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Vista no longer starts? One thing helps...

August 6, 2007
Updated: April 14, 2022
Quick overview:

Microsoft's new Vista produces a blue screen at system startup, simply stays black before logging in, cryptic error codes run across the screen and nothing happens? The system startup repair can help! [By Sandro Villinger]

In January 2007, I returned from overseas after the stressful Vista launch and switched on my computer, still completely exhausted. My nerves were frazzled when I suddenly saw a black screen instead of the Vista login screen. The cause? Unknown! Before I left, the PC was working perfectly. Be that as it may, the Windows Vista System Startup Repair, which can be found in the "WinRE" (Windows Recovery Environment), reliably repairs a variety of errors.

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It is able to iron out between 80 and 90% of all system startup problems, and that's a lot:

  1. First, errors in the Windows registry database are cleaned up: Defective structures, keys or values.
  2. The Master Boot Record (MBR) is repaired: This is where Windows stores information about the data carrier.
  3. Boot sector is partially rewritten.
  4. If the hard disk itself has an actual physical defect, the system startup repair will inform you of this.
  5. Problems caused by software, updates, drivers, incorrect settings or deleted/defective system files are also very reliably detected (and eliminated!) by the system startup repair.

Since its first use on my computer in January, the system startup repair has saved me a lot of time, especially on my test computers: Here, my work often requires me to set beta software, unfinished drivers or critical system settings. It is clear that at some point the system will no longer run smoothly and problems at system startup are only a matter of time. However, you can also solve these problems with the following steps:

  1. Weisen Sie Ihren Computer an, vom CD-/DVD-Laufwerk anstatt von der Festplatte zu starten. Schalten Sie ihn dazu ein und drücken Sie die Taste "F2" oder "Entf". Es startet nun das BIOS.

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  2. Dort findet sich meist das Menü "Boot", wo Sie die "Boot Priority" oder aber "Boot Sequence" verändern können. Oftmals ist dieser Menüpunkt auch vom BIOS-Hersteller "First Boot Device" benannt worden. Ändern Sie diesen Eintrag auf "CDROM".
  3. Verlassen Sie das BIOS und speichern Sie die Änderungen mit "Z" (da im BIOS noch das US-Layout für Tastaturen benutzt wird) und Enter. Legen Sie nun die Windows Vista Installations-DVD ein!
  4. Es erscheint direkt nach dem Neustart die Meldung: "Drücken Sie eine beliebige Taste, um von CD oder DVD zu starten". Drücken Sie nun diese jene beliebige Taste (Mein Favorit: Einfach mit der Handfläche in die Mitte der Tastatur hauen 😉 )und warten Sie, bis das Setup gestartet wurde.

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  5. Bestätigen Sie den ersten Bildschirm mit einem Klick auf die Schaltfläche "Weiter" und wählen Sie die "Computerreparaturoptionen". Bestätigen Sie noch die korrekte Partition, auf der Windows Vista installiert wurde (z.B. Laufwerk C:) und entscheiden Sie sich für die erste Option: Die "Systemstartreparatur".

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  6. Die Reparatur kann bis zu 60 Minuten lang dauern, da hier die komplette Festplatte auf Fehler überprüft wird!

Voila! In 80-90% of all cases, these small steps have already made your system mobile again...Have fun!

Your Sandro Villinger

Founded Windows Tweaks as a teenager in 2001, his helpful PC tricks made it Germany's most visited Windows site (at the time Sandro looked like this). He then went on to write for international publications such as PC-Praxis, Computerbild, PCWorld in the USA, IMTEST.de and Hifi.de. Sandro's main job is as Global Product Marketing Lead and Consultant for various global tech companies, including Microsoft, AVG, Avast, Nero, TeamViewer, Swiss IT Security Group and now currently in the fintech sector for Gendigital. But he can't get rid of his passion and shares his tweaks here again. Privately, he enjoys traveling the world and loves Asia, especially Japan, Singapore and Korea, but also natural places like Iceland and the Nordics. You can reach Sandro via e-mail.

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