Hi Bertie--
There is no MSFT Public newsgroup that we can send to here with the title
"24 hour helpdesk"--I'm not sure where people are getting that and listing
it as an additional newsgroup. By definition the MSFT groups are 24 hour
help desks. They don't close.
I agree you ought to test the HD and you can do this by using Seagate tools
or something from the maker of your hd as Malke previously suggested.
However, no one knows for sure that your problem is not a software problem,
since they are operating from a distance, and statstically software causes
of can't boot Vistas outnumber hardware problems greatly. There is nothing
perfectly diagnostic of a hdw or hard drive failing situation you have
given.
So while I would test the HD, and other hardware could always be in the
picture, it takes a few minutes to finish exhausting all of the tools at
your disposal for recoverying your Vista and all its settings. They are
laid out below. And I want to emphasize, that when you run the bootrec
commands, run all 3 I give you.
You have nothing whatsoever to lose by trying all software recovery steps
except for a few minutes, and everything to gain. None of them are going to
"hurt you or your pc or your software."
And as you can see from the first link below, you can download the .iso for
a Vista Startup Repair Disk and burn it to make the Repair Disk:
Download Vista Repair Diskhttp://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/
How to Use Startup Repair from the Vista DVD or the Repair Disk you make:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial142.html
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/5c59f8c1-b0d1-4f1...
1) First try 3 options from Startup Repair. If you have a Vista DVD then
restart with it in the drive>press any key to boot from it and run Startup
Repair. From Startup Repair you have 3 good tools with an excellent chance
of fixing your system. If you don't have a Vista DVD from which to boot to
Startup Repair, no problem, Download the .iso from the link below and
burn it, and you'll have the Microsoft Vista Repair Disk with Startup
Repair.
Download Vista Repair Diskhttp://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/
How to Use Startup Repair from the Vista DVD or the Repair Disk you make:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial142.html
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/5c59f8c1-b0d1-4f1...
2) If Startup Repair does not get your Vista back, then use the 3 bootrec
commands from the command prompt available on the Statup Repair Menu:
The menu I refer to is in this set of directions with a grey background.
http://vistahomepremium.windowsreinstall.com/repairstartup/repairstar...
Those are:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuild BCD
3) If my second option doesn't work, then try System restore from the
Startup Repair list.
1) First try 3 options from Startup Repair. If you have a Vista DVD then
restart with it in the drive>press any key to boot from it and run Startup
Repair. From Startup Repair you have 3 good tools with an excellent chance
of fixing your system. If you don't have a Vista DVD from which to boot to
Startup Repair, no problem, Download the .iso from the link below and
burn it, and you'll have the Microsoft Vista Repair Disk with Startup
Repair.
Download Vista Repair Diskhttp://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/
How to Use Startup Repair from the Vista DVD or the Repair Disk you make:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial142.html
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/5c59f8c1-b0d1-4f1...
2) If Startup Repair does not get your Vista back, then use the 3 bootrec
commands from the command prompt available on the Statup Repair Menu:
The menu I refer to is in this set of directions with a grey background.
http://vistahomepremium.windowsreinstall.com/repairstartup/repairstar...
Those are:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /rebuild BCD
3) If my second option doesn't work, then try System restore from theStartup
Repair list.
4) If by rare chance you have an actual Vista DVD, you can put it in, boot
from it>choose the Upgrade Option>choose your current broken Vista Drive and
try to do a repair install with the Vista DVD.
How To Perform a Repair Installation For Vistahttp://
www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88236-repair-install-vista.html
5) If the above 3 tools don't work, then use the 4 tools available by
restarting your pc and tapping F8 once per second to get to the Windows
Advanced Options Menu.
From this menu click on 3 Safe Mode links to use System Restore. Make sure
you try all 3 if one doesn't work, because just one of them may work. TapF8
to Reach Windows Advanced Options Menu Pictured Below:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/vista windows advanced optio...
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command: At the prompt you would type the command to use for
system restore at the safe mode cmd prompt is:
%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
If these 3 tools don't work, you have one more you can try which is Last
Known Good Configuration.
Good luck,
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