The "black screen with an arrow and dots" is not a traditional error screen and the "004 motherboard error code" is characteristic of a BIOS error code rather than a Windows error code. If there's another, exact, error code, feel free to follow up, but given what you've written thus far it sounds more like bad hardware than a Windows issue, and thus a situation best resolved by Dell tech support under your product warranty.
Regards,
John
I have a dell xps1730 laptop and I reinstalled my windows vista on it. It goes through the reninstall process and then goes to a black screen with an arrow and dots, keeps trying to start up but wont. Just stays like that. I put the disk in again to it says startup problem, click repair. it either does the same thing or gives me a 004 motherboard error code. I have done what ever diagnostic tests I could do in bootup and they say everything is fine. The disk keeps reinstalling like there is nothing wrong. It is windows vista that version that came with my dell, so it should work. First time I have used it.
I am on my trusty mac writing to you now, please help.
Thanks
Miss Clairol

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