Windows Vista

[thestepster]

yo dudes and dudettes

this is a strange one ive never came across myself a friends handed me a laptop and said it wont boot into vista basic, ok so i boot it up ends up hanging on a black screen so i get it to boot using last known good config, safe mode, safemode with networking u name it ive tried it always comes up with installing updates 3 out of 3: 0% sits like for maybe 5 mins then the lappy reboots and does this all over again ive tried running a vista recovery disc and checking if the start up is mess, said is not tried to run system restore, no restore points and continually cycles through this update that fails, ive hardwired it to my router to rule out it needing to download files yet it still does this

any idea where i can go from here? any way i can get into it and disable updates in something like DOS? really dont wanna go reformatting the laptop as ive seen laptop drives in the past (Western digital in an acer) that came in them when u format them completely there's a firmware on there that locks and buggers the drive

laptop's a compaq presario c700

cheers

 

[PCTwin]

Have you done the "press F11 during startup" bit.

If that hasn't worked and there's no restore points you dont have many options left.

 

[thestepster]

yeah mate tried to run the HP recovery thing but that just ends up being a vista thing, no restore points or anything i dont have a problem doing a fresh install, its just gettin my hands on a copy of vista basic, i am downloading vista home basic sp2 32bit not sure if this lappy had sp2 on it and sont know if the genuine serial on the bottom will work with it

 

[PCTwin]

Have you got active boot disk or some other winpe boot.

get into a diagnostic environment

 

[thestepster]

ive had a vista repair disk but its not sayin there is anything wrong with the start up. its just hanging at this windows update and wont be any further and just reboots and does it all over again

 

[Tortuga]

Looks like its time to wipe

 

[thestepster]

yeah thats what i was thinkin, there's nothing on there that needs to be saved jsut makin a vista basic boot usb and go for a fresh

EDIT: fresh install as i type this