Windows Vista Help
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Start Menu will not start in Vista
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Posted February 25, 2011 at 1:36PM
Hi,
I have Vista with Service Pack installed and now find that although boot up takes me as far as the user selection screen, once the user selection has been made I find myself with a completely black screen, devoid of wallpaper, tray or any start buttons. I can start programs through CTRL ALT Delete and browsing to find and start the program as Start New task. The last time that the Start Menu worked was when a trojan was detected AVG (fully updated) and consigned to the virus vault. Laptop was shut down correctly. The laptop was shut down and the next time startup reveals the blank screen.
Thanks for any advice
Dave
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Posted February 25, 2011 at 6:06PM
Try restarting Windows Explorer Shell via task manager, scroll down a bit; click here
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Posted February 25, 2011 at 8:05PM
Thanks for this. I tried stoppiing Explorer.exe and restarting it but I still return to a black screen. I am wondering if I should try the recovery discs that I first made when I got the laptop a few years ago.
Dave
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Posted February 25, 2011 at 8:14PM
If you use the recovery discs you'll lose everything and it resets to 'factory settings'.
Can you get to your desktop in safe mode?
Usually just keep tapping F8 (F5 on some PCs)on booting until you get to a screen that you can select safe mode.click here
Don't hold and press, just keep tapping.
If you can then get to your desktop then type cmd in the start search box. In the list right click cmd.exe and select run as administrator.
Type sfc /scannow and press enter. Note the space between the 'c' and '/'. Vista will then try to repair any corrupt files.
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Posted February 26, 2011 at 12:01AM
I have tried this and the Scannow application carried out a repair, unfortunately I this did not resolve the issue and I still have a blank screen and no desktop.
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Posted February 26, 2011 at 12:20AM
That is after a reboot?
Try using a downloadable Vista Recovery disk. click here
Possibly using the restore function. If the 'trojan' is still there, try to use something like malwarebytes to remove. It might be a 'false' possitive from AVG and is actually damaging Vista.
Likes # 0
Posted February 26, 2011 at 1:50PM
Thanks for the help. Download as an iso file seems fine but I am unable to save to the DVD drive by Roxio as it didn't recognise the presence of the DVD in the drive. So I copied it straight across using right click-> copy to CD drive. Subsequent double clicking on the dvd drive just starts up Roxio again wanting to burn to disc!!
Dave
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Posted February 26, 2011 at 2:28PM
Does Roxio not support the burning of iso files?
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Posted February 26, 2011 at 2:37PM
click here
After you burn the iso file you'll need to reboot the PC so it boots from the disc.
How to change the boot order so it boots from the dvd drive; click here
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Likes # 0
Posted February 26, 2011 at 6:32PM
when I double click on the SystemDiscs_Windows+Vista+32-bit+Repair+Disc ISO file that has been created by your suggested link, I find that Roxio Creator starts and wants to burn to disc. Even if there is a brand new disc in the DVD drive, which clearly is empty, Roxio does not acknowledge its presence. I cannot see anywhere within Roxio where I can browse for the burning drive so I assume Roxio can identify it on its own.
Your help is very much appreciated but further advice would be gratefully received.
Thanks
Dave
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