Vista Prem wont boot up anymore

j4y1981 · 9th November 2008

Ive had Vista Premium on my pc since i got it but after some updates the other day from windows it would boot up and kept asking to insert windows disk and click repair. Anyway after doing this over and over it stil wouldnt sort the problem so i formatted the HD and installed windows from scratch. All was well until yet again i let windows update run and again boot error click repair blah blah. Clearly it isnt working and im about ready to smash the PC lol. Please help someone im going crazy trying to work out whats causing this.

Thanx in advance.

-Jay

**mattman** · 10th November 2008

Boot to the DVD and try doing a System Restore, no luck, do the Startup Repair:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arie

You can boot off the Vista DVD and after Vista installs some files & you choose your language & keyboard, choose the option to Repair. When Vista has found your installation click Next, and from the System Recovery Options, you can choose:

* Startup Repair
- OR -
* System Restore

You will need to identify which update is causing the problem. I recommend you don't get driver updates from MS, find them yourself from the computer/system manufacturer's website (and I don't update drivers unless I feel there is a need to do so). Just get the "Important" ones and install them one at a time (reboot in between). When you identify the problem update, right-click on that update in the list and select Hide Update.

If the problem update is an Important one you will need to do some research to find out if there is a replacement for it.

Matt

j4y1981 · 10th November 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattman

Boot to the DVD and try doing a System Restore, no luck, do the Startup Repair:

Matt

Ive tried all of the above like i said when i restore of repair it from disk all is well til i next restart the pc then its asif it didnt do anything. As for which windows update it seems to make no difference ive yet to find one that hasnt caused this and id rather not have to format and lose everything a 5th time tbh.

**mattman** · 11th November 2008

I did not see that you had booted from the Vista DVD and run Restore or Repair from there.

After the installation of Windows, have you been to the system manufacturer's website to check for driver updates?

Have you turned off "automatic updates" so that you can control the updating yourself?

Sorry, but there is not enough information.

Quote:

Originally Posted by j4y1981

Ive tried all of the above like i said when i restore of repair it from disk all is well til i next restart the pc then its asif it didnt do anything. As for which windows update it seems to make no difference ive yet to find one that hasnt caused this and id rather not have to format and lose everything a 5th time

I don't have any other suggestions for that information.

You can contact the MS tech support, if you have an OEM machine (HP, Dell, Gateway, Compaq, Sony, etc), they will refer you to them.

Matt

hawk22 · 11th November 2008

Hi j4j, if you are having that many troubles with windows updates then there is something else wrong. MS have had some troublesome updates, but they are in the minority.
If you have lost everything four times already than I would say it is time for you to start backing up.
Like mattman says you need to provide more information.
hawk22

j4y1981 · 11th November 2008

Sorry if i sound abrupt just its frustrating thats all and im not sure what else i can tell you its not an OEM machine i put it together myself but the copy of vista is OEM so no support im afraid. Yes originly i had turnt auto update off and all was fine even installed SP1 manually stil ok. But the momment i let it update itself thats when i started getting problems and with out starting from scratch again i cant even say if it was a particular update. Like i said though i did try a few updates instead of all (there were quite a few) and it didnt seem to make much difference. I do have things backed up but its the time consuming process of reinstalling everything that i dont like and would rather avoid if possible.

Edit- Oh and system repair works and will let me boot up but the next time i boot it goes back to how it was asking to insert vista disk and click repair.

**mattman** · 12th November 2008

Try not to get frustrated (my walls would have numerous large holes from my head if I let myself get that way

) You will need to take it one step at a time and find out where the problem is. It will be a system of elimination, if you shortcut in the hope that it will magically work, you will be frustrated again if it doesn't.

You will need to be methodical.

Once you get a working system, start creating System Restore points as you go:
Control Panel -> System -> Advanced System Settings (left column) -> System Protection tab -> Create... button.

Were you supplied with a CD that contains Vista drivers for the motherboard and graphics adapter or are the latest drivers for Windows XP? If Vista drivers are not supplied, you/we will need to find them. Please tell us the make and model of the motherboard and graphics adapter if you don't have Vista drivers for that. This could help and you can add the details to your profile:
http://www.windowsbbs.com/adding_sys...fications.html

SO...get a working Vista system, install all the major (updated) drivers. Before you start installing any programs, start getting those Windows Updates manually. From your previous experience you may be able to guess at what point the "dodgy" update is going to install. I suggest you do one of the Important updates at a time and then reboot and then get the next one, reboot again. Write down the KB number as you go.

I have a feeling that if you get a good set of drivers, the problem will go away. (If you get a good set of drivers you could try installing all the Windows Updates again and see what happens. Make those System Restore points as you go though.)

Let us know the details about your system.

Matt

j4y1981 · 12th November 2008

I have got it working by reverting to a restore point i created after manuelly installing SP1 but before auto updates were applied. Ive had the pc going for almost a year now before this happened so it must of been a recent update thats been released within the last few weeks. but il try and do what you said an install 1 at a time to see what happens. Also i updated the pc spec page you sent although i think some parts need upgrading lol.

Edit - i tried installing updates (KB948590) and (KB937286) they're the first 2 on the list of about 40 and i got the bootup problem. Now i know these install ok because they were installed before on a differant hard drive. I was wondering though i had recently swapped my 250gig WD HD for a 500gig version and it was not long after that i first got the boot problem. Could it be anything to do with that or maybe a faulty HD?