Urgent! Vista won't boot! And Vista Sucks!

[Homer_Bart]

Urgent help needed! My desktop, also my schoolwork computer, has booting problems! :'(

Primary problem
Scenario:
I press the power button and it starts up fine initially. I'm able to get to the user select screen occasionally. Other times, it'll come up the blue screen even or simply restart before the user select screen. If I'm able select my own user, it'll show my desktop and widgets etc in a sec, but another second later the PC restarts. Sometimes, it'll go right back to the blue screen right away after restarting, or show me how I want to start my computer (in safe mode etc). On the 3rd restart, it'll show "start windows normally" and " startup repair" or something. Whatever option I choose, the PC falls back into the same cycle. Took me 5 mins of many times of retry to let it start properly.

Secondary problem.
The monitor sometimes also show a series of colors on the whole screen (blue, green, red) when I start it up. And the TV receiver has 'hardware' problems. And Test Drive won't start if I were to click the icon while having the disk in the disktray, unless I remove the DVD from the disktray and put it back in again.

How can I solve the primary problem?

And how can I solve my secondary problem?

Details of my PC (copied from google):

Intel� Core�2 Duo Processor E6600
� 2.4 GHz, 4MB Advanced Transfer Cache, 1066 MHz

*Genuine Windows Vista� Home Premium

*Intel� 945G Express Chipset

* 2048MB of DDR2 RAM

* 500GB Serial ATA 3G hard drive

* SuperMulti DVD burner (SuperMulti Drive with LightScribe Dual Layer 16X DVD�RW/�R: 16X DVD�R, 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW, 8X DVD+R DL, 4X DVD-R DL, 5X DVD-RAM, 16X DVD-ROM; 40X CD-R, 32X CD-RW, 40X CD-ROM)

* 15-in-1 Digital Media Reader supporting: CompactFlash Type I/II, SmartMedia (SM), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro (MS/MS PRO), Micro Drive, xD Media (Extreme Digital Card), miniSD (mini Secure Digital), MS Duo (Memory Stick Duo), MS Duo Pro (Memory Stick Duo Pro), RSMMC (Reduced Size Multimedia Card), MMC+ (MultiMedia Card Plus), MMC Mobile

* Integrated 10/100 BaseT network interface (Broadband Ready)

* Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g

* NVIDIA GeForce 7600GS 3D PCI-Express Graphics Card (with TV-out port and DVI capabilities)

* Single TV Tuner Card (PAL) with Personal Video Recorder Functionality and FM Radio

* Integrated Intel� High Definition Audio - 7.1 Surround Sound Ready

* 1 Line-in; 1 Line-out; 2 Microphones; 1 Headphone; Side Spkr L/R; Rear Spkr L/R; Central/Subwoofer, Stereo Audio

* HP low profile multimedia cordless keyboard (2.4 GHz) with one touch command center and HP cordless optical 2-button scroller mouse

* HP Media Center Remote Control

[cvrefugee]

Could be:

PSU
Memory
Video Card
Motherboard

But the problems you are describing are definitely hardware issues, not software. What does the blue screen say?

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by Lilleput

Vista is fine

[Susurrate]

Originally Posted by cvrefugee

Could be:

PSU
Memory
Video Card
Motherboard

But the problems you are describing are definitely hardware issues, not software. What does the blue screen say?

All of these are good possibilities.

Start by pulling all but one stick of ram and seeing if the computer starts normally, if it doesn't switch out the ram with the other stick and repeat.

Try unplugging all items in your computer that aren't needed for startup, extra drives and what not.

It's probably not the video card, but if you have an extra laying around switch it out just to make sure.

If you eliminate those call Hp cause it's most likely your mobo.

[Lupin_IV]

The main problem sounds suspiciously like the virus that killed off my XP box a few months ago.

[Adunaphel]

Random boot errors are mostly memory related. Try running Memtest86 for a few hours and see if it gives you any errors. If so, by a process of elimination, determine the faulty memory stick and get it replaced.

[ESPNSTI]

Vista also has its own memory test on the boot menu.
If you don't have a dual boot, you can hit F8 and then escape out of the F8 menu (I think) to get to the boot menu.
The "Vista Memory Diagnostic" option should be there.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...agnostic-tool/

It's not that lengthy, you could run that first to get a quick diagnosis, and if that passes, run Memtest86 for a long duration test.

[jensked]

I vote PSU or Ram fail.

[AxlxA]

my old xp machine did the same thing but it was due to an overheating issue on the CPU because of the dust collected on the heatsink wouldn't dissipate any heat.

[jensked]

You can easily see the temperature in the BIOS right when you reboot...

[flyingfridge]

Originally Posted by Lilleput

x2

Why is it that when people have the slightest problem with their computer they immediately blame Vista?!

VISTA IS THE BEST THING MICROSOFT HAS DONE SINCE WINDOWS 95.

You've definitely got a hardware problem buddy, if you have a mate who can troubleshoot hardware, get them in on it or get it back to your system builder.

[Crazyjeeper]

Download Speed Fan and let us know what your core temp(s) are.

[AxlxA]

If I am encountering this problem I'd reformat and reinstall vista or xp right away. I have due boot with vista and xp so i'd just jump on the other OS. If that doesn't fix your problem...

Then i'd try to test the hardwares. Make it go bare minimum:

CPU, heatsink, 1 stick of ram, video card, primary harddrive and your cd rom. don't connect anything else. (i assume you reinstalled windows here to rule out operating system problem)
if this doesn't work, try switching components:
- ram first since most of the time it's the culprit.
- harddive - also a likely culprit
- video card - usually not the problem unless you're experiencing problems while gaming
- power supply - i hear this is a problem a lot of people have but i personally has never had this happened to me.

I'll let you know more once I hear back from you.

[Susurrate]

reformatting should be the last thing you ever do.

[jensked]

Originally Posted by Susurrate

reformatting should be the last thing you ever do.

Only format c:\ when there's no other way (you can say that so it rhimes)

[Homer_Bart]

Thanks for the reponses!

Can't read what's on the bluescreen, it restarted too fast.

Temperatures:
Core1: ~41
Core2: ~37

Running Vista Memory Diagnostic after I submit this post.
If there's really a problem, I'll probably send hp an email, otherwise, send it to them to fix it up, and add fan on it.

Vista actually rocks because it's much better looking and user-friendlier than XP, but still, I'll switch to Linux when this machine gets a little older.

BTW, a noob question, can I really run a PC in liquid hydrogen?

[Homer_Bart]

Yeh, memory problem So what's the next step?

[Lilleput]

Buy new memory!


Good thing is Memory is stupid cheap right now.

[Homer_Bart]

What's a 'memory'? As in hard drive? Or flash memory? ><