My computer doesn't boot up. Welcome screen freezes, everything goes blank, after booting up it freezes, etc!!

I'm panicking here For some reason my computer stopped booting up and I have to finish a project for a client. I can start my laptop in safe mode but I can't use the applications I need.

I didn't install anything new. I tried using CCleaner, I restarted the computer several times. I also tried to run the defrag thing but it won't work in safe mode.

I tried to restore the system to a previous configuration, but it doesn't work; from the welcome screen, the desktop either freezes or it goes blank before load up the desktop.

I'm gonna start taking screenshots of my programs, but is there's anything else I should be doing before reinstalling Vista? I don't want to do that yet because of my deadline.

Please help!

 

Try reseating your ram modules. If you have 2, take one out and test the other, repeat with the other one as well.

Good lucks.

cheers ...

 

What happens, exactly, when you boot it up. You get to the welcome screen and it just goes black? Does it blue screen? Any error message? Anything that could be useful?

Tried repairing the startup with the Vista disk?

 

I tried each RAM at a time, but it didn't work. I got past the welcome screen enough for ALL the desktop items to appear. Before, in Normal mode, sometimes the welcome screen would freeze, or I couldn't do anything after entering the password, or after logging in (password or fingerprint), instead of loading up my settings, the screen would just go black, with or without some of the desktop elements, the wallpaper is gone, it's just a blank background. After reseating the RAM, at least, the wallpaper loads up, then everything freezes. No blue screen, no message, nothing like that, the system just freezes up. I did try to boot with the 'log the bugs in file' option, but I can't find the file, and now, it's not even a choice, only safe mode, safe with networking, and a third one that I don't remember.

I did try to repair it with the Vista CD from the 'Install clean copy of vista' thread, but I got two options: system restore (which I'll try for a third time, hopefully this time it'll work) and then reinstall the system. I don't know where's the option to repair the system with that disk or any other way. Do you remember how?

 

I couldn't find a way to repair my installation, so I went ahead and selected factory image recovery. Is there a way to install all the drivers at once, or in a faster way rather to install each separately?

 

The image recovery should have all the drivers needed to get your comp up and running. Then run Windows update, and check HP site for newer drivers version.

cheers ...

 

Thanks. I meant to do a clean installation but somehow I grabbed the recovery disks and went ahead.

 

When you pop the disc in and boot from it there should be an option to automatically repair startup problems.

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-us/help/5c59f8c1-b0d1-4f1a-af55-74f3922f3f351033.mspx

It doesn't sound like a startup problem anymore to me after you explained it better though. Getting past the login screen tells me there is some driver that is hanging. What can you disable from startup in safe mode?

 

The problem is that I was so tired, I didn't realize I was using HP's recovery CDs instead of the clean installation DVD. That's why I never saw that option. Everything's fine now. But thanks, I've bookmarked that link if it happens again--it probably will anyway.