Things are not looking good and it looks like if you do not have a Vista install disc or boot disc perhaps ? then you could be in trouble.
from M$ tech support...
From the information provided in your email, I understand that you are not able to boot to desktop screen after installation of Service Pack 1 failed on your computer. It may be due to a software or hardware conflict.
Please let me know the following:
1. Name (Vista Home Basic/Home Premium/Ultimate) and version of your operating system:
2. Are you getting any specific error code while starting the computer?
3. Do you have a Vista reinstallation disk?
4. Restart the computer and press F8 key (tap F8 key for about 6-7 times) as soon as you power on the computer. This will open the Windows Advanced Menu Options screen. Select "Disable automatic Restart" and press ENTER key. It will give you the error code while booting the computer. Please send the exact error message to me.
Here are few steps that should help us resolve the problem:
NOTE: For steps 3, 4 and 5 we need Windows Vista DVD.
Step 1:
We will try to start the computer in Last Known Good Configuration.
5. Restart the computer and press F8 key (tap F8 key for about 6-7 times) as soon as you power on the computer.
6. This will open the Windows Advanced Menu Options screen. Select Last Known Good Configuration and press ENTER key.
7. If the computer boots to the desktop it is very good, else we will try to boot in Safe mode.
Step 2:
To boot into safe mode, please follow the following steps:
· Restart the computer and press F8 key (tap F8 key for about 6-7 times) as soon as you power on the computer.
· This will open the Windows Advanced Menu Options screen.
· Select Safe mode and press ENTER key.
· Check if the computer successfully boots up or not.
If it still does not boot to the desktop, then we require Vista DVD to repair the corrupted system files.
Step 3:
We will first try to do Startup repair, for which we will follow the following steps:
1. Insert the windows vista DVD and boot from the DVD. If an Operating System is already on the Computer then the following screen will appear stating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD", hit any key on the keyboard to continue.
2. Windows Vista install will then begin to load, some of these stages can take quite sometime.
3. When prompted select your "Language to install", "Time and Currency Format" and "Keyboard or input method". Then click on Next.
4. Select "Repair your computer" to continue. Windows will now search for Windows Installations. From the next screen select the operating system on which you wish to do a repair. Select it, then press "NEXT" to continue. By default it is Microsoft Windows Vista.
5. From the Recovery Options menu, click on "Startup Repair".
6. Windows will search for problems. If problems are found then Windows will attempt to repair them.
7. Once completed Windows will prompt you to click "FINISH" to complete the repair. Please click on Finish.
8. Repair details will now appear, click on "CLOSE".
The computer will now reboot, and if Windows was successful in its repair then it should boot to the desktop or login screen.
Step 4:
If Startup Repair doesn't resolve the issue, we will try to restore the computer to a date when it was booting successfully.
1. Insert the windows vista DVD and boot from the DVD. If an Operating System is already on the Computer then the following screen will appear stating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD", hit any key on the keyboard to continue.
2. Windows Vista install will then begin to load, some of these stages can take quite sometime.
3. When prompted select your "Language to install", "Time and Currency Format" and "Keyboard or input method". Then click on Next.
4. Select "Repair your computer" to continue. Windows will now search for Windows Installations. From the next screen select the operating system on which you wish to do a repair. Select it, then press "NEXT" to continue. By default it is Microsoft Windows Vista.
5. From the Recovery Options menu, click on "System Restore".
6. Click the restore point that you want to use, and then click Next. [Click a restore point that will return the computer to a state where the logon is successful.]
7. Confirm the disks that you want to restore, and then click Next.
8. Click Finish, and then click Yes when you are prompted.
9. When the System Restore process is complete, click Restart to restart the computer.
10. After the computer restarts, click Close to confirm that the System Restore process has finished successfully.
If still we are not able to boot to the desktop, we will have to do manual system restore from the following steps.
Step 5:
1. Insert the windows vista DVD and boot from the DVD. If an Operating System is already on the Computer then the following screen will appear stating "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD", hit any key on the keyboard to continue.
2. Windows Vista install will then begin to load, some of these stages can take quite sometime.
3. When prompted select your "Language to install", "Time and Currency Format" and "Keyboard or input method". Then click on Next.
4. Select "Repair your computer" to continue. Windows will now search for Windows Installations. From the next screen select the operating system on which you wish to do a repair. Select it, then press "NEXT" to continue. By default it is Microsoft Windows Vista.
5. From the Recovery Options menu, click on Command Prompt and then type the following commands:
c:
cd windows\system32\config
ren default default.old
ren sam sam.old
ren security security.old
ren software software.old
ren system system.old
cd regback
copy default ..\
copy sam ..\
copy security ..\
copy software ..\
copy system ..\
6. Close the command prompt window and restart the computer.
You can also find these steps on our support website
http://www.microsoft.com/uk/support and the article is KB949358.
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