Vista - Startup Issues with Windows Vista

Hey guys! Can you lend me a hand? Having some serious issues with my computer...when I turn on my computer, and after loading for a minute or two on the blue HP screen, it goes STRAIGHT to the System Startup/Recovery page. I even did the diagnostic scan to see what was the problem...which it did find one result. It was something called:

"C:\PSHD.dll is corrupt"

This all happened yesterday when my mother bought my little sister The Sims 3. I let her install it on my computer to play it. (I was at a friend's house). She basically told me that when she finished installing it, a pop up screen came up asking if you want to allow the game to come up or cancel it (pretty normal)--She allowed it. After a few minutes of playing, the computer suddenly shuts down. Once she turned it back it, it would always just go straight to the Start up/Recovery page.

And another thing, I was gonna try and just do a system recovery, but I don't have any flash drives that can hold it all. (I have DVD-Roms but for some reason it wont show them)

So yeah...I'm on my mother's desktop computer right now. Anyone know what I can do to save my files from being gone in a deep, dark oblivion? =( Or just how to just fix the problem?

When the computer starts its initial boot start tapping the F8 key about
once per second. This will tale you to an advanced startup screen. One of
the options is to boot with the last "known good" configuration. Choose this
option and continue the boot.

If it works, uninstall the game that caused the problem. It is likely an
older version that is not compatible with Vista.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"AcrylicSnow" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:ba5a5f8f5df21c5d6b8d725f122643fd@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

Hey! I just tried that method and it didn't work...nor did going under Safe Mode help...it takes me directly back to the Repair screen right after I click on that (and other) options =(

"AcrylicSnow" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:ba5a5f8f5df21c5d6b8d725f122643fd@xxxxxx-gateway.com...It's unusual for a DLL to be installed at the root. Are you sure it is
PSHD.DLL and not PSHED.DLL?

Now, you have an excuse to buy that new hard drive you always wanted!
(joking)

It would solve your problem, somewhat. You could reinstall Windows on the
new hard drive and use the old one for backup. (You don't have backup,
shame on you!) Or you could buy couple more USB flash drives... (nah, go
with the hard drive... lot more space for your money.)

It might be safe to assume the computers you have network interface ports.
You could buy a cross over cable and connect them up and transfer the files
over to your mom's computer. But under the circumstances, I don't know if
they is possible.

Something more went on than Sim 3 being installed, but that is just
speculation.

"AcrylicSnow" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:ba5a5f8f5df21c5d6b8d725f122643fd@xxxxxx-gateway.com...Recovery from flash/USB wouldn't be possible anyway. The recovery DVDs are
bootable but you may have the computer BIOS set to boot from harddrive
before it looks for a bootable CDROM so the discs are being ignored. Change
the boot device order in BIOS (F1?) to make DVD/CDROM the initial boot
device.

Otherwise, unless you've deleted it you should still be able to use the
recovery partition to reinstall your OS. Try pressing F11 while booting to
access the system recovery options (before the OS starts to load, similar to
accessing Safe Mode).

The full procedure should be similar to the instructions at the linked page
below, relevent section; "Starting a recovery from the hard drive and the
computer is off".


http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...a&lc=en&dlc=en

If you are presented with the option to try MS System Restore you could try
that first and maybe save yourself the hassle of reinstalling all your
software.

Ah, I'm pretty sure it said PSHD.DLL but knowing me, I could've wrote it down wrong. I can't seem to remember where I saw that come up.

Yup, a BIG BIG shame on me...I was pretty much asking for this to happen...I always meant to create backup CDs and whatnot but I always procrastinated with it. =(

And the cross over connection idea sounds like something I could try. But I don't think my mom's computer can handle the load anyway...

Yeah, I really doubt it was just the Sims game also. Honoestly, another weird thing that was happening since last week was I would be busy on the computer, then suddenly it freezes occassionally and I would have to restart. It never froze over the past 2-2 1/2 years that I've had it. And when it did freeze, it would make a "click" sound over and over again.

I tried doing the F1 thing, but I didn't see that option. All I saw was:

Choose an operating system to start (which the only thing showed was Windows Vista of course) or press TAB to select a tool (the only thing there was the Windows Memory Diagnostic ) So I guess I can assume that I've deleted that option somehow?

Just to note, I went ahead and did the Windows Memory Diagnostic and did all of the system tests and such, and my computer "failed" the "Hard Drive: SMART Short Self Test)

Some other details that were found (Diagnostic & Repair details) were (and I dunno if this means anything but, hey...) :

Session details

System disk - \Device\Harddisk0
Windows directory = C:\Windows
AutoChk Run = 0
Number of Root causes = 1

Everything else was completely successfully.

Also, it won't let me do a System Restore. It says that are no earlier restore points, which is strange because I thought I've always had some...I don't remember deleting them.


So pretty much...unless I find some means to backup my files, using this method still means I'll loose all my files and whatnot, correct?

"AcrylicSnow" <guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote in message
news:753c09aabe835b949e25db32ddc91c35@xxxxxx-gateway.com...

<snip>
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<snip>


It's your hard drive, without a doubt. You need a replacement, quick.

"Tae Song" <tae_song@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:C814A6EC-C1FD-46DA-A8EE-3937030C9868@xxxxxxI'm not joking this time.

I'm working on it right now. Infact, I'll probably just take it in tomorrow ASAP.

> Yeah, I really doubt it was just the Sims game also. Honoestly,I think you have a hardware problem, maybe your HD.