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Computer can only be started in Safe Mode


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#1
jaxin326

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My computer has been running a bit sluggish lately (doesn't seem to be virus related as anti-malaware and spybot search and destroy aren't coming up with anything on their scans). The computer was running just fine yesterday, but today my wife tried to turn the computer on and it went to the blue screen of death. She instantly turned off the computer as it said it was dumping files or something of that sort.

I turned the computer on and ran in safe mode (runs fine in safe mode) and ran the two scans above as well as used ATF cleaner? i think is the name, and selected everything to clean. I then restarted the computer and ran the scans again on malaware and spybot and still showed nothing so I assumed it may be alright to try and run the computer normally....I was wrong.

I attempted to start the computer normally and on both occasions there were a lot of lines on the right hand side of the screen (seems like a vid. card issue but in safe mode there weren't any lines on the screen), the blue screen of death begins and starts to dump files.

Are there any checks that I may be able to do (currently in safe mode I am unable to get onto the internet)??

Any help would be much appreciated. We just bought an external drive to save all of our needed info on when in safe mode.

Thanks

Edited by jaxin326, 18 January 2012 - 11:13 AM.

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#2
Ztruker

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I would strongly urge you to back up your data now, before doing anything else.

Once you have that, what about doing a System Restore to before the problem occurred?

Try doing a Repair My Computer or Last known good configuration that works from the Advanced Boot Options menu.
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#3
jaxin326

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That's a good point, but sadly I attempted that the second time I restarted the computer once I had determined the normal start wouldn't succeed. We have pretty much all of the data that is really important to us (pics/music/programs/misc) backed up onto the seagate external drive we bought at Costco the night this occurred.

Are there any other ways to start back from a known good configuration?

As far as the 'Repair My Computer', would that mean just to have Microsoft itself try and repair the computer? If so, I haven't had much luck when trying to have the computer fix itself; unless, I am doing it incorrectly.

By the way, thanks for the response.
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#4
Ztruker

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Repair My Computer is, as you say, the computer trying to fix itself. May not do any good but it won't hurt to try it.

If that doesn't work then I would do the Repair install. Excellent tutorial here: How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7

If that also does not resolve the problem then you r need to do a Clean Install which means formatting the driver during the install process, so you definitely need your data backed up. ANother excellent tutorial by Brink here: How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7

Once you get this fixed you should start doing a regular image backup of your drive to the external hard drive you bought. Then when this type of problem occurs again, recovery is only 20-30 minutes away. If the external drive did not come with backup software, Acronis True Image (not free), Macrium Reflect (free) or DriveImage XML (free) are good choices.
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#5
jaxin326

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cool, thanks. Will try all of those and respond once they are all completed.

thanks again

I know this is going to be somewhat out of topic, but I was curious if you guys give any input on new computer layouts?

If this computer is going to continue to be an issue, I was planning on buying a high performance desktop. Would this be a good topic to discuss on what would be a good layout for a performance desktop (just the tower) around $700. The desktop would be high performance to use large modeling programs such as Catia V5 (similar to solidworks).

Thanks

Edited by jaxin326, 20 January 2012 - 09:08 AM.

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#6
Ztruker

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You would do better in the System Building and Upgrading forum for that.
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#7
jaxin326

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Will post something in there. As for the attempt at this computer...there lies more issues.

I got back into safe mode and went to system restore point; I pointed it back about 9 days ago when it was running just fine. I then restarted the computer and now it just freezes up right before it gets to the desktop (still has blue dotted lines on the right hand side). So, I tried to put my vista install CD in and see if I could get to the repair function of that, but i have attempted this two times and haven't been able to have it fix itself yet.

Any other ideas that may work?
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#8
Ztruker

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I think you need to try the Repair Install then.

Can you boot to Safe Mode still? You may have to start the repair from there if it won't boot normally.
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#9
jaxin326

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I was able to boot with the vista CD disc using the cd/dvd drive to start, I then attempted vista to fix itself and it told me that it may have fixed problems but will need to restart. If the problems were fixed it was going to go back to normal, but if not it was going to continue to try and fix itself.

Well it restarted, went to the usual black screen (does seem like right before it wants to go onto desktop) and still has blue dotted lines going from top to bottom on right hand side of screen. It then freezes at that point and so I have since restarted and loaded up the vista CD again, but now I don't know where to go with it. Should I continue with installing vista again? Will if delete the old version and re-configure the computer as if it were just out of the box? Or should I attempt to have it repair itself again?

As far as safe mode goes, I still am unable to go into safe mode ever since I tried the system restore point about 10 days prior (which would be about 6 days prior to this issue occurring).

Thanks
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#10
Ztruker

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I think you are at the point you need to do the Clean Install as the info I've read indicates you can't do a Repair Install from Safe Mode even if you could get there.

If the lines are still there after the clean install then it's a hardware problem.
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#11
jaxin326

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Well, installed vista again and for once I was able to load up without using safe mode. Sadly, the computer said it had important updates so i updated and the updated successfully. After updating the computer needed to restart, and once that happened I am unable to get back to the not safe mode screen and the blue lines continue.

I can now get back on using safe mode, but don't know where to go from here?? So sick of this computer.

Any more ideas? Thanks
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#12
Ztruker

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So it was okay after the reinstall but no good after you installed updates? If so that says it is not a hardware problem and something in the updates is causing the problem.

I would do the Vista Install one more time. Turn off Automatic Updates, then install Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2? Don't install any other updates until they have been installed. Test after each one is installed. If all is well then start installing updates a few at a time until you find the one that is causing the problem. When you find it, uninstall it then deselect it and tell Windows Update to not show it to you again.

If all that is successful then set Automatic Updates to notify but nor download or install.

Other that that the only thing I can suggest is to take it to a reputable repair shop and see if they can fix it.

You should download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista ahead of time.
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#13
jaxin326

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Started the computer again with the vista CD. It worked and i didn't install any of the updates it had, just installed sp1 and restarted just fine. I then installed SP2 and now all the computer does is restarts constantly and says that it was shut down not properly and flashes the blue screen of death everytime it restarts. So...i think I may just give up with this dang thing. I appreciate the attempts at helping me, but I think I will just concentrate on buying a new computer.

If you know much about computer building, I wouldn't mind a few more people to look at the computer layout I was thinking at this link on your hardware forum.

Thanks again for the help, though.
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