Windows update for Vista and resulting boot issue

I just applied the latest updates for Windows Vista Home Premium as well as
Office Enterprise last night and now my computer will not even boot up.

Upon turning the power on, the computer shows the startup screen that offers
a chance to go to the boot menu or setup (f2/f12) but it takes much longer
than usual to get through the last 1/4 of the progress bar.

If I hit f2 or f12, it says it is 'waiting to ...' go to that option and
then it just goes to a blank screen with a flashing DOS underscore cursor in
the upper left corner. I can't get to any boot menu or setup in bios.

This all came out of nowhere other than a reboot after installing the new
updates. Anyone have a clue about what might have caused this and how I can
actually get the computer to respond enough to boot up? It's a pretty new
Dell system that's loaded with powerful hardware, but actually pretty light
on additional installed software, so there shouldn't be many conflicts. I
should have any discs provided by Dell for recovery, but I don't want to wipe
anything from this computer since it has a lot of new files that are
important on there already.

Thanks for any help.

Mark this is a newsgroup for XP and not Vista. However I am having the same
problem with an XP machine. After the Tuesday updates I can't get past
"Loading preferences" and have lost recognition of my keyboard and mouse at
that stage.



"Mark" wrote:

> I just applied the latest updates for Windows Vista Home Premium as well as
> Office Enterprise last night and now my computer will not even boot up.
>
> Upon turning the power on, the computer shows the startup screen that offers
> a chance to go to the boot menu or setup (f2/f12) but it takes much longer
> than usual to get through the last 1/4 of the progress bar.
>
> If I hit f2 or f12, it says it is 'waiting to ...' go to that option and
> then it just goes to a blank screen with a flashing DOS underscore cursor in
> the upper left corner. I can't get to any boot menu or setup in bios.
>
> This all came out of nowhere other than a reboot after installing the new
> updates. Anyone have a clue about what might have caused this and how I can
> actually get the computer to respond enough to boot up? It's a pretty new
> Dell system that's loaded with powerful hardware, but actually pretty light
> on additional installed software, so there shouldn't be many conflicts. I
> should have any discs provided by Dell for recovery, but I don't want to wipe
> anything from this computer since it has a lot of new files that are
> important on there already.
>
> Thanks for any help.

Well, since the header on this page for the community says "Windows Vista
Community", I think you are mistaken.

It appears that a lot of people have .net issues from that update and that
may the root cause of my problem. Anyone else having a similar issue with
not even making into the operating system?

"Leslie" wrote:

> Mark this is a newsgroup for XP and not Vista. However I am having the same
> problem with an XP machine. After the Tuesday updates I can't get past
> "Loading preferences" and have lost recognition of my keyboard and mouse at
> that stage.
>
>
>
> "Mark" wrote:
>
> > I just applied the latest updates for Windows Vista Home Premium as well as
> > Office Enterprise last night and now my computer will not even boot up.
> >
> > Upon turning the power on, the computer shows the startup screen that offers
> > a chance to go to the boot menu or setup (f2/f12) but it takes much longer
> > than usual to get through the last 1/4 of the progress bar.
> >
> > If I hit f2 or f12, it says it is 'waiting to ...' go to that option and
> > then it just goes to a blank screen with a flashing DOS underscore cursor in
> > the upper left corner. I can't get to any boot menu or setup in bios.
> >
> > This all came out of nowhere other than a reboot after installing the new
> > updates. Anyone have a clue about what might have caused this and how I can
> > actually get the computer to respond enough to boot up? It's a pretty new
> > Dell system that's loaded with powerful hardware, but actually pretty light
> > on additional installed software, so there shouldn't be many conflicts. I
> > should have any discs provided by Dell for recovery, but I don't want to wipe
> > anything from this computer since it has a lot of new files that are
> > important on there already.
> >
> > Thanks for any help.

Gee Mark - they must have the same newsgroup listed under several headings
because it shows up for me under "Windows XP Newsgroups". Sorry.


"Mark" wrote:

> Well, since the header on this page for the community says "Windows Vista
> Community", I think you are mistaken.
>
> It appears that a lot of people have .net issues from that update and that
> may the root cause of my problem. Anyone else having a similar issue with
> not even making into the operating system?
>
> "Leslie" wrote:
>
> > Mark this is a newsgroup for XP and not Vista. However I am having the same
> > problem with an XP machine. After the Tuesday updates I can't get past
> > "Loading preferences" and have lost recognition of my keyboard and mouse at
> > that stage.
> >
> >
> >
> > "Mark" wrote:
> >
> > > I just applied the latest updates for Windows Vista Home Premium as well as
> > > Office Enterprise last night and now my computer will not even boot up.
> > >
> > > Upon turning the power on, the computer shows the startup screen that offers
> > > a chance to go to the boot menu or setup (f2/f12) but it takes much longer
> > > than usual to get through the last 1/4 of the progress bar.
> > >
> > > If I hit f2 or f12, it says it is 'waiting to ...' go to that option and
> > > then it just goes to a blank screen with a flashing DOS underscore cursor in
> > > the upper left corner. I can't get to any boot menu or setup in bios.
> > >
> > > This all came out of nowhere other than a reboot after installing the new
> > > updates. Anyone have a clue about what might have caused this and how I can
> > > actually get the computer to respond enough to boot up? It's a pretty new
> > > Dell system that's loaded with powerful hardware, but actually pretty light
> > > on additional installed software, so there shouldn't be many conflicts. I
> > > should have any discs provided by Dell for recovery, but I don't want to wipe
> > > anything from this computer since it has a lot of new files that are
> > > important on there already.
> > >
> > > Thanks for any help.

Actually, it is for all OS versions greater than Win2000/9x-Millennium
(those have their own newsgroups).

....Sky

In news:FD50E827-EC35-4000-A4A7-,
Leslie <> wrote:
> Mark this is a newsgroup for XP and not Vista. ....

"Leslie" <> wrote in message
news:327FE79C-DBC6-483F-B65B-...
>
> Gee Mark - they must have the same newsgroup listed under several headings
> because it shows up for me under "Windows XP Newsgroups". Sorry.
>
>
If you both used newsgroups instead of that cranky web interface, you would
find posting etc much clearer.
Antioch

Boy, if people here would focus on the problem instead of the details of a
posting, I bet a lot more would get accomplished...

Regardless, on a call with Dell tech support tonight, we tried all kinds of
boot options and finally found one that helped get the system back alive:

Ctrl+Alt+D

It is some kind of diagnostic test that I never actually got to see the
results of, but by pressing it many times during the initial bios boot up
screen, it managed to make it past the blinking cursor and finish updating
the system with the Windows updates that caused the original blackout.

It's survived a restart since then, so I've gotten past the freeze out and
can move on. Hopefully that test will help others who are having the same
issue.

"Sky King" wrote:

> Actually, it is for all OS versions greater than Win2000/9x-Millennium
> (those have their own newsgroups).
>
> ....Sky
>
> In news:FD50E827-EC35-4000-A4A7-,
> Leslie <> wrote:
> > Mark this is a newsgroup for XP and not Vista. ....
>
>

Hi there,

Partition your hard drive with partition magic pro or a sort like program
and transfer your important files to the new partition so you can make a
clean install on c:, or use an external USB DIsk, CD writable or DVD
writable.

Backing up is important and I assume you at least have a DVD burner in that
Dell.

Best regards,
Michel Denie

"Mark" <> wrote in message
news6BEEC30-EA8E-449F-A19F-...
>I just applied the latest updates for Windows Vista Home Premium as well as
> Office Enterprise last night and now my computer will not even boot up.
>
> Upon turning the power on, the computer shows the startup screen that
> offers
> a chance to go to the boot menu or setup (f2/f12) but it takes much longer
> than usual to get through the last 1/4 of the progress bar.
>
> If I hit f2 or f12, it says it is 'waiting to ...' go to that option and
> then it just goes to a blank screen with a flashing DOS underscore cursor
> in
> the upper left corner. I can't get to any boot menu or setup in bios.
>
> This all came out of nowhere other than a reboot after installing the new
> updates. Anyone have a clue about what might have caused this and how I
> can
> actually get the computer to respond enough to boot up? It's a pretty new
> Dell system that's loaded with powerful hardware, but actually pretty
> light
> on additional installed software, so there shouldn't be many conflicts. I
> should have any discs provided by Dell for recovery, but I don't want to
> wipe
> anything from this computer since it has a lot of new files that are
> important on there already.
>
> Thanks for any help.

Mark,
I am in the computer repair field, Because of this update, I have had 78
calls about peoples computers crashing and not booting up because of this
update, including my personal computer. you are not alone, and microsoft
shoud be buying alot of people new items.