Hi Neal--
If you don't have significant files, settings, docs and programs on that
machine yet, you might just want to format and reinstall. You don't say
whether you can boot or not, but I'll assume you can. This is supurflous
for someone with your experience but make sure that you clean the Vista DVD
carefully.
A repair install, one of my fixes of choice for difficult problems in XP and
very successful is said to work in Vista. What it does is it's an Uber
SFC--it replaces the significant files in Vista including injured files.
I haven't had to use one yet, but I've suggested them when other options
are out if that's what you mean by your question. You need a Vista DVD to
do it and MSFT has made very sure that millions of their end users don't
have one because the predminant means of sale of Vista to end users as it
was for XP is to sell through pre-installed Vista on OEM boxes.
I have instructions for doing one below. If I were you, assuming you can
boot, I'd try SFC, System Restore, Startup Repair and a Repair Install in
that order. The latter two require a Vista DVD but in your setting that's
not a problem.
Instructions are below, but you are in Windows (I thin) so you can just type
restore into the search box. I would stress however, that for reasons I
don't know the answer to but have had plenty of experience with, System
Restore can work from one location and not another whether it's Safe Mode at
F8 or perhaps the Recovery Options from the Vista DVD where it exists as
part of WinRE.
There are no downsides to trying these methods. You're not going to "lose"
anything although MSFT often puts legalistic caveats in their MSKBs that you
could. In my experience system restore can but doesn't often lose shortcuts
or folders and will probably lose programs installed since the last restore
point.
A repair install or Startup Repair both using the Vista DVD, (very similar)
won't lose anything and is often successful. The Win RE team insists Startup
Repair is to be used for no boot Vistas, getting their own utility
drastically wrong. Startup Repair is far more versatile, and can be used to
fix major components of Vista even when there is not a no boot situation.
Instructions are below:
***SFC as a Remedy***:
SFC or System File Checker is a bit like the spare tire in your car or a
backup battery I suppose. In Vista of course, they have changed it somewhat
and come up with a new name--Redmond stands for name it something different
twice a year and now it's part of WRP or Windows Resource Protection. It
scans protected resources including thousands of files, libraries, critical
folders, and essential registry keys, and it replaces those that are
corrupted with intact ones. It fixes a lot of problems in Windows XP, OE,
Windows Vista, Win Mail, IE6, and on Vista or if it is installed on XP, IE7.
It protects these things from changes by any source including
administrators, by keeping a spare of most of them.
How to Run SFC:
Type "cmd" into the Search box above the Start Button>and when cmd comes up
at the top of the Start menu>right click cmd and click "run as Admin" and
when the cmd prompt comes up at the cmd prompt type "sfc /scannow" no quotes
and let it run. This may fix things quite a bit. It replaces corrupt files
with intact ones, if you're not familiar with it.
***Startup Repair from the Vista DVD***
How to Use The Vista DVD to Repair Vista (Startup Repair is misnamed by the
Win RE team and it can be used to fix many Vista components even when you
***can boot to Vista):
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm
If you elect to run Startup repair from the Vista DVD (it can fix major
components in Vista--I've verified this many many times; it's good for more
than startup problems, and the Win RE team simply screwed up when they named
it not understanding its full functionality):
Startup Repair will look like this when you put in the Vista DVD:
http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png
You run the startup repair tool this way (and system restore from here is
also sometimes effective):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us
How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm
It will automatically take you to this on your screen:
http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png
That will allow you to go to the Vista setup that has a Repair link on
thelower left corner>click it and then you'll see a gray backgrounded list
and I want you to click Startup Repair from it and follow the directions.
The gray screen after you click the first link in the above pic will look
like this:
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winvista/images/repair/staruprepair/Image17.gif
Click Startup Repair, the link at the top and after it scans>click OK and
let it try to repair Vista. It will tell you if it does, and if it
doesn't, try System Restore from the Recovery Link on the DVD. If these
don't work booting into Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key and using System
Restore from one of the safe modes besides VGA may work. That means you
have the option to try 4 different safe modes to get to system restore, (one
from the Recovery link on the DVD) and sometimes one will work when the
others won't.
You could also try a Repair Install with Vista which is done exactly the
same way as in XP:
***Repair Install Steps*** (can be used for Vista) MVP Doug Knox
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx
***Using the F8 Environment***
***Taking Full Advantage of the F8 Options (Windows Advanced Options Menu)
by starting the PC and tapping F8 once per second when the firmware screen
with the pc manufacturer's name shows a few seconds after restarting***:
The F8 options in Vista are the same as XP, and the link for Safe Mode Boot
options is labled XP by MSFT but they are the same for Vista (they haven't
updated to add Vista to the title as they have with several MSKBs that apply
to both).
Again, pressing F8 repeatedly when you seem the firmware screen may be is a
generic way to launch Windows RE on some OEM Vista computers.
You could also:
Think: I have 4 different ways to get back my XP at F8 and try 'em in order.
1) Safe Mode 2) Safe Mode with Cmd to Sys Restore which is simply a cmd
prompt in safe mode 3) Safe Mode with Neworking 4) LKG or Last Known Good
Configuration
Try to F8 to the Windows Adv Options Menu>try 3 safe modes there (I don't
use WGA) and Last Known Good>then I go to Win RE in Vista. That gives you a
choice of Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking,and Safe Mode with Command
Prompt.
These methods are outlined in
A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP/and Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222/
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding System Restore from MSFT:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/plan/faqsrwxp.mspx
System Restore can be run from the Win RE recovery environment from the same
link as Startup Repair, and sometimes it will work from one F8 safe mode
location or from the Win Recovery Environment when it won't work from other
locations.
How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449
Good luck,
CH
When "Rudy Tourettes 911" says he takes his wife's calls in the middle of
major speaking engagements because of 911 LOL is he hoping for another 911?
He did a lot to facilitate the first one and certainly it's harmful effects
from the firemen who died because NYC (and it still doesn't) have the
airwaves so EMS, Firemen, NYPD can talk to each other in choppers and on the
ground, and the hundreds of people who have irreversible COPD secondary to
Rudy's stupidity.
"Neal at Spectdar Computing"
