Try doing a repair using the system disk. Place the disk into the optical drive and let it boot up up like your going to install but select the repair option instead of the install option.

Hi Dave,

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I already tried that and same result - black screen.

 

I have 2 disks one reinstallation cd and another 'windows anytime upgrade' cd.  Based on Dell article: 316580-Restoring Dell Factory Image I should be able to do a PC Restore from either of the cd's.  HOWEVER, the path they point me to doesn't exist on either cd!!!  There is no windows\system32\tools directory.  Only wbem and still no tools or pcrestore in there either!

 

Do you know anything about that?

 

I am trying every avenue before I have to do a total reinstall.

 

I can get to the C drive from a dos command prompt.  Would you know how I can get to the application that 'add and remove programs' ????  If I can execute that just MAYBE I can see it - oh please, oh please!

 

Thanks....

You cannot run the add/remove from a command promt or outside of the windows enviroment. IF you cannot factory restore Im fairly confident that a full reinstalltion is all that is left. Either way all your data and stuff will be lost, unless it was backed up.

I would recomend if you opt for the full install that you reformat the C partition before you run the reinstalltion. Start with a fresh drive.

No you will lose everything. it will be as if you have a fresh harddrive with no files.

The format option will come up in the installtion screen. It will totaly reset the Master Boot Record which is the hiddne filles that tells the harddisk were all the files on it are stored.

All I care about are my pictures which I didn't back up this last month.  Is it true if I reinstall it may create a windows.old folder and I can search for my files there?

 

How do you reformat the c partition and what is that doing?

If you reinstall Vista it should put all your old files into the windows.old folder. The other poster is wrong. I have done it a number of times. Twice I reinstalled Vista on another already reinstalled OS (Vista) and I had a telescopic windows.old.old situation wict my HDD filled to capacity.

 

Now, before you do this I suggest you triy a number of other things. Try to boot to safe mode with Internet, delete that application, download Spybot Search and Destory from a reputable site (there are bogus imitations), download Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool and run both (not at once, of course). Try to boot to safe mode a couple of times. Frequently such cleanup will help and your system will be back to normal. Reboot a few times.

 

Another option is to leave the OS overnight with Internet on. Vista has a capacity to go to MS sites and do some self-repair. I've seen it a number of times. I saw it when I first started with Vista and had a lot of trouble. I do have 4 machines, all with Vista on them.

 

That failed here is the option of the last resort:

 

This is the option of the last resort as it comes to salvaging your data and OS.

Turn the machine off, turn it back on and IMMEDIATELY press two keys: CTRL + F6. If you hear a distress series of beeps (around 5/sec) keep pressing for about 1 min. After that release F6 but keep pressing Ctrl for a while.

At this point the MS Windows Boot Console (CMOS screen) should appear and offer you choices. Choose Boot in Safe Mode With Internet.

Now, that combination Ctrl+F6 is maker specific. It worked for my DELL towers. Other manufacturers reportedly have other "secret" codes.

You may try Alt, Del, PgUp, PgDn instead of Ctrl. Also F6 is not cast in concrete. You may try other function keys. Some machines may require only one key to be pressed. Every machine MUST have a code like this. It took me about 10 min to find mine.

Good luck

Excuse me how can it do that with a format? it does not read any files as there are none on the drive so there is now wasy to create a .old file.