I have a computer with Vista Utimate that hangs up on the Microsoft scrolling bar. Eventually the computer will start up . . . but only after an hour or two or more. Everything works fine when it does finally boot up, but the long delays are totally unacceptable. It won't even boot up in safe mode. Does anyone know how to fix this?
Solved Vista Ultimate fails to start up
- Thread starter nelsonw
- Start date
Sounds like it might be essential drivers that cause the problem
Safe mode removes everything except the most essential drivers
Type device manager in search
Go and look at your essential drivers, make sure they are up to date and no yellow
warning markers.
Look at graphics, sound, etc.
Run an antivirus scan, complete and back up first
Download and run malwarebytes full scan after update.
Safe mode removes everything except the most essential drivers
Type device manager in search
Go and look at your essential drivers, make sure they are up to date and no yellow
warning markers.
Look at graphics, sound, etc.
Run an antivirus scan, complete and back up first
Download and run malwarebytes full scan after update.
My Computer
System One
-
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell XPS420
- Memory
- 6 gig
- Graphics card(s)
- ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
- Sound Card
- Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
- Hard Drives
- 640 gb
- Cooling
- Fan
- Mouse
- Dell USB 4 button optical
- Keyboard
- Dell USB
- Other Info
- DSL provided by ATT
Thanks for this advice. All my drivers seem to be okay. Did a virus scan and came out clean. Guess I'll try system restore again.
My Computer
Try this it fixes corruption
Run 3 times if errors are found
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html
Run 3 times if errors are found
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/66978-system-files-sfc-command.html
My Computer
System One
-
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell XPS420
- Memory
- 6 gig
- Graphics card(s)
- ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
- Sound Card
- Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
- Hard Drives
- 640 gb
- Cooling
- Fan
- Mouse
- Dell USB 4 button optical
- Keyboard
- Dell USB
- Other Info
- DSL provided by ATT
Lorien
Account Suspended
If the System Restore doesn't work, do a Startup Repair by booting to the genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk (or one you can borrow from ANYONE) or from a Recovery Disk with recovery options included on it. Here's the procedure: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/91467-startup-repair.html. To boot to the CD you may need to change the BIOS to make the CD-drive first in the boot sequence. To do that, wait for the screen that tells you the F key to push to access the boot menu or boot setup. Push it quickly. Make the changes, save your work, and exit. Put the CD in the drive and reboot. When prompted, push any key to boot from the CD.
If you don't have either disk, you can make a bootable Recovery Disk using http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/ along with burning software like: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/active-isoburner.html and, of course, a blank CD (perhaps made on a different computer or perhaps in safe mode with networking if that is working).
If that doesn't work, try to boot into safe mode (repeatedly click the F8 key while booting and go to safe mode with networking – or do so from the command prompt on the disk). Then let's check some of your system files:
Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command prompt and right click on command prompt and click run as Administrator (you can skip this step if using the disk).
If using the disk, cd to C:\Windows\System32. Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run. It will scan and try to fix some of your system files. Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228. Try to attach the report (you may need to copy it to your desktop before it will permit you to attach it) here so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk (unless there are too many).
While in Command Prompt, type chkdsk /f /r and enter and let it run. It will want to schedule itself to run at the next restart. Answer yes and then reboot to run the program. It will scan and try to fix any corruption or bad sectors on your hard drive and mostly remove that as a potential cause.
If that doesn't work, then please post any error messages from the Event Viewer concerning startup (Start / Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Event Viewer). Here's how to use Event Viewer: http://www.petri.co.il/vista-event-viewer.htm. Look in the System section.
Let's test your hard drive and RAM for hardware problems:
To test your hard drive, check the manufacturer and then get the diagnostic utility from: http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/hard-drive-support/302602-hard-drive-diagnostic-utilities.html (and/or get one from your hard drive or computer manufacturer if they have one available – it wouldn’t hurt to try both). If it fails the test, replace it. If it passes the test, then there's probably nothing wrong with it.
You can also test your RAM at http://www.memtest.org/. If it fails, test each chip individually to find those that are bad and replace them. If it passes, RAM is probably OK.
If that doesn't work, we'll need to do a system repair/upgrade using the genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk (one you own or one you can borrow from ANYONE). To do this you have to also be able to boot normally. Here's the procedure: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html. Although this will not affect your data, settings, or programs, you should still backup your data before starting just to be on the safe side. You may have a lot of updates to re-install (including any service packs you had to remove). If the version on the system came with SP1 or SP2 pre-installed and the disk is an earlier version, then you'll need to make a slipstream disk as follows: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/151606-vista-sp1-slipstream-installation-dvd.html.
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
If you don't have either disk, you can make a bootable Recovery Disk using http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/ along with burning software like: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/active-isoburner.html and, of course, a blank CD (perhaps made on a different computer or perhaps in safe mode with networking if that is working).
If that doesn't work, try to boot into safe mode (repeatedly click the F8 key while booting and go to safe mode with networking – or do so from the command prompt on the disk). Then let's check some of your system files:
Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / Command prompt and right click on command prompt and click run as Administrator (you can skip this step if using the disk).
If using the disk, cd to C:\Windows\System32. Type sfc /scannow and enter and let it run. It will scan and try to fix some of your system files. Hopefully it will complete with no corruption it could not repair (if there is such corruption post back here or try to analyze it to find the problem file(s) using http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928228. Try to attach the report (you may need to copy it to your desktop before it will permit you to attach it) here so we can see if they can be repaired with good copies from the installation disk (unless there are too many).
While in Command Prompt, type chkdsk /f /r and enter and let it run. It will want to schedule itself to run at the next restart. Answer yes and then reboot to run the program. It will scan and try to fix any corruption or bad sectors on your hard drive and mostly remove that as a potential cause.
If that doesn't work, then please post any error messages from the Event Viewer concerning startup (Start / Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Event Viewer). Here's how to use Event Viewer: http://www.petri.co.il/vista-event-viewer.htm. Look in the System section.
Let's test your hard drive and RAM for hardware problems:
To test your hard drive, check the manufacturer and then get the diagnostic utility from: http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/hard-drive-support/302602-hard-drive-diagnostic-utilities.html (and/or get one from your hard drive or computer manufacturer if they have one available – it wouldn’t hurt to try both). If it fails the test, replace it. If it passes the test, then there's probably nothing wrong with it.
You can also test your RAM at http://www.memtest.org/. If it fails, test each chip individually to find those that are bad and replace them. If it passes, RAM is probably OK.
If that doesn't work, we'll need to do a system repair/upgrade using the genuine Windows Vista Installation Disk (one you own or one you can borrow from ANYONE). To do this you have to also be able to boot normally. Here's the procedure: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html. Although this will not affect your data, settings, or programs, you should still backup your data before starting just to be on the safe side. You may have a lot of updates to re-install (including any service packs you had to remove). If the version on the system came with SP1 or SP2 pre-installed and the disk is an earlier version, then you'll need to make a slipstream disk as follows: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/151606-vista-sp1-slipstream-installation-dvd.html.
I hope this helps.
Good luck!
My Computer
System One
-
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell Inc. MP061 Inspiron E1705
- CPU
- 2.00 gigahertz Intel Core 2 Duo 64 kilobyte primary memory
- Motherboard
- Board: Dell Inc. 0YD479 Bus Clock: 166 megahertz
- Memory
- 2046 Megabytes Usable Installed Memory
- Graphics card(s)
- ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 (Microsoft Corporation - WDDM) [Di
- Sound Card
- SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Generic PnP Monitor (17.2"vis)
- Screen Resolution
- 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Hard Drives
- Hitachi HTS541616J9SA00 [Hard drive] (160.04 GB) -- drive 0, s/n SB2411SJGLLRMB, rev SB4OC74P, SMART Status: Healthy
- Case
- Chassis Serial Number: 5YK95C1
- Mouse
- Logitech HID-compliant Cordless Mouse
- Keyboard
- Standard PS/2 Keyboard
- Internet Speed
- 1958 Kbps download ; 754.8 Kbps upload
- Other Info
- Optiarc DVD+-RW AD-5540A ATA Device [CD-ROM drive] Dell AIO Printer A940 Conexant HDA D110 MDC V.92 Modem 6TO4 Adapter Broadcom 440x 10/100 Integrated Controller Broadcom 802.11n Network Adapter Microsoft ISATAP Adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface Router Linksys / WRT54G -01
For some reason I cannot get beyond the Microsoft dancing bar, even when trying to boot up from the CD. It goes through the loading files OK and even beyond the next step, but goes into that endless Microsoft dancing bar loop, just as in the normal startup. I'm at a loss to know what is going on.
My Computer
Is the BIOS set to boot from the CD?
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/205005-boot-priority-change.html
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/205005-boot-priority-change.html
My Computer
System One
-
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell XPS420
- Memory
- 6 gig
- Graphics card(s)
- ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
- Sound Card
- Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
- Hard Drives
- 640 gb
- Cooling
- Fan
- Mouse
- Dell USB 4 button optical
- Keyboard
- Dell USB
- Other Info
- DSL provided by ATT
Im biteing my tongue dont want to go to a new install. So what happened with the system restore from safe mode?
Make a system restore if you can.
Continue to try to boot from the CD
Try the SFC again, too.
Make a system restore if you can.
Continue to try to boot from the CD
Try the SFC again, too.
Last edited:
My Computer
System One
-
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell XPS420
- Memory
- 6 gig
- Graphics card(s)
- ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
- Sound Card
- Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
- Hard Drives
- 640 gb
- Cooling
- Fan
- Mouse
- Dell USB 4 button optical
- Keyboard
- Dell USB
- Other Info
- DSL provided by ATT
You are amazing! I'm not sure which of your procedures did the trick, but the computer is booting up normally now and seems to be operating smoothly. I can't thank you enough. You saved me costly repairs and, more importantly, saved me time and enabled me to meet client deadlines. I thank you profusely.
Best,
nelwad
Best,
nelwad
My Computer
Makes no difference why it works, you followed instructions and we lucked out.
Glad that things worked out.
Take care.
Ill mark this solved
Glad that things worked out.
Take care.
Ill mark this solved
Last edited:
My Computer
System One
-
- Manufacturer/Model
- Dell XPS420
- Memory
- 6 gig
- Graphics card(s)
- ATI Radeon HD3650 256 MB
- Sound Card
- Intergrated 7.1 Channel Audio
- Monitor(s) Displays
- Dell SP2009W 20 inch Flat Panel w Webcam
- Hard Drives
- 640 gb
- Cooling
- Fan
- Mouse
- Dell USB 4 button optical
- Keyboard
- Dell USB
- Other Info
- DSL provided by ATT