Vista will not boot - seems dead

[Test Man]

Using a Compaq Presario C500 and an idiot mate has somehow managed to
knacker it completely. It has Vista Home Premium on it and they claim to
have shut it down, however when I looked at it when placed on the desk, the
fan was still on and the screen was lit (although black) and a lone cursor
was blinking in the top-left corner. Had to hold the power button to turn it
off and now when I turn it on it only displays the Compaq boot logo, but
nothing else (just black screen with blinking cursor).

I have tried using a Vista DVD to repair, done system restore, used
bootrec.exe to fix MBR and boot sector (although haven't rebuilt the Boot
Configuration Data yet) and even removed and reinsterted memory modules. No
dice, still black screen with cursor blinking after the Compaq logo.

Any ideas how to resurrect this Vista installation? Thanks for all your
tips in advance.

 

[PvdG42]

Using a Compaq Presario C500 and an idiot mate has somehow managed to
knacker it completely. It has Vista Home Premium on it and they claim to
have shut it down, however when I looked at it when placed on the desk,
the fan was still on and the screen was lit (although black) and a lone
cursor was blinking in the top-left corner. Had to hold the power button
to turn it off and now when I turn it on it only displays the Compaq boot
logo, but nothing else (just black screen with blinking cursor).

I have tried using a Vista DVD to repair, done system restore, used
bootrec.exe to fix MBR and boot sector (although haven't rebuilt the Boot
Configuration Data yet) and even removed and reinsterted memory modules.
No dice, still black screen with cursor blinking after the Compaq logo.

Any ideas how to resurrect this Vista installation? Thanks for all your
tips in advance.

Did the Compaq come with Vista installed? If so...
What sort of recovery mechanism/process was supplied with the computer by
Compaq? Have you tried to use that? You may lose some applications and data
during the restoration to factory specs, but that may be the only way to get
your OS back.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Looks like a Hard Drive failure

 

[Test Man]

At the mo I'm thinking it's not that because using a Vista DVD, I can
explore the disk and create and delete files using the Command Prompt.

Looks like a Hard Drive failure

 

[Test Man]

Hi

I'm hoping it won't come to that (restore discs). In fact, that would be my
very very very last resort.

 

[John Barnes]

Can you do a startup repair or system restore from the install DVD?

 

[Test Man]

Did that, mentioned it in my original e-mail.

Can you do a startup repair or system restore from the install DVD?

 

[Chad Harris]

Hi Test Man--

From what I read, you just haven't exhuasted your options. Here's what you
need to try:

You say you tried system restore but you need to exhuast every Safe
Mode>System Restore possibility at F8 and several restore points at each.
You need to also try System Restore from the Recovery Link at the lower left
when you put in the DVD. This is because sometimes system restore works
from one location and won't work from others.

System Restore from the DVD found here:
http://www.vistaclues.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/click-repair-your-computer.png

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winvista/images/repair/staruprepair/Image17.gif

You also did not try to use the DVD to do a Repair Install Yet which may
well save you. It does not "sound like" a hard drive failure at all.

Here's what to do:

I'd try a repair install with your Vista DVD. You do it 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

and

***You could use the F8 environment fully:

***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

Good luck,

CH

 

[John Barnes]

Sorry. Seems like you aren't even finishing POST from one post. Can you
get into your BIOS and turn off the display screen. Are you getting any
beeps, indicating hardware failure? If you turn off the display, how far do
you get. Also you could try booting with the DVD in the drive, but not
hitting any key and seeing if it passes control to your system.

 

[Test Man]

Unfortunately the repair option you linked to is different in Vista, you can
only install over the existing installation (in fact it will copy the old
installation into a folder called "Windows.old". You have to click on
"Repair your computer" as in your first linked pic to get any repair option.

F8 doesn't work either, it doesn't even get that far enough. Compaq logo
disappears to be replaced by a blank screen & blinking cursor.

 

[Test Man]

No beeps. Went into BIOS and did a hard disk test, passed 100%. It gets
through the BIOS but Windows doesn't want to boot. Boots off DVD fine
though, which means there must be something wrong with Windows. Maybe it's
expecting a hibernation file or something and it's corrupted, is that
possible?

 

[John Barnes]

If you have one hard drive and Vista on the first partition, check to see if
it is labeled system, boot and active in Disk Management. If so, go to the
Vista install DVD and go to command line repair, do a fixmbr and
fixboot
At least for now, you can use your computer.

 

[John Barnes]

Using startup repair might be more effective as an alternative first.

 

[Test Man]

Can't go into Disk Management because Windows doesn't boot at all.

Tried bootrec /FixMbr and bootrec /FixBoot already (as well as Startup
Repair), did them again, nothing. Even rebuilt the BCD according to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us. Nope, nothing. I can easily
DIR the hard disk (which is partitioned into two drives) and copy files from
it.

 

[John Barnes]

Guess I misunderstood your answer. I had suggested you have the DVD in the
drive and do nothing (do not hit any key) letting it boot thru the DVD to
see what happens. When you said it boots off the DVD fine, I thought you
had tried and it booted Vista. Have you done that test.

 

[Chad Harris]

Many people have reported the repair install working in Vista. As to F8 you
have to try all the options including Last Known Good.

I'm challenging your statement that "F8 doesn't get far enough." It's more
vague than George Bush's mutterings on "winning in Iraq" LOL when we've
armed both sides of a civil war and drew the small minority of Al Quaeda in
there.

What in the world does "F8 doesn't work either--it doesn't get far enough
mean."?

What does that mean? When you tap F8 you should get to the options menu.
Do you mean you've tried all 4 safe modes and the fifth options last known
good there?

How about Safe Mode from the Recovery link on the DVD?

As I said, safe mode>system restore may work from one of the 5 safe modes
you have the option to use.

Good luck,

CH

 

[Test Man]

Yeah, if I leave the DVD in, it says "press any key to boot from DVD" (or
words to that effect). I have several seconds to press a key. If I don't,
the words are still on the screen, no more ellipses are added to the line
and the cursor is flashing but that's it.

Did hard disk test in BIOS, 100% pass.

It's looking more and more like I'm going to have to reinstall Windows
Vista.

 

[Test Man]

I mean F8 doesn't do anything. It seems that the booting of Vista doesn't
even get far enough to be able to recognise an F8 key press, therefore I
can't use that avenue. The Compaq BIOS logo appears, disappears to be
replaced by a blank screen with a blinking cursor, no hard disk activity,
nothing happening. The hard disk is certainitely not knackered, as using
the DVD to go into the "Repair my Computer" mode and using the command
prompt, I can copy files to a USB key, rename and delete files.

There isn't a Safe Mode on the recovery link on the DVD (when you boot the
DVD and choose Repair My Computer when prompted). If you are certain that
there is, please give me exact steps to do that.

 

[John Barnes]

Does look that way. You originally said you did a system restore. Did it
say it completed successfully? I asked about startup repair, but I don't
see anywhere you saying that you did that or what the results were. Do you
see the files on it from a command prompt? Since the bios is not passing
control to the hard drive and the DVD is not passing control to the hard
drive, it isn't getting anywhere near Windows, so good luck with a
reinstall. Hard to see how that is going to happen. If you can see your
files, at least if you have anything you want to save you can copy them off.

 

[Test Man]

Yeah, did a system restore twice now and both times it says it has completed
successfully, however there's no change in situation. Startup Repair was
the first thing I did and from what I remember it initially said there was a
few errors and it was going to correct it, however there's been no change
and I've run it several times since (these subsequent times have seen the
Startup Repair app report back with no errors to correct).

Yep, I see the files on it from a command prompt, I can rename, delete these
files and even copy them to a USB key (which opens fine on XP).

Thanks for all your suggestions.