If your Vista PC has just stopped booting it can be a bit traumatic. Luckily there are some simple steps to take to get you working again. At times like this, knowing all your precious data is backed-up using your regular backup routine will be a relief. If you don't backup your files regularly, consider how important they are to you before trying to fix the problem. If necessary, just ring Ontrack Data recovery and ask them to recover your data. It will cost a few hundred quid but will reduce your risks quite substantially. If you are happy to continue, read on.
Vista comes with a safety net in the form of the installation DVD. If you boot up from the DVD and (after choosing your keyboard setings etc), choose "Repair your Computer" from the menu, the wizard will do its best to fix everything.
If that doesn't work, you've got to work a bit harder.
First though a lesson in how Vista boots up.
When you turn on your PC, a chip on the board called the BIOS, runs a few tests and if it is sure the hardware looks OK (just a cursory glance mind, not a thorough inspection) it will look for a suitable boot device, look for a "boot sector" on that device which in turn refers to the "Master Boot Record" (MBR) to start Vista. Vista uses a folder called the "Boot Configuration Data" Store (BCD) to discover where the Vista installations sit on the disk and to kick start Vista proper.
So, assuming your Vista installation is working and only the boot-up has become broken, the best thig to do is run the wizard to fix anyhting obvious and then if that doesn't work, run thorugh the boot sequence in reverse order, fixing one layer at a time:
Before you start, unplug anything that isn't essential. So that includes floppy disks, memory cards, USB memory sticks, cameras, iPods etc.
1. The Wizard:
Insert the Vista DVD and reboot the PC. Enter the keyboard details and click Next. From the menu, choose "Repair your Computer". Choose your Windows folder and click Next. Under System Recovery Options, choose "Startup Repair".
Follow the prompts. Remove the DVD and restart.
If that doesn't work, goto step 2.
2. Fix a faulty configured BCD:
Insert the Vista DVD and reboot the PC. Enter the keyboard details and click Next. From the menu, choose "Repair your Computer". Choose your Windows folder and click Next. Under System Recovery Options, choose "Command Prompt".
At the prompt type the following followed by the enter key: bootrec /rebuildbcd
Follow the prompts. Remove the DVD and restart.
If that doesn't work, goto step 3.
3. Replace the BCD:
Insert the Vista DVD and reboot the PC. Enter the keyboard details and click Next. From the menu, choose "Repair your Computer". Choose your Windows folder and click Next. Under System Recovery Options, choose "Command Prompt".
At the prompt type the following followed by the enter key after each one:
bcdedit /export c:\bcdbakup
c:
cd boot
attrib bcd -s -h -r
ren bcd bcd.old
bootrec /rebuildbcd
Follow the prompts. Remove the DVD and restart.
If that doesn't work, goto step 4.
4. Replace the MBR:
Insert the Vista DVD and reboot the PC. Enter the keyboard details and click Next. From the menu, choose "Repair your Computer". Choose your Windows folder and click Next. Under System Recovery Options, choose "Command Prompt".
At the prompt type the following followed by the enter key after each one:
bcdedit /FixMbr
Follow the prompts. Remove the DVD and restart.
If that doesn't work, goto step 5.
5. Replace the Bootsector:
Insert the Vista DVD and reboot the PC. Enter the keyboard details and click Next. From the menu, choose "Repair your Computer". Choose your Windows folder and click Next. Under System Recovery Options, choose "Command Prompt".
At the prompt type the following followed by the enter key after each one:
bcdedit /FixBoot
Follow the prompts. Remove the DVD and restart.
If that doesn't work, goto step 6.
6. Reinstall Vista.
Insert the Vista DVD and reboot the PC. Follow the prompts to ERASE ALL YOUR FILES and reinstall Vista. Restore from your latest backup.
If you don't have a backup DO NOT FOLLOW THIS STEP. Get help or ship the disk to Ontrack for recovery before reinstalling.
For the full range of options on the BCEDIT command, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392
