Vista won't start

[ineedhelp92688]

I started up my computer and it would show the moving loading bar thing and then it would boot up again in a cycle. I tried to use the command prompt to fix the boot loader. After that, the computer would not load up the opening page with the user accounts and stuff. All it showed was a black screen with a mouse (which i could move). Even more surprising is that the recovery hard drive won't boot up either and the recovery disks don't work either. I tried system restore and it told me that there were no recovery points made. What do I do?

 

[bruce2]

Hi I needhelp92688, welcome to the board.

It would be really helpful in diagnostic if you post your computer specs. Are you able to boot into safe mode? Seems like you are having problem accessing hard drive.

Here are a few routine options you may try for freeze and stuck problem like yours. Try to run memtest and chkdsk see if there are any problem. Try to system restore to original manufacture state or system repair if you have the Vista disk. It could as simple as loosen or bad SATA connectors; if it is a desktop, you can open the case and check.

Post back and let us know what happen and we start from there.

 

[ineedhelp92688]

Thanks for the quick reply.

My computer is a presario c741nr laptop (could it still be a hard drive connection???). It has a intel pentium dual core processor and vista home premium. Other than that, i have no idea.

I tried safe mode. It seems like it boots up and then just shows me the mouse. I tried chkdsk in the command prompt and it said that there were no problems with the file system. I tried memtest in the command prompt also, but nothing happened. It says "'memtest' is not recognized as an internal command, operable program, or batch file."


System restore won't work either. Every time I try to use that option on the disk, it tells me that there aren't any restore points on the computer. However, I have created restore points every week religously for the past 6 months.

Also, if i need to reinstall windows, is there any way I can back up some of my files before i do so?

 

[bruce2]

Thanks for post back. Seems like you have done what you can do.

I couldn't come up with any other thoughts other then try system repair or reinstall Vista. Sorry that you are unable to retrieve your data if no improvement at this time.

If you don't have a copy of your OS, you will have to borrow one from at friend; you can use the product key on your laptop for installation. Your computer manufacturer may provide you a copy with you problem presented. If your warranty is still valid, to safe all the trouble, return for a refund or replacement.

Hope some one in the forum will come up with something. Post back.

 

[ineedhelp92688]

pls help!!!!!

 

[Barman58]

Hi, ineedhelp92688

Have you tried a startup repair?
the following may help ...

Startup Repair - Vista Forums

Create a Recovery Disc - Vista Forums

Are you able to boot into safe mode?
(as the machine starts tap the F8 key repeatedly until the options appear)

The point that your machine is hanging appears to be the graphics initialisation.

As this is a laptop, check your user guide for key presses to switch graphics output to TV etc and make sure that the output is for the screen. May be unlikely but have seen such things

If you can get into safe mode you should completely un-install the graphics drivers (either using un-install or via the device manager) this should, if successful, allow you to boot and then re-install the drivers.

If you have, or can borrow, a retail vista dvd you could do either a parallel install or repair install which would allow you to recover your data

Repair Install For Vista

 

[ineedhelp92688]

Thanks. I'll try to do a repair install. I found out that, after booting from the recovery disk, where it tells you to chose which windows installation to repair, if you click load drivers, you will have full access to your hard drive and can back up all of your info before reinstalling windows.

 

[johngalt]

But performing a startup repair is not *reinstalling* Vista and requires *no* need for backing up your files....hence why 2 different people have suggested that you perform that *first*.

 

[ineedhelp92688]

Sorry. I forgot to mention that I had already tried startup repair to no avail. It told me that windows had found no problems starting up. I tried the memory check and everything without much success.

 

[bruce2]

Sorry. I forgot to mention that I had already tried startup repair to no avail. It told me that windows had found no problems starting up. I tried the memory check and everything without much success.

Hi ineedhelp92688, have you contact the laptop manufacturer for solution? If warranty is still valid, a replacement of the unit is the best way out. Other then that, a hand on trouble shooting may be helpful.

Apparently, the problem seems to be failure in accessing hard drive due to either a bad connection and/or hard drive, or event just corrupted hard drive.
It is possibly broken solder connection which easily happen if you drop your computer or just carry the open laptop around with one hand like you see people do in TV, which of course not recommended. As for bad HDD, it just simply turned bad. If corrupted hard drive, a clean installation would clear out all virus and all software problem.

Post back to let us know how things turn out.

Happy Holidays!!!