Repair install?

[Mike]

I am running Vista Home Premium & can't get the thing to boot to Windows.
I might get as far as the progress bar running across the bottom of the
screen, but it will inevitably reboot, never getting all the was to the log
in screen.
I have been trying various restore points after booting from the DVD &
selecting the Repair My Computer option, but none of them has worked.
Is there a repair install option?
I have an OEM version & there seems to be mixed answers out there.

 

[Paul Montgumdrop]

I am running Vista Home Premium & can't get the thing to boot to Windows.
I might get as far as the progress bar running across the bottom of the
screen, but it will inevitably reboot, never getting all the was to the log
in screen.
I have been trying various restore points after booting from the DVD &
selecting the Repair My Computer option, but none of them has worked.
Is there a repair install option?
I have an OEM version & there seems to be mixed answers out there.

What you needed is the retail version of the install DVD that you can
boot off of that would have given you the options to "Repair Boot
problems option". I don't know if that is an option on a OEM version.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

What are the system recovery options in Windows Vista?
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/wi...24d1-f4ad-5b26-16dc-3e9e66f4be5e1033.mspx#EVD

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I am running Vista Home Premium & can't get the thing to boot to Windows.
I might get as far as the progress bar running across the bottom of the
screen, but it will inevitably reboot, never getting all the was to the log
in screen.
I have been trying various restore points after booting from the DVD &
selecting the Repair My Computer option, but none of them has worked.
Is there a repair install option?
I have an OEM version & there seems to be mixed answers out there.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Carey is not Mike. I noticed lately that you are answering to the wrong person. Check to whom you are answering to

 

[Mike]

Hi Mike you may want to have a look here

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/141820-create-recovery-disc.html


--
barman58

Regards,
*Nigel*
the beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not
understand.,- frank herbert

I can boot to the screen shown there with my OEM disk, but none of the
options have worked.
To elaborate more on the background, the computer belongs to a friend's kid.
It's using an Intel D915PCY board that doesn't even support Vista, but has
been running it for almost a year.
It had two 512 sticks of 533MHz DDR2 ram & he found some more ram with the
same bus speed laying around, so he popped it in there, without considering
whether it was compatible or not.
Ever since then, it won't boot to windows.
I tried popping out the CMOS battery & letting it sit for 20-30 min & trying
again, but still no luck.
I am open to any other suggestions, including giving it back & saying 'good
luck!'

 

[Paul Montgomery]

Carey is not Mike. I noticed lately that you are answering to the wrong person. Check to whom you are answering to

Leave him alone. At least he's quoting.

 

[Mike]

Hi Mike,

If you have a MS dvd, with the hologram, then either the retail or oem
version will be fine to do this

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html

( tho you don't need the product key to do this, make sure you have it
anyway - it's probably on a sticker on your machine - if not, and you
need to get it from your hd
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/85023-product-key-number.html )

If you have a recovery dvd sent with your computer , most have very
limited options. ( However Dell have recently been shipping what appear
to be straight copies of the MS dvd ). If you have one of these , you
need to check what is on it.

Put the dvd in the drive, right click the dvd drive and select Open -
if there's just one big folder, double click that to open it. With any
luck you will have these files

7046

- you may want to take a jpeg screenshot and post it back, if you're in
doubt

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/148532-how-use-snipping-tool-vista.html

Hope that helps

SIW2


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: VISTADVDFILES2008-09-17_022154.jpg |
|Download: http://www.vistax64.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7046 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

From the link:
1. Insert the Vista DVD into the DVD drive while your current Vista is
running.

Did I mention that it won't boot to windows?

 

[Paul Montgumdrop]

From the link:
1. Insert the Vista DVD into the DVD drive while your current Vista is
running.

Did I mention that it won't boot to windows?

Then you don't have a retail version of the install DVD where you can
boot off the DVD retail version that has the other Repair/Restore
options. And that's a DVD that you would put into the drive trey,
change the BIOS settings to boot from the DVD. The current Vista would
not be running, as computer would be booting off of the DVD, standalone.

 

[Mike]

Then you don't have a retail version of the install DVD where you can boot
off the DVD retail version that has the other Repair/Restore options. And
that's a DVD that you would put into the drive trey, change the BIOS
settings to boot from the DVD. The current Vista would not be running, as
computer would be booting off of the DVD, standalone.

I have an OEM version of Vista Home Premium.
I can boot from the DVD & after making sure time, KB, language is right, hit
next & chose 'repair my computer'.
It finds the instakllation & is smart enough to tell me my computer was
unable to start.
Startup repair checks for problems & comes back telling me it can't
automatically fix the problem.
I then chose the advanced repair options, with system restore being the only
logical one to try.
I can pick each restore point & after trying , it will tell me it didn't
complete successfully.
Since I don't own a Vista computer myself, I took a blank drive &
re-installed on that, thinking I could access original drive, copy docs,
etc., re-install on original drive & copy files back, but whatever happened
to the 30 days to activate?
Since it gives me no choice but to activate if I want to get into Windows, I
try to let it activate & it tells me the product key has already been
activated!
Any other suggestions?!?!?

 

[Mike]

Sorry Mike,

This is the correct link

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/91467-startup-repair.html

Tho it appears you have tried it already, not sure what dvd you have,
or at what stage it failed - for example ( underneath the tutorial )



If it works, then make sure you have prod. key for future use ( unless
you have it already ).

If that doesn't succeed, afraid I don't know a way of repairing if you
can't get in - looks like it will have to be a reinstall. During the
reinstall process it is possible to select the option to save your
existing files into a folder called Windows.old - if you have things you
can't afford to lose.

Hope that helps

SIW2

But with the OEM version & the fact that it sees an installation already
there, will it let me install again?
I'd hate to wipe out my docs, etc!

 

[D. Eth]

I have an OEM version of Vista Home Premium.
I can boot from the DVD & after making sure time, KB, language is right,
hit next & chose 'repair my computer'.
It finds the instakllation & is smart enough to tell me my computer was
unable to start.
Startup repair checks for problems & comes back telling me it can't
automatically fix the problem.
I then chose the advanced repair options, with system restore being the
only logical one to try.
I can pick each restore point & after trying , it will tell me it didn't
complete successfully.
Since I don't own a Vista computer myself, I took a blank drive &
re-installed on that, thinking I could access original drive, copy docs,
etc., re-install on original drive & copy files back, but whatever
happened to the 30 days to activate?
Since it gives me no choice but to activate if I want to get into Windows,
I try to let it activate & it tells me the product key has already been
activated!
Any other suggestions?!?!?

Pull those last 2 sticks of RAM out that were added to the PC.
Or, run a memtest.
But if the not booting occured after adding that RAM, perhaps it is bad
RAM/mismatched.

 

[Daze N. Knights]

So the problem began when he added some incompatible RAM? Presumably,
you've tried taking the incompatible RAM out? and perhaps shifting slots
for the known-good RAM?

---------------------------------------------

 

[Mike]

Yes, ram is back to the way it was before problems started.

 

[Mike]

Pull those last 2 sticks of RAM out that were added to the PC.
Or, run a memtest.
But if the not booting occured after adding that RAM, perhaps it is bad
RAM/mismatched.

Ram is back to the way it was originally.
I ran the ram test & no problems found.

 

[Kerry Brown]

I am running Vista Home Premium & can't get the thing to boot to Windows.
I might get as far as the progress bar running across the bottom of the
screen, but it will inevitably reboot, never getting all the was to the
log in screen.
I have been trying various restore points after booting from the DVD &
selecting the Repair My Computer option, but none of them has worked.
Is there a repair install option?
I have an OEM version & there seems to be mixed answers out there.

Try the procedure here:

http://blogs.technet.com/askcore/archive/2007/12/18/using-system-file-checker-sfc-to-fix-issues.aspx

It's not a repair install. Vista doesn't have this repair option available.
This is about as close as you can get to an XP repair install. You can boot
from a Vista DVD and run an offline sfc scan.

 

[Mike]

Hey Mike
Can you boot into safe mode??

No.

 

[Mike]

Try the procedure here:

http://blogs.technet.com/askcore/archive/2007/12/18/using-system-file-checker-sfc-to-fix-issues.aspx

It's not a repair install. Vista doesn't have this repair option
available. This is about as close as you can get to an XP repair install.
You can boot from a Vista DVD and run an offline sfc scan.

--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/
http://vistahelpca.blogspot.com/

I tried running SFC.EXE /scannow /offbootdir:c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows like
the page said, but I just get what looks like a help file on the command,
listing all the various ways it can be ran, etc.

 

[Mike]

Hi Mike,

I do not know why the new install is asking to be activated before you
can log in unless it has something to do with the broken copy of Vista
that is already installed on the original disk.

My advice would be to remove the original disk from the computer
leaving only the new disk installed, next you should then install Vista
on this disk, this time you should be given the option to automatically
activate this copy. (This is the default option) accept this option and
allow it to install, when finished you will have about two days before
the activation takes place which will give you time to copy your old
files.

To copy the old files I recommend that you purchase an External usb
enclosure, normally you can buy one without a disk and they are not to
expensive. (Also they are very handy for making backups)

Place the disk with the broken copy of vista into the usb enclosure and
attach to the computer this will now allow you to copy your files. When
finished and you are happy that you have saved everything you can then
format this disk (can also be done over usb) I suggest you use the quick
format option to save time.

If you want the original disk back in the computer, switch everything
off, swap the disks over, reinstall vista back onto the original disk
again leaving the option to activate automatically and copy your files
back. Finally format the usb disk when finished.

If you do all this in one day the first copy of Vista should never need
to be activated, if however it still asks for activation before you can
go into windows you should be given the option to do this by telephone,
which is a pain as you will have to do it twice if you want to use the
original disk again, but I dont see any reason for it not to work.

My tip when installing vista always make two partitions so that you can
keep your personal files on partition D\:
This will save all this trouble should you ever have to Reinstall Vista
in the future as you can simply reinstall on Partition C\: Remembering
not to format D\: during the install which will leave your personal file
intact.

Finaly remember you are only allowed one copy of Vista per activated
key and that all other copys on other drives must be destroyed.

By formatting not with a hammer!!

I hope this helps

Pooch

Did the clean install & got the option to save files in ma windows.old
folder.
That seems to have worked out fine - thanks for all your help, guys!

 

[Kerry Brown]

I tried running SFC.EXE /scannow /offbootdir:c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows
like the page said, but I just get what looks like a help file on the
command, listing all the various ways it can be ran, etc.

The switches may be specific to SP1. I'm not sure. They work in Server 2008
which is equivalent to Vista SP1. Does the DVD have SP1?