process with Dell back when the system was delivered.  The fix required a bunch of things that are way over my head technically, but that didn't matter because Dell walked me through the process to correct their problem (which required making changes in the BIOS and reinstalling the OS).

Since SUNDAY, I've been trying to get help getting the eSATA port enabled again.  I've given tech support the case number for that resolution (along with the current case number) many times.  I have some basic notes of the process, but since I didn't really understand it at the time (1/2008), there are some gaps in my personal notes.  However, they've go access to the steps the techs took last time, right?

In any case, I'm getting NOWHERE.  The technician from Sunday night was supposed to call me back last night after the system board & I/O controller had been replaced -- he didn't call.  This is the second time in this whole saga a technician scheduled a call-back but didn't follow through.

So, I called today & asked for a senior technician.  After having to explain the situation yet again, the first guy I got today seemed to think he could get the eSATA problem (and the keyboard problem -- their troubleshooting steps have made my Dell Bluetooth keyboard & mouse non-functional outside Windows) resolved.  OK, I'm a cooperative & patient person -- all I care about is getting my system running again.

He gets me into the BIOS & had me turn RAID on, and the call gets disconnected from their end.  So, I wait -- he'd asked me for my phone number just in case.  I waited and I waited and I waited -- no call back.

So, I called again, asked for him, but he was on another call.  I explained everything AGAIN and wait patiently for him to get up to speed on what needs to be done & where we are in the process.  He has me disable the FlexBay, and the call gets disconnected from their end AGAIN.  That was over an hour ago, and I've not gotten a call back.  AGAIN.

Those first two steps are actually the two out of the process I could have done myself.  I'm sitting here in the BIOS not knowing what comes next.

Can anyone PLEASE help me figure out what comes next since all I'm getting from Dell Support is hung up on???

Here's a link to a post I did here way back then outlining the steps:  http://tinyurl.com/nyr2gg  I don't understand hardward stuff, so I don't know which drivers I'm supposed to load from the CD before installing Vista -- I remember the option in the Vista installation process since Dell had me reinstall the OS twice in like three days, but I don't know what drivers I'm supposed to use to resolve the eSATA problem.

Honestly, I really am a patient & cooperative person, as evidenced by the fact that I've been spending hours & hours with Dell almost every single day since the problem first happened on 7/19.  However, after having several scheduled return calls not happen and after being disconnected twice today with no return calls, my patience is exhausted and I'm desperate.  I was supposed to go on vacation next week, but since my computer has been non-functional, I'm almost two weeks behind with my work & don't see a vacation happening.

Oh -- the reason the external eSATA port is so crucial is because that's where I backed up everything -- programs, data, everything -- before Dell had me reinstall the OS the first time in this process.

If anyone has any suggestions or can help, I will reallyReallyREALLY appreciate it!