Starting Up When There s a Problem

Starting Up When There's a Problem

If you have any problems starting up Windows Vista correctly, you can use one of several startup procedures, either to determine what's wrong or to start Windows with minimal features so that you can adjust or restore settings. Then, after you've been able to start Windows, you can use a variety of techniques to fix whatever's wrong with the system.

Control the Startup

Restart your computer. When the Windows Error Recovery screen appears, press Enter to start up in Normal mode. If the computer doesn't start correctly, shut it down, and wait for the Windows Error Recovery screen to appear again.

Use the Up arrow key to select Safe Mode, press Enter, and make changes to correct the problem.

Restart your computer, and see whether it starts correctly now.

If it doesn't, restart it, and, after the system loads and as Windows starts, hold down the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears. Experiment with different settings until you get the system working.

If you can't load Windows at all, place the Windows disc in your computer, restart the computer, and, as it starts, press the key for the boot menu (often the F12 key), and choose to boot from the disc. Follow the directions to fix the system.

Windows Error Recovery Startup Options

Option	What it does
Safe Mode	Starts with no network connections and without most of its drivers.
Safe Mode With Networking	Starts with network connections but without most of its drivers.
Safe Mode With Command Prompt	Starts without network connections, without most of its drivers, and with the command prompt only.
Start Windows Normally	Starts Windows as if you hadn't pressed the F8 key.

Additional Options Using Windows Advanced Options Menu

Option	What it does
Enable Boot Logging	Starts normally; records startup information to the ntbtlog.txt file (in the Windows folder).
Enable Low-Resolution Video Mode	Starts normally; uses only the basic VGA video driver.
Last Known Good Configuration	Starts normally, using the settings stored in the Registry when the computer was last shut down properly.
Debugging Mode	Starts normally but sends the debugging information to another computer over a serial cable.
Disable Automatic Restart On System Failure	Prevents the computer from restarting repeatedly if a system failure occurs each time the computer restarts.
Disable Driver Signature Enforcement	Allows all drivers to be loaded even if they don't have the proper driver signatures.