Boot problem is just the tip of the iceburg

[bj33813]

So many different problems, I don't know where this should really be posted.

Several days ago, my Dell Vostro 200 stopped booting up. Tried to diagnose the trouble, and when I tried to access the Dell utility by using F12 right after the Dell logo appeared, I got "disk error" repeatedly. Tried using the Dell dvd to do a startup repair, but still no boot. Tried a system restore. Reloaded a saved image from Macrium Reflect which I had created just a few weeks earlier, and had the same problem...no boot.


OK, maybe the hdd is bad, so I pulled it out, put in a new hdd, unplugged the D drive which is loaded with Win XP SP2, initialized the new C drive, and reinstalled vista from the Dell reinstall dvd...(Windows Vista Home Basic 32BIT SP1), shut it down, plugged the D drive back in, and restarted the machine. Now it boots up ok. I got all the Windows updates, loaded all my programs back (what a PITA). Now it will not boot again. Not a dual boot menu BTW.


OK, I try setting msconfig to Diagnostic Startup, and in safe mode, it boots up fine. So then I set msconfig to Selective Startup, and check off the boxes for the settings to match those which had been checked using Diagnostic startup, and gradually by many hours of trial and error, found that it will only boot correctly if I check off these items:


Crypto
Win Event log
Group Policy
Google update
Google update
IP helper
Work station
MS Anti malware
Network connection
Network list service
MS Network
Network location awareness
Network stock interface
Security acct mgr
Task scheduler
Print spooler
Win image acquisition
Themes
Desktop win mgr
Web client
Win mgmt
Security center
Win search




anything else and it goes black 20 seconds after the Welcome screen starts, only the mouse pointer shows, and that's all she wrote.


Once it does boot up using only the above settings, and I look at services.msc, I see that even tho these boxes are checked, they show not running:


crypto
google update
google update
MS Network
Themes
Security center


If I uncheck those boxes, no boot.


I do not have internet access or sound with these settings. Tried checking both Win audio and win audio endpoint as well as DNS and MM class scheduler, but no boot up. Speaker icon on lower right has a red X and it shows "the audio service is not running", and everything I try fails. I do have Realtek HD audio mgr and used Realtek 32 BIT Vista R271 driver which is working fine, tho the mixer which WAS working, has disappeared, and yes, it is still not working when I do the rightclick to show disabled/disconnected features and try to reauthorize it. The Network icon also shows yellow triangle and when diagnosing, says Windows cannot fix it, contact administrator.


So, how do I get the machine to boot and still give me net access and sound?


Fortunately, I can access everything using XP, and you guys want to do away with XP?


I need to take a break from this machine as I am bleary-eyed from hours of tinkering with it. Check back later, thank you for any help.

 

[MilesAhead]

I would backtrack to the point where everything booted fine. Make an image. Then if you want to add updates, go one at a time.

I'm not a big fan of massive updates. As you see, if something goes awry there's way too many variables to figure out what happened. I prefer to only update specific fixes I need, or use a Service Pack. But anyway, I don't think there's a shortcut. If you had imaged when things looked good after the resinstall, then at least you'd be able to get back to a known state more quickly, probably. No guarantees but I think it's worth imaging at that point if you go 'round again.

 

[bj33813]

Yes, I think you hit on the head. Now why didn't I think of that?

Going thru it all right now.
Thanks!

 

[ilikefree]

I would also try to reduce the items you have starting with windows
Do it in services.msc

 

[bj33813]

Well, I reloaded vista from the Dell reinstall disk, works ok, added programs, works ok, added a few dozen updates, works ok.
Then upgraded it to SP2 and a few more updates, works ok.
This am on booting, screen goes black right after Welcome screen, then nada.
Put back the image from SP1 with the programs on it, screen goes black right after the Welcome screen. Ran a scan for malware, and it shows clean. Will try booting one more time, & if it fails, then will write back the base Vista image with no programs or updates and try again. Me thinks this 5 yr old Dell may be ready for the junk pile.

Thanks for the help.

 

[bj33813]

God this is getting stranger and stranger!

Tried repeatedly to boot with the image of Vista SP1 as taken directly from the dell re-install disk (my original config), and which worked yesterday, and kept freezing and going black screen right after the Welcome screen.

I tried swapping the leads to put Vista drive where XP is now and the XP drive where Vista was, reboot and change boot sequence with F12 so that the Vista drive would boot since the XP drive has no boot, and still black screen.

Getting desperate now, so I put back the original hdd that I thought was bad, and was giving me lots of headaches, black screen, and msconfig that had most of the boxes unchecked as it would not boot with all of them checked....(as per my OP)

and the damned thing boots up fine, I look at msconfig, and all boxes are checked, and it works that way !

Will leave it that way (as it was before I wrote the OP) and see what happens.

 

[bj33813]

I must be in never-never land!

I ran several programs and connected to the net with the orig hdd & Vista (the one that would not work), then shut it down and rebooted to see if it would still work.
Nope, black screen again after Welcome screen! I shut it down, the cpu shut off, but the monitor showed "auto detect entering power save" which was blinking very rapidly. Tried to boot again and still black screen after welcome screen.

Screw vista, I will stick with XP until it stops completely.