Vista wont restart

[Guest]

1st time on this site - hope someone can help!

Recently installed Vista - v nice smooth install. Pc restarted fine at that
point. A number of sub components needed drivers (it's an ASUS A6VM laptop -
ACPI device, built in webcam, card reader) so at first I loaded them
individually and ended up with laptop unable to reboot.....it says it closing
down, then black screen and much HDD activity as if its about to restart, and
then nothing. Just a black screen, fan's still running, power lights still
on etc.

Reloading drivers individually the problem one appears to be the webcam, not
the ACPI device (ATK 0100 ACPI Utility) as I expected.

Reloaded Vista from scratch and once again all work fine. This time I go to
MS Update to let the system download the latest drivers (mine could have been
too old) but once all was updated the same problem occurs. The laptop closes
down OK, but wont reboot. It just hangs at the black screen.

My latest thought is the BIOS needs updating but the ASUS site states I have
the most up to date installed already.

If anyone has any thoughts I'd appreciate them.
Thanks

 

[Chad Harris]

1) Check for any bios update at your PC manufacturer's site.

2) Use Win RE's Startup Repair or if necessary System Restore 2nd from the
same location.

3) You could thirdly try the F8 Options.

All of these are detailed below with refs and screenshots:

If you have a Vista DVD, you can try the Recovery link that allows you to
use Win RE's Startup Repair or if no joy, System Restore from there which
sometimes works when F8's Safe Mode>System Restore options (all 4 should be
tried) won't.

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.

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
___________________

You could also:

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/

You will need this reference:

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449/en-us

The command to use for system restore at the safe mode cmd prompt is:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe

The reason for doing this is one of these choices may work, when the other
doesn't. My experience is that people do not fully try F8 when they think
or have said they have. It is that they can almost always reach Windows
Advanced Options though.


Good luck,

CH

 

[Guest]

Thanks Chad.
I'll happily go down this root this evening, but to my mind the install has
gone OK so doesn't need a repair. The cause I am sure is one of these final
drivers conflicting with something, perhaps the BIOS settings, and causing
the hang. Whilst the laptop doesn't reboot on its own, if I power down from
the hung state and then restart manually it boots up OK without any signs of
a failed shutdown.

I do of course have the option of rebuilding and not installing the extra
drivers but then thats not a clean OS and like all good techies I want a
clean OS ;-)

 

[Chad Harris]

You of course could have a conflicting driver, since that makes up the
majority of problematic blank screens, blue screens that are software
crashes, and the only way to know is to uninstall the drivers and add them
back one by one--you seem to have added some recent perpipherals.

You have nothing to lose though by doing a startup repair or using the other
modalities, and then if they don't work, you could woryry about reinstalling
your system. If a startup repair works, then I'd see how it runs before
considering it not a 'clean OS.'

CH

 

[Guest]

I've solved the problem in so much as I know what was causing it. You were
absolutely right that it was a hardwre issue - bizarrely the built in webcam
was the cause. By uninstalling the driver, restarting the laptop, not
reinstalling the drivers and then disabling the resulting 'unrecognised' item
the laptop works fine. Its a bit frustrating as the inbuilt webcam was a
really useful feature for me but there you go. Maybe the vendor will release
a vista driver one day soon.

Thanks for your input tho. This forum works!!

 

[Guest]

Ummm, wasn't the test signing option only available in the pre-release
versions of Vista. Although I don't suppose it will hurt to try. I imagine
this is the same as pressing F8 at boot and choosing "accept unsigned
drivers" which does not work. Anywhoo.