Vista Fails to Restart

[Guest]

Hello,

I have a Dell XPS 700, and I just completed a clean install earlier today.
Everytime a program needs to reboot the computer to finish the installation,
the compluter goes into standby mode instead with no way to get out of it
(either unplug or hold power button for 5 secs to shut down).

This also happens when I just want to restart the computer by selecting
"Restart" in the shut down menu options.

Has anyone encountered this?

 

[Michael Jennings]

I don't think so, and I don't find any 700 at Dell under XPS laptops.
If you didn't format, you didn't do a clean install. Was your Vista
64 bits or 32 bits; and which of the flavors did you select?

 

[Chad Harris]

I haven't but it would annoy the hell out of me Di Nozzo. Have you tried
Startup Repair--which is poorly named by the Redmond Softies because it can
repair major problems in Vista that aren't "no boot Vista problems as well
as "no boots". Rarely you need to repeat it 2-3 times. I'd sure try it
in this situation. You have no down side. Screenshots and instructions are
below.

I'd also run SFC first.

(System File Checker) Run SFC (System File Checker) from an elevated command
prompt.
It replaces files that are damaged with intact ones:

Start>right click cmd>run as admin>type at the prompt sfc /scannow.

You can run Startup Repair by putting your Vista DVD in after the
language screen in setup. You can also run System Restore from the same
location. It fixes Vista in other situations besides a BSOD no boot:

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

Note The computer must be configured to start from a CD or from a DVD. For
information about how to configure the computer to start from a CD or from a
DVD, see the information that came with the computer.
2. Restart the computer. To do this, click Start, click the arrow next to
the Lock button, and then click Restart.

This usually means that you enter bios setup by whatever key or keys
(sometimes there is more than one key that will do it for your model--go to
pc manufacturer site) and configure CD to be first in the boot order.

See for ref:
Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Note If you cannot restart the computer by using this method, use the power
button to turn off the computer. Then, turn the computer back on.

3. Set your language preference, and then click Next.

Note In most cases, the startup repair process starts automatically, and you
do not have the option to select it in the System Recovery Options menu.

4. Click Repair your computer.

5. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click the operating system
that you want to repair, and then click Next.

6. In the System Recovery Options menu, click Startup Repair to start the
repair process.

7. When the repair process is complete, click Finish.

Additional References for Startup Repair With Screenshots:

How to Use Startup Repair:

***Accessing Windows RE (Repair Environment):***

1) Insert Media into PC (the DVD you burned)

2) ***You will see on the Vista logo setup screen after lang. options in the
lower left corner, a link called "System Recovery Options."***

Screenshot: System Recovery Options (Lower Left Link)
http://blogs.itecn.net/photos/liuhui/images/2014/500x375.aspx

Screenshot: (Click first option "Startup Repair"
http://www.leedesmond.com/images/img_vista02ctp-installSysRecOpt2.bmp

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

3) Select your OS for repair.

4) Its been my experience that you can see some causes of the crash from
theWin RE feature:

You'll have a choice there of using:

1) Startup Repair
2) System Restore
3) Complete PC Restore

Good luck,

CH

 

[Brian Wescombe]

I had this last week with RC2 after I fitted a SATA drive. All working fine
now though with RTM Vista

 

[Guest]

Thank you for the replies. I will probably try another clean install, which
as I understand, I need to boot from the DVD, format and delete the
partition, and reinstall Vista. Is that correct?

Also, someone in the Dell forums suggested that the video drivers (nvidia
mediashield and sbus) may be the culprit. The problem is those are not
available for Vista yet.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Michael Jennings]

Yes, that's a clean install. Doing it again may erase the problem.
If the unreleased video drivers were causing it, I'd expect lots of
other people to have your restart problem. You might want to run
a quick memory test when you boot from the DVD. If it was a fluke,
you won't have to find the culprit after installing Vista again.

 

[Chad Harris]

DiNozzo

I posted this once and have no idea what's happening to the messages on the
server. Try running SFC from an elevated command prompt. Right click the
command prompt on start>run as elevated>type in sfc/scannow at the prompt.

Then, if no joy try Startup Repair:

You run the startup repair tool this way:

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

Note The computer must be configured to start from a CD or from a DVD. For
information about how to configure the computer to start from a CD or from a
DVD, see the information that came with the computer.
2. Restart the computer. To do this, click Start, click the arrow next to
the Lock button, and then click Restart.

This usually means that you enter bios setup by whatever key or keys
(sometimes there is more than one key that will do it for your model--go to
pc manufacturer site) and configure CD to be first in the boot order.

See for ref:
Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Note If you cannot restart the computer by using this method, use the power
button to turn off the computer. Then, turn the computer back on.
3. Set your language preference, and then click Next.

Note In most cases, the startup repair process starts automatically, and you
do not have the option to select it in the System Recovery Options menu.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click the operating system
that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options menu, click Startup Repair to start the
repair process.
7. When the repair process is complete, click Finish.

Additional References for Startup Repair With Screenshots:

How to Use Startup Repair:

***Accessing Windows RE (Repair Environment):***

1) Insert Media into PC (the DVD you burned)

2) ***You will see on the Vista logo setup screen after lang. options in the
lower left corner, a link called "System Recovery Options."***

Screenshot: System Recovery Options (Lower Left Link)
http://blogs.itecn.net/photos/liuhui/images/2014/500x375.aspx

Screenshot: (Click first option "Startup Repair"
http://www.leedesmond.com/images/img_vista02ctp-installSysRecOpt2.bmp

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

3) Select your OS for repair.

4) Its been my experience that you can see some causes of the crash from
theWin RE feature:

You'll have a choice there of using:

1) Startup Repair
2) System Restore
3) Complete PC Restore


Good luck,

CH

 

[Michael Jennings]

What I see is that your first message posted at 12.22AM CST.
DiNozzo thanked you and is considering a second clean install.

Somewhere in the general mess of messages there is an instruction
to uncheck "Get 300 headers at a time" on the Read tab in Options
in order to download all new messages, rather than just some.

There is too much posting for the default setting to get 'em all.
Hopefully you'll see this, and can consider doing that.

 

[Guest]

I have had this exact problem myself with every version of Beta Vista and now
the retail version as well. Not only does mine not restart, it won't shut
down properly, either.

If I do a softare restart (or a program needs to reboot), it'll shut Windows
down, turn off the video (monitor power button goes from green to orange) and
then just sits there forever until I push the reset button.

If I do a shutdown, it'll do as above, with the addition of I can hear it
park the hard drives, then it just sits there. It appears all is off, except
the power LED on the front of the case stays on. I have to manually hold the
power button in to get it to shut completely off.

Either way, I don't get any 'windows failed to start' messages when I boot
back up again, so windows IS shutting itself down correctly. Just seems that
whatever is responsible for either restarting the machine or turning the
power supply off is not cooperating.

For the record, this IS a Vista problem as every single piece of hardware in
this machine is exactly the same (haven't added or taken anything out) from
my previous XP install where restarts and reboots were no problem at all.
Even going from XP to a Vista RC Beta, and back to XP resulted in - no
problem, problem, no problem.

I was rather disappointed to see this is still a problem in the 'officially'
released version of Vista. Certainly doesn't make me want to buy it.