Vista - Windows not loading due to updates

Hi there.

I've tried everything to fix my Dell Inspiron 1545 running Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit and I can't seem to work out what to do anymore.

My laptop automatically did some updates earlier today and I rebooted as advised, unfortunately it failed to load up at all and I got a screen telling me windows has failed to start. Problem could be due to a recent change of hardware or software. The only recent change being the updates. I've tried to do a system repair, which hasn't worked. All it does is load a blank screen with, eventually a movable mouse cursor, nothing else happens after. I've tried to load from the boot cd also, but I have the same problem. The white bar loads, message saying windows is loading files then as soon as its passed the blank screen and mouse cursor come up. I can't load anything in safe mode as it just comes up with the windows failed to start message. I'm at a loss, I think. And if I can't reinstall windows then it looks like my laptop is messed up completely. All I haven't tried is perhaps loading safe mode with command prompt and trying to do a system restore, and Repair Install For Vista this, which I'm not quite sure I understand fully. I might have had SP1 installed already.

Anyone got anything they can chuck my way to advise me to do? I haven't had the laptop all THAT long.

Do you have any critical date on your drive? You could try booting to safe mode or using Knoppix to retrieve you data. It looks like you are going to need a clean install.

Courtesy of Brink
Clean Install with a Full Version of Vista

I can't even do that because whenever I load from the CD it just goes to the blank screen with the mouse cursor after the loading windows file bar disappears...............

This is a big big problem.

You can't boot from Knoppix? If you can't do that, you have a hardware problem. Knoppix has a linux operating system that will allow you to access your files.

Oh, you see that if you try to install the OS. Please describe your installation media. Is this from Microsoft or your PC manufacturer? Is this a full version or upgrade?

The disc I got is from Dell, it's a reinstallation DVD with Windows Vista Premium SP1 32bit on it. It says at the top "Already installed on your computer".

You know this "Clean Install?" do I have to change somethng in the BIOS? I can try and load it from disc by pressing F12 and selecting to boot from the disc but maybe if I booted it right from it? I don't know...

Yep you really need to boot from the dvd to do a clean install. F12 will work for a dell

ken

The reinstallation black screened on me.

I don't even know what to do now.

are you able to boot from the dvd?

No, unfortunately this just black screens.