Counterfeiting: Windows Aero is not working

I have been running Vista Ultimate for months without issue (genuine version
of course). Yesterday I downloaded some updates and in the middle of the
update process there has been a power failure in the house... Vista rebooted
and was trapped in a loop: configuring update, shutdown,reboot.

I then booted from the CD and tried to restore a point, no luck, still trap
in the same loop. I then decided to reinstall from scratch from the CD.

Reinstallation took place, just after that Windows Updated downloaded 60
updates, rebooted several times (it trapped and complained about a driver)
but finally did it. However after the final reboot when I logged in I got an
error message: "Windows Aero is not working, you may be victim of a software
counterfeiting". The result is not access to the control panel for example.

The error message suggested to "go online and resolve now". I ended up on
the genuine software page... it runs the test and came back with "validation
successful"... but the problems remained. I then tried the activation over
the phone: started slui.exe 4, called MS, I got the activation number, then
it says again "successful" but after reboot I still have this pop-up "aero
not working" and most of the features are disabled. What could I do now?
Re-install again?

Thanks for your help

You could have physical damage from that power failure. The install should
have run chkdsk for you, and fixed anything fixable. A diagnosis app for the
drive is a good idea. There's also always the option to do an install with
minimum hardware to try identifying damage. (However, an Aero failure is
usually a video problem)
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Mark L. Ferguson
..

"mf22433" <> wrote in message
news:5C1A92E8-A028-4722-8807-...
> I have been running Vista Ultimate for months without issue (genuine
> version
> of course). Yesterday I downloaded some updates and in the middle of the
> update process there has been a power failure in the house... Vista
> rebooted
> and was trapped in a loop: configuring update, shutdown,reboot.
>
> I then booted from the CD and tried to restore a point, no luck, still
> trap
> in the same loop. I then decided to reinstall from scratch from the CD.
>
> Reinstallation took place, just after that Windows Updated downloaded 60
> updates, rebooted several times (it trapped and complained about a driver)
> but finally did it. However after the final reboot when I logged in I got
> an
> error message: "Windows Aero is not working, you may be victim of a
> software
> counterfeiting". The result is not access to the control panel for
> example.
>
> The error message suggested to "go online and resolve now". I ended up on
> the genuine software page... it runs the test and came back with
> "validation
> successful"... but the problems remained. I then tried the activation over
> the phone: started slui.exe 4, called MS, I got the activation number,
> then
> it says again "successful" but after reboot I still have this pop-up "aero
> not working" and most of the features are disabled. What could I do now?
> Re-install again?
>
> Thanks for your help

I'll check the hardware there is perhaps something wrong there indeed.
In the meantime I thought that perhaps I should try SP1... I did, it
installed successfully and ... the problem is gone! Go figure.

"Mark L. Ferguson" wrote:

> You could have physical damage from that power failure. The install should
> have run chkdsk for you, and fixed anything fixable. A diagnosis app for the
> drive is a good idea. There's also always the option to do an install with
> minimum hardware to try identifying damage. (However, an Aero failure is
> usually a video problem)
> --
> Was this helpful? Then click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web
> interface.
> http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...eAPostAsAnswer
> Mark L. Ferguson
> .
>
> "mf22433" <> wrote in message
> news:5C1A92E8-A028-4722-8807-...
> > I have been running Vista Ultimate for months without issue (genuine
> > version
> > of course). Yesterday I downloaded some updates and in the middle of the
> > update process there has been a power failure in the house... Vista
> > rebooted
> > and was trapped in a loop: configuring update, shutdown,reboot.
> >
> > I then booted from the CD and tried to restore a point, no luck, still
> > trap
> > in the same loop. I then decided to reinstall from scratch from the CD.
> >
> > Reinstallation took place, just after that Windows Updated downloaded 60
> > updates, rebooted several times (it trapped and complained about a driver)
> > but finally did it. However after the final reboot when I logged in I got
> > an
> > error message: "Windows Aero is not working, you may be victim of a
> > software
> > counterfeiting". The result is not access to the control panel for
> > example.
> >
> > The error message suggested to "go online and resolve now". I ended up on
> > the genuine software page... it runs the test and came back with
> > "validation
> > successful"... but the problems remained. I then tried the activation over
> > the phone: started slui.exe 4, called MS, I got the activation number,
> > then
> > it says again "successful" but after reboot I still have this pop-up "aero
> > not working" and most of the features are disabled. What could I do now?
> > Re-install again?
> >
> > Thanks for your help
>

mf22433 wrote:
> I have been running Vista Ultimate for months without issue (genuine version
> of course). Yesterday I downloaded some updates and in the middle of the
> update process there has been a power failure in the house... Vista rebooted
> and was trapped in a loop: configuring update, shutdown,reboot.
>
> I then booted from the CD and tried to restore a point, no luck, still trap
> in the same loop. I then decided to reinstall from scratch from the CD.
>
> Reinstallation took place, just after that Windows Updated downloaded 60
> updates, rebooted several times (it trapped and complained about a driver)
> but finally did it. However after the final reboot when I logged in I got an
> error message: "Windows Aero is not working, you may be victim of a software
> counterfeiting". The result is not access to the control panel for example.
>
> The error message suggested to "go online and resolve now". I ended up on
> the genuine software page... it runs the test and came back with "validation
> successful"... but the problems remained. I then tried the activation over
> the phone: started slui.exe 4, called MS, I got the activation number, then
> it says again "successful" but after reboot I still have this pop-up "aero
> not working" and most of the features are disabled. What could I do now?
> Re-install again?
>
> Thanks for your help
>
Let your experience be a lesson to everyone who doesn't use a UPS for
their PC's. I've been running UPS's on our PC's since my first one in
1985. I'm convinced that's part of the reason I've never needed to
reinstall any version of Windows during the lifespan of each PC. Power
failures and Windows are not a good combo.

Dave