Failing Hard Drives with Vista

Just recently, I was experiencing a disk read error or something to that extent after an unusually sluggish windows session, an error in Firefox's plugin container, and a hard reboot.

\windows\system32\config\system
status 0xc00000e9
windows failed to load because system registry file is missing or corrupt.

After several failed attempts to boot...
I partitioned, formatted, and reinstalled the OS, since a repair/boot cd is not available, and all I have is a recovery cd.

After installing all the current updates, Vista needed to restart, doing so yielded the same exact problem... different message... Hard Disk read error.

My hard disk is found in the BIOS no problem, but when attempting to reinstall the OS again, a hard disk cannot be found... so I assumed my hard disk had failed.

I purchased a new sata hard drive, installed it, (replacing the old one) and it was found in the bios...

Anyway... I finally got the new hard drive plugged in and working with Vista installed, and used the computer normally with no problems whatsoever. I re-downloaded all the drivers, everything was great...

Until today about 3 weeks after the new hard drive installation... the plugin container for firefox was acting up it seemed... browser kept freezing... then something totally weird happened.

A Japanese Windows error message popped up none of it made any sense to me except this:
0xc00000e9
I knew exactly what was about to happen next... I clicked OK, The pc locked up, and I restarted... and bam... same problem as before...

\windows\system32\config\system
status 0xc00000e9
windows failed to load because system registry file is missing or corrupt.

I knew it was going to be a pain in the ass... So... I looked online for any solutions.

I read somewhere that you were allowed to download and burn an iso of a windows repair cd. So I did...

At the repair menu, I am told that a repair could not be completed...
The only thing that stood out to me is...
Problem Signature 6: NoHardDrive

Is this because I need to boot sata drivers in order for it to find my HDD?
...or is my computer just screwed?

Does this sound like a hardware failure... in the motherboard maybe? or is some weird firefox plugin thingy coincidence breaking my vista installations/hard drives.

Any help or insight is appreciated.

Looks to me that It is a Driver Problem what is the Plugin you used for Firefox? Was it a Third Party Plugin?

This can be Slightly Dodgy for your Computer

If your BIOS Can find your HDD Then it is unlikely that You have a Hardware Problem Please Reinstall the Drivers for the HDD You would like to use then Reinstall the OS And your Programs but DO NOT INSTALL THE PLUGIN YOU USED WITH FIREFOX

Also If you can Please Specify what Plugin you used and the Company that made it (If any)

Many Thanks,
Josh

Plugin container is an integral part of firefox, and is invoked when something like Flash opens up. How do I know?: Mine crashes sometimes!

Also Can I ask have you ever Run a Checkdisk?

See http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/67612-check-disk-chkdsk.html For More Information

Please Run All Scans Be warned this can take up to 2 Hours to Complete

Hope This Helps,
Josh

Hmmm.... after reading your suggestion about the drivers for the SATA HDD's I did a little research, and I definitely think you are onto something... for some reason vista installs/repairs seem to have trouble detecting SATA devices for the first time.

I'll see what I can do... so... I need to get drivers for the motherboard... or for the hdd/vista?? (I'm sure I'll figure it out)

also... I haven't run a chkdsk on this new drive, since its brand new (like a week old)

...idk

wish me luck, and thanks!

lol... well I got the drivers... the vista startup repair recognized my hard drive and my windows installation this time, awesome!

performed a repair... it asked me to restart....

and now... in the bios... my hard drive's vendor is listed as:
Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z♀Z
(which is definitely wrong,) LOL!
It's gotta be some kind of hardware problem... maybe I got a bad HDD.... or more-likely something is wrong with the SATA controller on my MOBO.

Unless there are any other suggestions... I guess I'm going to leave this one to the computer professionals, and see if they can figure it out...

thanks again everyone for reading/replying
-Rob