Windows Vista [Unable to boot from 'rescue' environment]

Guys and girls, this blows. Listen, please hook me up with what is likely an easy resolution for this. I do not have this problem with Windows 7!

Also, PLEASE excuse the long post. If you don't have the time, this is what I need: I need either my bootable DVD, or USB stick to do what it won't: Boot into the rescue environment, so I can do a System Restore. SMALL problem. Or so I thought! Here's the long version:

Alright, so I have my Vista 64-bit DVD (FULL retail, legal copy, thank you very much! lol), and I ran an image using PowerISO to make an exact, copy of the source files to another DVD, bootable(!), and, yet another copy, using the same method, also bootable, with one of my SanDisk Cruzer Cruzer's (8GB one). This is ALL 64-bit, just FYI, should it made any difference, which I doubt.

I did this for the sole purpose of having some "fault tolerance ", just in case the original gets lost, won't work anymore, girlfriend breaks it in front of me, etc.

Also, the way I back up my system is RAID0 folks, a straight mirror! I have enough hard disks, and it's coming in handy again now, isn't it?

My problem is that I cannot(!!!) boot from either(!!) the DVD, OR, the USB SanDisk drive.

As I said earlier, this ALWAYS works for me on my Windows 7 machine, when I play around with my T60's Core Duo (x86 CPU), so it is a 32-bit installation, just in case that matters which I don't believe it does. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. So...I am always(!) able to install it from my Windows 7 RC copy I plug in and reinstall 7 when needed, in little to no time.

Please let me also tell me what I did when this started happening.
I went to CP ---> Administrative Tools ----> Computer Management ----> Disk Management ---> ????? ...this is where I think I found where you change the boot configuration, and I JUST wanted to see what would happen with a certain settings combination, and the thing restarts on me and says it can't boot up because a file's missing.

So. Now what. It would not let me do what it asks every time I boot up, which is to put my Vista DVD in, and do a System Restore, and all will be well again. How can I do this? I JUST WANT TO DO A SYSTEM RESTORE.

I REALLY would like my newer Vista Ultimate installation back, instead of turn back the clock and use this one. Although, this is way better than nothing, and I certainly could.

Arie, mattman, PeteC, Steve, TonyT, why won't this work??? The symptom is when I try it boot off of either device, it SEEMS to load something or other off the DVD or USB stick, depending on what I use in an attempt to Repair my installation. And yes, the BIOS is set to allow for it... ..................

 

Is there a KB article that deals with this problem? All I need is to "induce" a System Restore, and everything'll be back to normal.

Windows 7's code is almost ready, so I might just install the latest build, but I don't want to leave Vista like this lol...Geeky, I know! I would like to get this going, though. :-(

Thank you everyone, and again, sorry for the long post!

Crunch

 

Thanks Pete!

Alright, I'll get the name of the file. Interesting. So this just happens indiscriminately to anyone, does it? ..not cool.

And Yes, I tested both my SanDisk drive as well as the DVD, and they're both bootable. I used PowerISO to extract the source files right on the disc/thumb drive, and when I put 'em on the desktop, they always auto-boot into setup.

Tried Safe Mode, too, yea. No dice. Thanks, though. I'm gonna check out that link.

You still running good ol' XP, huh? Windows 7 encompasses the best of Vista, without the annoyances. A lot of people like it, and they're almost done (current build is 7249 or something). Should be all ready late July/early August.

Just fyi, in case you're into 7 at all when it comes out...I'll be getting one 7 Professional, and three Ultimate licenses. All 100% legit, and only one is an Upgrade. If you want one, you got it.

Thanks, Pete!

 

Hi Arie,

Yes! Exactly. I almost never use any of my original DVD's of any software item that I purchased in a store, so as to protect them against loss or theft, but mostly against misplacing them, which used to occur...daily! This is co-incidentally right around when the girlfriend has just finished "cleaning" my perfectly organized office desk again.

I use PowerISO, and generate an exact copy which PowerISO makes bootable. A 100% match, and PowerISO (I have v.4.3) detects whether any particular CD, DVD, or even USB stick which I use mostly these days, is either non-bootable or bootable. That's how I've always done it in the past.

And yes, you're right, merely copying one DVD onto a blank one won't ever work.

I also don't have my DVDRW drive in my Thinkpad, as I use my DVD's about as much as I use floppies. jI have an HDD caddy, which allows me to use a second hard drive (any 2.5" one), which I can also select to boot from, if the BIOS is configured to allow this, so I am almost always running two hard drives within my Thinkpad. I love having everything in one place!

Finally, as of late, I've been using USB sticks for the same purpose. I've been sold on those babies ever since I was able to simply plug in the USB stick, turn on my notebook, and install an entire OS, and at much faster speeds at that, obviously.

I appreciate you helping me. I can't believe that I can't pull this off. Something I've done several times in the past, and something I thought would be a formality. Seriously.

At any rate, I know what I need to do. A System Restore. I just cannot boot to the desktop.

Pete's link above would solve the problem, but how do I get to a C: prompt to manually enter the System Restore cmd. As much as I love Acronis True Image, I didn't, out of laziness, make a rescue disc, because I don't use its OS Boot Selector system. I have an XP Rescue and Recovery disk set. Somewhere. If I only knew where those are. That would at least give me a C: prompt, but would that be of any use to me?

Can I just create a System Recovery disk from this, my backup installation of Vista?

Alright, I'll shut up now lol...Thanks for listening Arie, and everyone else. I'm convinced that this is some small issue that is staring me in the face and I don't see it. Not like that sort of thing hasn't happened to me before. lol...

 

You change the boot order in the BIOS, not disk management. When you turn on your computer, look at the first screen to see how to enter the BIOS. (Mine is the delete key, some are F keys)
Johanna

 

Johanna, hi, and thanks for the advice.

Yea, on the IBM/Lenovo Thinkpads, it is F1 that will get you into the BIOS. I forgot to mention that. Anyway, I had changed the combination to seemingly every combination of the boot order that made sense to me. (...and some that didn't)

So I had to face it. The closet. lol...and after an hour, I found that needle in the haystack (my DVDRW/CDRW drive that I virtually never use). So I just dumped my 2nd hard drive out of the Ultrabay, and in went my Vista DVD. A quick System Restore from there, and all was well (and I had a clean closet to show for it, too. )

In the meantime, I bought a new laptop, but I am also still holding on to my souped-up T60p with the S-IPS screen.

Thank you again!