Linux is one avenue.
The Vista DVD has Startup Repair and System Restore from Startup repair, as
does the F8 Advanced options menu.
F8 to the Windows Adv Options Menu>try 3 safe modes there (I
don't use WGA) and Last Known Good>or go to Startup Repair and the System
Restore in Vista. That gives
you a choice of Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking,and Safe Mode with
Command Prompt.
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.
VISTA STARTUP REPAIR AND SYSTEM RESTORE FROM STARTUP REPAIR (TWO OPTIONS):
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.windowsreins...rtup/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...4/500x375.aspx
Screenshot: (Click first option "Startup Repair"
http://www.leedesmond.com/images/img...SysRecOpt2.bmp
How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreins...rtup/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
"Paul-B" <paul@rasf1.net> wrote in message
news:51tto6F1l7o8mU1@mid.individual.net...
> Chad wrote:
>
>> All of a sudden Vista is not booting up past the logo screen (with
>> the green animated progress bar). Actually, it goes into blank screen
>> mode after 1-2 minutes and nothing happens ever after that.
>>
>> Worst yet, even the Vista Ultimate CD (which I used originally to
>> install, twice before) is NOT loading past the same screen (logo)!
>> it first goes through the 'loading windows files...' then boots to
>> the logo screen and nothing happens for several minutes!
>>
>> I also tried booting in safe mode, it goes through the scrolling of
>> loading files and always gets stuck on crcdisk.sys file
>>
>> Originally before all this I simply booted (not installed) from
>> Ubuntu CD to test it out. I attempted to install and was stuck on
>> step 5/6 where it asks for partition. I made it 40GB (120GB total
>> drive) and nothing was happening, I successfully canceled and then
>> all broke loose after that.
>>
>> What should I do? I'm really stuck, can't boot of Vista CD nor drive.
>> I have critical data on my hard drive.
>>
>> Vista RTM Ultimate
>> SONY VGN-FE-770G
>>
>> dxdiag info
>>
>> ------------------
>> System Information
>> ------------------
>> Operating System: Windows VistaT Ultimate (6.0, Build 6000)
>> (6000.vista_rtm.061101-2205)
>> System Manufacturer: Sony Corporation
>> System Model: VGN-FE770G
>> BIOS: Phoenix NoteBIOS 4.0 Release 6.1
>> Processor: Intel® CoreT2 CPU T5600 @ 1.83GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.8GHz
>> Memory: 2038MB RAM
>> Page File: 1181MB used, 3114MB available
>> Windows Dir: C:\Windows
>> DirectX Version: DirectX 10
>> DX Setup Parameters: Not found
>> DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 32bit Unicode
>
> If you've been using Ubuntu you are, presumably, Linux-literate? If you
> need to retrieve your data why not download an ISO image of Knoppix,
> burn it to a cd, boot from the knoppix cd and retrieve your data onto a
> USB memory stick?
>
> --
> Paul-B
"Chad" <Chad@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:043743A6-4998-43E3-925B-CFCEE097891B@microsoft.com...
> All of a sudden Vista is not booting up past the logo screen (with the
> green
> animated progress bar). Actually, it goes into blank screen mode after 1-2
> minutes and nothing happens ever after that.
>
> Worst yet, even the Vista Ultimate CD (which I used originally to install,
> twice before) is NOT loading past the same screen (logo)! it first goes
> through the 'loading windows files...' then boots to the logo screen and
> nothing happens for several minutes!
>
> I also tried booting in safe mode, it goes through the scrolling of
> loading
> files and always gets stuck on crcdisk.sys file
>
> Originally before all this I simply booted (not installed) from Ubuntu CD
> to
> test it out. I attempted to install and was stuck on step 5/6 where it
> asks
> for partition. I made it 40GB (120GB total drive) and nothing was
> happening,
> I successfully canceled and then all broke loose after that.
>
> What should I do? I'm really stuck, can't boot of Vista CD nor drive. I
> have
> critical data on my hard drive.
>
> Vista RTM Ultimate
> SONY VGN-FE-770G
>
> dxdiag info
>
> ------------------
> System Information
> ------------------
> Operating System: Windows VistaT Ultimate (6.0, Build 6000)
> (6000.vista_rtm.061101-2205)
> System Manufacturer: Sony Corporation
> System Model: VGN-FE770G
> BIOS: Phoenix NoteBIOS 4.0 Release 6.1
> Processor: Intel® CoreT2 CPU T5600 @ 1.83GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.8GHz
> Memory: 2038MB RAM
> Page File: 1181MB used, 3114MB available
> Windows Dir: C:\Windows
> DirectX Version: DirectX 10
> DX Setup Parameters: Not found
> DxDiag Version: 6.00.6000.16386 32bit Unicode
Linear Mode
