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Windows Vista Wont Start, Only Works In Safe Mode

Discussion in 'Windows - General discussion' started by Panik509, Jul 15, 2009.

  1. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    Tried to restart normally, but freezes after it shows it loading and just displays a black screen. No cursor or anything.
    Tried to repair but no luck. Repair does the same and freezes after it shows loading. Even when I try to repair from disc.
    The only way I can get it to work is in safe mode.
    Can anyone help?
     
  2. jodav

    jodav Regular member

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    Check you have, or can get a driver for your video card, If so try uninstalling the current Graphic driver in safe mode. If it works then reinstall when OK.
     
  3. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    I already uninstalled the display driver. But still nothing. By the way, if the cpu is bad, could it still boot into safe mode? I also did the sf/scannow thing and got some errors. And sometimes when I boot after I scan it gets an error saying "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA", your computer has been shut down to prevent further damage, and it says "STOP: 0x00000050 (0xF73F2052, 0x00000000, 0xF73F2052, 0x00000002)".
     
  4. jodav

    jodav Regular member

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    Some things that i would check\do first are,

    Remove any pci cards, external devices, and AGP card if you have on board video, and try boot.

    Check a known good working stick of RAM if you can get hold of one, if you cant maybe download memtest86 to check existing RAM.

    Check power supply voltages with a multimeter
     
  5. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    already bought new RAM so the RAM's good. I have no graphics card installed. Theres just a fax or phone card in one of the slots. My mobo is a nvidia geforce 6150 se, and cpu is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+. Weird thing is it just works in safe mode. Memory test checks came back positive. Don't know how to test voltages.
     
  6. jodav

    jodav Regular member

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    Hi Panik509,

    If working fine in safe mode with no problems it would suggest voltages are probaly fine.

    still drawn towards video card still at present.

    A few questions from the begining.

    1- Have you had vista working on your system previously

    2- Has the problem just occured out of the blue, in other words has it been operating with this video card OK previously.

    3- If it has been working with this card, have you tried a system restore to a working date using safe mode.

    4- Have you had any blue screens at all in safe mode or when running the repair from disc.
     
  7. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    Yes, vista used to work. It came as the default OS on the system. Vista Home Premium to be exact. But after a while it started to run very slow. Booting up took ages to start. So I did a clean reinstall. But it took like 3 days(not kidding) for it to install. After it was done I tried to boot it up but it was still slow. So I bought new memory but still nothing. One day I tried to boot up and took forever so I just held the power button until it shut down and after that it has never been the same.

    So I took it to Geeksquad. They said they couldn't fix the problem. They gave me a paper and in the symptoms or results said "Unit will not load Windows or MRI PE. CPU failed "MP SYMMETRY" test in PC-CHECK. Estimate requested." So I had to send it to the manufacturer it's an Emachines T5234. An okay system. Some lady wanted me to repair it but it was going to cost her to much. And since I had done some work on it she just gave it to me. And I don't think this lady put any kind of video card on.

    Sooo, I sent it to the manufacturer and they said it was going to cost around $500. I'm pretty sure it was the CPU that the guy on the phone was talking about, but I couldn't really understand him cause he had a really bad accent. I declined and am going to look for one on ebay. Just don't know if they were trying to rip me off since I started safe mode and it works really fast.

    Since I did a clean reinstall there are no system restore points.
    If I try system repair or restore it just gets to the loading screen and freezes or comes up with the same old black screen that goes nowhere. Even when I boot from disk.
     
  8. jodav

    jodav Regular member

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    Hi Panik509,

    That is good information you have provided there Panik509. Most blue screen errors certainly suggest a hardware problem. Looking at the info provided it certainly looks like Cpu or motherboard are the favourite suspects. A process of elimination is the best we to address this prob (and most others) and I suggest you make a list as you go along.

    Something like this (I have probably left something obvious off, Lol)

    The memory is not the problem (has been tested and also replaced with compatable memory)
    Modem is not the problem (still exists when not in the system)
    OS is not the problem (Vista has ran on this system before, and fresh installation process takes forever). !!Trying to install XP could confirm this further!!

    BIOS settings (set to default)
    Video card (this is on board and so can be classed as motherboard, could try external VGA eliminating motherboard PCIe bus)
    Power supply (could eliminate by trying in another system, trying a known good one, could check the 3.3v, 5v, and 12v with a multimeter or tester)
    Hard drive (could eliminate by trying in another system, trying a known good one, download a copy of Hiren boot CD,burn the iso to CD, boot in to Mini XP with hard drive disconnected and run some of the many tools to see if bluescreens still occur with no hard drive) Hiren also has some hard drive testing tools.
    IDE\SATA cables (try replacements)
    CPU (Remove from system and clean and apply new thermal paste, you are going to try a replacement)
    Motherboard (if all above test good then this is the probable cause, Remove and blow dust bunnies out with compressed air).

    Maybe you could post an update when you have tried your new CPU to satisfy my curiosity.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2009
  9. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    Alright it's gonna be about two weeks until i get my new CPU just got to get some other stuff done. But in the meanwhile I'll try some of the stuff you posted.
     
  10. scorpNZ

    scorpNZ Active member

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    The code PAGE FAULT & accompanying numbers give you the answer you need,since you've already ordered a new cpu which most probably isn't needed since it runs in safe mode, a real test is download a linux cd like ubuntu & run the live desktop,if it works fine your cpu,ram,dvd drive & graphic card are fine,the below links is what a page error is,you need to correspond the numbers you are given in that error to pin point the exact cause,however I've found it very hard to do,i've had a page fault come up on occasion all i did was uninstall all unused drivers whether or not it fixed i can't say but so far all is good

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/222635
    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms854882.aspx
    http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=335

    TechRepublic & Cnet & ZDNet all have informative emails you can subscribe to this is where i get most of my knowledge from especially crap like your experiancing with page faults,techrepublic is the best place for info on stuff like that & it's free mostly.

    REMOVING UNUSED DRIVERS-text
    Warning be sure not to remove any drivers for your printer which may not be on or other such devices,tho they just get re-detected on startup


    IT Dojo: Find and delete hidden Windows Vista and XP device drivers
    Bill Detwiler: Sorting out device driver problems in Windows can be a tricky. Windows Vista and XP often retain old drivers even if you upgrade or change hardware. Unfortunately, these old, and sometimes hidden, drivers can cause hardware conflicts or make your system behave erratically -- even if you're no longer using them.



    I'm Bill Detwiler, and in this IT Dojo video, I'll show you how to find those old drivers and root them out of your system once and for all.



    Manually locating all the devices drivers on a Windows system can be a challenging task. Fortunately, in the Windows Device Manager, there is a feature you can enable that allows you to locate and remove old and unused drivers.



    Now, before I get to the steps, let me add one caveat. In this video, I'm using steps specifically designed for Windows Vista. But the general process will also work in Windows XP. For example, the way I describe opening the System Properties window in Vista is slightly different than the process you would use in XP.



    With that warning out of the way, let's get to the steps.



    In order to configure Device Manager to display non-present devices, you will need to add a special Windows Environment Variable, which is basically a string that contains a system property such as a drive, path, or file name.



    To add the variable that we need, access the Start menu, right-click on Computer, and select the Properties command. When you see the System window, select the Advanced System Settings link. Dismiss the UAC message, and when the System Properties dialog box appears, click the Environment Variables button.



    When you see the Environment Variables dialog box, you'll see that it contains two panels titled User Variables and System Variables. Environment variables added to the User Variables panel will be available only when that user logs on. Environment variables added to the System Variables panel will be available to all users. To avoid limiting ourselves to one user account, we'll add the new environment variable to the System Variables panel.



    So, click the New button and when New System Variable dialog box appears, type:



    devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices



    in the Variable Name text box and type 1 in the Variable Value text box.



    Click OK to close the New System Variable dialog box and then again to close the Environment Variables dialog box.



    To view the non-present devices, access the Start menu, right-click on Computer, and select Manage. When the Computer Management window appears, select Device Manager. Once Device Manager is active, pull down the View menu and select Show Hidden Devices.



    Now, when you open the various branches within the Device Manager tree, you see device icons that appear translucent or faded. These are the non-present devices.



    To remove the device drivers for any of the non-present devices, simply right-click on the faded icon and select the Uninstall command. Once you are done, close Device Manager and just for good measure, restart your system.



    I hope this tip helps you get to the bottom of some nagging driver issues. Have you had other problems related to drivers in Windows Vista? Let us know if there's tip or tweak you're looking for in the IT Dojo blog, and we'll see if we can find a solution.



    And as always, for more teachings on your path to becoming an IT Ninja, visit itdojo.techrepublic.com. And please let us know if this tip was helpful.
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2009
  11. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    I'm unable to start safemode now. Only with boot disc. I get to the installation of windows, pick language, type in product key and then it says that install.wim is missing. Damn!! Also tried repair from boot disc. I restart and the computer freezes after the Bios screen when it show the green bar that's loading. Probably going to need to order the cd from the manufacturer.

    I also installed Ubuntu everything is fine once I'm logged in. But, then like half a minute later. My screen goes berserk and freezes. Help?!
     
  12. jodav

    jodav Regular member

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    This is not looking good for the motherboard im afraid. Have you done a visual on the capacitors to see if any of them are domed or leaking brown residue at top or bottom.

    Due to problems you have experienced i am not sure that buying a replacement installation disc will solve anything. i would try and borrow one or try and recopy your existing one if you want to check it, but i fear the worst for the board. It still could be the CPU but most of the time they either work or dont.
     
  13. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    my board's size is micro atx. if i just buy a cheap one from tiger direct you think the screws will all align up on the emachines case.
    I'm also going to upload some pics of the mobo so y
     
  14. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    ... so you can check it out. see if there is any wear on it.
     
  15. jodav

    jodav Regular member

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    Screws will line up fine Panik 509. Ensure you buy a motherboard with the right socket for your CPU, you need SOCKET AM2, also that it uses uses DDR2 SDRAM.
     
  16. garmoon

    garmoon Regular member

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    My old pc wouldn't boot with XP and it turned out to be the cheap pci ethernet card.
     
  17. Panik509

    Panik509 Member

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    ubuntu now works. doesn't freeze anymore after i removed the new memory i had bought and installed the old one that it had come with. also the cpu had a bent pin. I straightened it out and put it back in. all is good now. just need to reinstall vista.
     

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