Vista boot problem.

Jlnwlf

New Member
My Vista Home Premium will not boot up. There is a clicking sound coming from my PC just before the boot is complete. After a few mins if trying to complete the process, I get a message to use the boot disk. I do not have this. How can I fix this issue and boot up my OS? Where can I get a boot disk? I can not get into Safe Mode.
Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium
Where does the boot actually fail? For instance, does it say it's loading Windows?

Before getting into how to create a boot disc, did it ever boot previously? If so, can you get into Safe Mode?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI
    WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
Just use the vista installation disc. It has the standard MS repair options in it.

The clicking might be a concern, though not necessarily - some hard disks are quite noisy even when working normally.


My Vista Home Premium will not boot up. There is a clicking sound coming from my PC just before the boot is complete. After a few mins if trying to complete the process, I get a message to use the boot disk. I do not have this. How can I fix this issue and boot up my OS? Where can I get a boot disk? I can not get into Safe Mode.
Thanks.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Vista
    CPU
    Intel E8400
    Motherboard
    ASRock1333-GLAN R2.0
    Memory
    4gb DDR2 800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia 9500GT 1gb
  • Operating System
    win7/vista
    CPU
    intel i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    ballistix 2x8gb 3200
Where does the boot actually fail? For instance, does it say it's loading Windows?

Before getting into how to create a boot disc, did it ever boot previously? If so, can you get into Safe Mode?
The boot fails just before completing. I get the Microsoft icon and the loading bar scrolls left to right. It stays on this screen for a while then the clicking starts and it goes to a blank screen with a large mouse icon. I can move the mouse on the screen. It will automatically attempt another reboot, same issue but I get the error message to use a boot disk. I can not pull up safe mode.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium
Just use the vista installation disc. It has the standard MS repair options in it.

The clicking might be a concern, though not necessarily - some hard disks are quite noisy even when working normally.
I don’t have the installation disk. Can I get one from Microsoft or HP?
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Vista
    CPU
    Intel E8400
    Motherboard
    ASRock1333-GLAN R2.0
    Memory
    4gb DDR2 800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia 9500GT 1gb
  • Operating System
    win7/vista
    CPU
    intel i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    ballistix 2x8gb 3200
I agree but, he didn't answer all my questions. If he can get into Safe Mode and run a sytem restore, it might not be necessary. On the other hand, having the ISO is good for the future.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI
    WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
...it goes to a blank screen with a large mouse icon...I can not pull up safe mode.
What antivirus programs are installed? “Black screen with cursor” was sometimes caused by AV conflicts: typically by having Microsoft Security Essentials and Avast installed at the same time. There is no good reason to have a legacy version of MSE installed on Vista or XP now because definition updates can no longer be installed. (MSE versions merely 6 years old or newer wouldn’t work anyway.) However I doubt that would prevent you from using Safe Mode, as you have twice stated.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium x86 SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Elite m9150f
    CPU
    Intel Q6600
    Memory
    3 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT
MSE works fine on my vista installation. As Vistaar pointed out, probably not wise to use a 3rd party av and mse at the same time.

I would suggest use either mse OR a 3rd party av.

You can use mse version 4.4.304

In case it is needed
64 bit
mse4.4.304x64.zip

32 bit
mse4.4.304x86.zip

Then manually download and install the update for sha2 signing. (KB4474419) That is because the mse definitions are now sha2 signed.

64 bit:

32 bit:


When you have done that, mse is able to download and install the definitions. The same definitions are used on win7, and apparently MS will continue to provide them till 2023.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Vista
    CPU
    Intel E8400
    Motherboard
    ASRock1333-GLAN R2.0
    Memory
    4gb DDR2 800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia 9500GT 1gb
  • Operating System
    win7/vista
    CPU
    intel i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    ballistix 2x8gb 3200
Works fine:

mse-vista-.JPG
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Vista
    CPU
    Intel E8400
    Motherboard
    ASRock1333-GLAN R2.0
    Memory
    4gb DDR2 800
    Graphics Card(s)
    nvidia 9500GT 1gb
  • Operating System
    win7/vista
    CPU
    intel i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    ballistix 2x8gb 3200
You can use mse version 4.4.304....Then manually download and install the update for sha2 signing.
I regret opening the door for such extensive discussion of MSE when we don’t even know what antivirus OP has installed, but I consider using MSE 4.4.304.0 (released in 2013) to be a rather bad suggestion. Even before MSE definition updates became sha2 only, it was found that 2019 definition updates intended for version 4.10.209.0 didn’t work properly with that old XP-era version. (You might want to test at AMTSO to see if it can consistently detect and quarantine the EICAR test file.) In any case, most Vista users who post here (including the gurus) are never going to install any Server 2008 updates, and will therefore never have the sha2 support needed to test your suggestion. If someone running Vista wanted a free antivirus, I could only suggest Avast 18.8 (or AVG 18.8, which is essentially the same thing).
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium x86 SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Elite m9150f
    CPU
    Intel Q6600
    Memory
    3 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT
I agree but, he didn't answer all my questions. If he can get into Safe Mode and run a sytem restore, it might not be necessary. On the other hand, having the ISO is good for the future.
I did answer your question. My last sentence was “ I can not pull up safe mode”. I tried to boot again today and got the same error message. Boot failed. Insert system disk and press enter. How much memory will I need for the Vista download. Can I boot from a USB drive or will I have to make a disk? The only internet connection I have is thru my iPad. Might be difficult to get a CD burned.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium
Apologies for the oversight on my part. :o
 

My Computer

System One

  • Operating System
    Vista Home Premium 64 bit SP2
    Manufacturer/Model
    Cyberpower
    CPU
    Intel Quad CPU Q6700 2.67 GHZ
    Motherboard
    NVIDIA 780i
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GTX 560 TI Twin Frozr
    Sound Card
    Sound Blaster SB Audigy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Viewsonic VG2436
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung HD 105SI
    WDC WD20
    Case
    Apevia XJupiter
    Cooling
    air
    Keyboard
    Logitech MX 3200
    Mouse
    Logitech MX 600
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
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