Windows Vista Restarting Windows Vista Home Premium

Recently, it has been harder and harder to get a restart from the start menu. When I click on Restart, my PC starts logging off and never completes the log off. I have had to turn the PC off while it is still logging off. When I turn it back on nothing happens. Things appear normal, but it never gets past the message that says "boot from CD ". After two or three attempts it will finally get past that part and then takes a good ten minutes to boot up. Sometimes I have to force it to reboot in the safe mode, then shut down. After the PC is shut down and I turn it back on it will boot up, but still takes the ten minutes to get the desktop displayed. The small progress bar on the windows startup screen will actually stop and set there for about 5 minutes before resuming to a startup. Anyone have any suggestions. I have run virus scan after virus scan and nothing abnormal shows up. I have also run Regcure with no problems encountered.

The OS is preloaded on a Gateway Desktop GM5664 that is out of warranty. I do have a Gateway OS disc but on the disc is a warning that says "This process erases all data and files from the hard drive ".

 

Start checking the network system. Go to the Gateway's website, look up your model and get updated drivers related to networking (it may be termed Ethernet)?

if there is no disk in the optical drive, that means that the system cannot find where to find some boot files [when the computer starts up, it loads all the hardware, then it needs to find an Operating System to boot to]. Test the hard disk drive as suggested.

Does it only happen when you restart?

Does it happen if you go to Shut Down and then start up again?

Arie is most likely right, it's a HDD problem, but you may as well check any other avenues.

Matt

 

I have tested the hard drive and found no faults. And in answer to your question, yes it only happens on restart, not on a start from when the PC has been turned off.

 

Did you use a dedicated hard drive diagnostics program downloaded from the discs manufacturers site. I see you have both Western Digital and Seagate drives, you can get individual diagnostic programs from both sites. You will need to download and burn these progs to a CD and then reboot the PC with the disk in the drive. The disc containing your OS will be the one to check first.

These dedicated tests run in dos and will give a far more accurate result than running a test in windows. If these are the tests that you have already carried out then you should be able to reinstall the OS.

 

No I didn't do it that way, I'll try that. The only problem is drive D only shows up in the bios settings. Drive D does not show up in "Computer ". The only drive that shows there is drive C. The other problem is drive D is not a boot drive. How do I figure out if the drive D is bad or something in the PC setup that is causing it to not be read?

 

When you run the disk diagnostics it will let you choose which drive you wish to scan.

A problem on the D drive would not cause the issues you have. It is the C drive with the OS that you need to turn your attention to. That being said it would be a wise precaution just to check the D drive is OK.

You mentioned seeing the D drive in the bios, is the C drive there also. If not (with power off) go into the case and remove the connections from the C drive and refit them. Reboot, and then check in bios again.

Do both drives appear in Device Manager?

As soon as you have run the diagnostics I would re-install your OS. If either drive fails the test, remove it from the computer and reinstall on the other drive. If you have files you wish to save, try and back them up to an external drive or to DVD's before the re-install.

You may find when you run the OS disc that it gives an option to do a repair install (this will be usefull if the hard drive is OK). I could not find any information about it on the Gateway site, was it bought seperately or supplied with the PC.

 

Yes, both drives appear in the bios.

No, only C drive appears in Device manager.

The PC was purchased with both drives, although C drive has been replaced due to a failure of the original C drive. D drive is original.

 

Both drives should appear in Device Manager, so there is an issue with that. Lets first try and rectify the other drive and get the OS to function or find the cause of the problem. While diagnosing the problems I would physically disconnect the D drive so it cannot interfere with the process.

Have you got anywhere trying to run the disk diagnostics from the manufacturer, this is the first priority to make sure we are dealing with healthy hard drive.

If the drive comes up clean there are two choices, either try to reinstall the OS or give the memory a test, as follows:

 

I'll do all that this week and let you know the results. I have more pressing items, so the wife says, for the weekend. LOL