Vista problems -windows error recovery

I have been working with a bleeping computer helper and they have been working with me thinking that maybe I had a virus. The topic383291.html listed under "Infected with Goodle keeps redirecting" was the topic that we were working on. The helper feels that I have a vista or hard drive problem and to start a new topic in the vista forum, the following is my information.

Mod Edit: Link to malware removal log topic referenced above, http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic383291.html/page__st__30 Hamluis.

My laptop is a Dell Studio 1555 running Windows Vista Home Premium - SP2, and is a 64-bit operating system. When ever I reboot my computer, or in the normal mode it blue lines and reboots on it own - I always get the Windows Error Recovery Screen with the options of safe mode or normal mode. No matter what I do, remove files, uninstall programs, try to install the dell image file, or original Dell Vista Software it always comes back to the same screen and everything is the same as before I tried to remove, install images, etc. The computer has a lot of blue screns reboots unless running in safemode. I am running McAfee internet security software, but can't uninstall it to run virus checks. When running in the normal mode I get a a lot of screens of programs shutting down before I get the blue screen shutdown. Listed here are a few of the programs that are shutting down.

-Host Process for windows service stopped working and was closede
-Google chome stopped working
-McAfee Security Center Stopped
and many other programs also shutdown and stop running

By the way this has been going on for some time as I was the Mayo clinic getting cancer treatment.

I did try to run the Dell Image file, also tried to use my vista software to do a reload, but it may have a bad spot on the disk as it boomed out near the end, or could just because of my problems.

No matter what I do, the computer always reboots to the same Windows error recovery screen and is the same as before. I can't get the restore previous to work either.

jkswanda

Hello jkswanda,

I just read your recent Vista post on the Malware Forum. CatByte feels that your computer may have a hard drive issue.

• To determine your hard drive manufacturer, please click Start (orb), right mouse click on Computer in the start menu, and click Properties. Select Device Manager (top, left side of page) and click on the (+) sign next to Disk Drives. Let us know what it lists.
• It would make sense to start by attempting to run the onboard Dell Diagnostics. See this link: How to Run the Dell 32-bit Diagnostics Utility. Select the Custom Test then Hard drive. If it offers a short and an extended test, run them both. Report any errors that it finds.

My hard drive is a SamSung HM500JI ATA Device

I have 4 GB of memory and checked this out a week or so ago, but will run the memory test again.

I ran the long hard drive dell extended test took about 8 hours and everything passed and was OK.

jkswanda

Hello,

Dell diagnostics didn't find an issue with the hard drive. That's a plus.

Posted 17 May 2012 - 12:51 AM

I don't know it I mentioned it before, but I don't need any of the files on the computer, but don't know how one can reinstall vista. I have tried the reinstall the original Dell immage. I do have the original disks, but do get a error, don't know if the is a mark on the disks, or if the problems I have keep the computer from reading all of the disk.
jkswanda

There are enough issues affecting your computer that my recommendation would be to try a Factory Recovery again.

There are two ways to restore your computer to factory specifications; the way it was when first purchased.

• Using the hidden partition on the hard drive by pressing a certain key at system startup: See this link for a "How to"
  .
• Using the Restore DVDs that either came with the computer or you made when the system was new.

You have stated previously that you were unsuccessful with the second option; Restore DVDs. Would you be willing to try both methods again, starting with Option 1?

I booted to the repair vista, and selected the Dell Factory image restore which should setup the computer the same as when I got it. It runs for quit a while, maybe 50 minutes, and says it is reformating the hard drive, then it starts to installs the vista system,and then I get a error square box. When you click on it the computer goes back to the repair vista options. When I reboot the computer it is the same as I was when I started, and the windows error recovery screen loads.

I went to reinstalling windows vista, hit the f8 key to boot to the DVD drive and used my Vista disk that I got from DEll. It when for quit a while. It explane the files, and then was on the installation when I got the following error message:

--Windows installation encountered an unexpected error. Verify that the installation sources are accessible and restart the installation. error code oxc0000005

These are the same results that I got when I tried to install vista a couple of weeks ago. After I rebooted the computer I was back to the same Windows Error Recovery screen.

jkswanda

Hello jkswanda,

Well, this is not very encouraging. Both image sources failing.

I know you attempted a check disk previously but your computer rebooted to the Windows Recovery Screen. Please try to start the check disk in Safe Mode, per instructions below, but when it asks to reboot, make sure you immediately re-enter Safe Mode. Since Safe Mode works for you, check disk just might run in that mode.

• Click "Start", "All Programs," "Accessories," right mouse click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as Administrator.")
• Type: chkdsk /R and press <Enter>. (note the space between the "k" and "/")
• Type "Y" to the message that the drive can not be locked because it is in use and will be checked at next boot.
• Restart the computer. Immediately start pressing the F8 key to access Safe Mode.
• Check disk will now begin the first of five phases that could take several hours to complete. This can not be cancelled. It may appear to freeze at various points during the scan, but be patient.
• Check disk will attempt to boot into normal windows when completed.
• If Check Disk completes, please post the log file it generates. You may have to access this via Safe Mode.
• For how to view Check Disk results using Window's Event Viewer go here.

Regarding the "error code oxc0000005", I can't find anything substantial. It could be faulty hardware and not necessarily the disk.

Tried to run chkdsk /R after setting it and rebooting. After setting chkdsk /R, and rebooting, I hit the f8 key to access safe mode, when it rebooted, but chkdsk did not run. I tried it a second time and same results. Would there be any other way to have chkdsk run.

jkswanda

I think that I have chkdsk running. I booted to the windows vista software disk in the DVD. Then selected repair your computer, Then I got the Recovery options screen.
I selected the command promp and typed in chkdsk c: /R and it seems to be running. Will enter in the results when it gets done. Started chkdsk at 10:00am May 20 so may be a few hours before it gets done.

I mistakenly thought that your DVD Disc was only a Restore Image. Good job!


Edit: There will be no Event's log entry for this chkdsk since it was initiated from the DVD.

The chkdsk completed, and I took a picture of the log of the chkdsk and here is some of the log that was shown on the screen:

chkdsk showed
1125 large file records
0 bad file record processed
0 EA files records processed
130 reprse records processed

Free space verification is complete

Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.

472985397 KB total disk space
129863476 KB in 244934 files.
140352 KB in 32605 indexes
0 KB in bad sectors.

401929 KB in sue by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.

342579640 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
118246349 total allocation units on disk.

85644910 alloocation units available on disk.

Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50.

After running chkdsk from the Dell Vista operating system disk that came with my laptop I rebooted and was back to

the same Windows Error Recovery screen.

jkswanda

It looks as if the check disk did not find any problems and we know that Dell diagnostics has passed the hard drive. You stated previously (in malware forum) that "Startup Repair" didn't find any problems. I don't believe that system restore is functioning at this point so using restore points is not an option.

1.) Because "error code oxc0000005" may be hardware related, you could run the Dell Diagnostics (in post #2) but this time select "Extended Test" - performs a thorough check of devices in the system. This typically can take an hour or more.


2.) You could attempt to install Vista via a USB Flash drive (bypassing your DVDROM):

If you have access to a USB Flash Drive and your computer will boot from a USB device, you could try re-installing Vista using WinToFlash.

Install Windows with a USB Flash Drive using: WinToFlash (Download under Latest Version using server #1 or #2).

• Of course your computer will have to be able to boot from a USB device.
• You will need another computer with a CD\DVDROM to copy the files.
• Extract the zip file and run WinToFlash.exe.
• WinToFlash starts a wizard that will help pull over the contents of your Vista Windows Installation DVD and prep the USB drive to become a bootable replacement for the optical drive.
• Once made, insert Flash drive into your laptop, power on, and set boot order (Boot Option F12) to USB Flash drive first.

I ran the complete Extended Test. I took most of yesterday as it retested the hard drive again. I let it run and everything checked out OK.

I made the USB Flash Drive and while it didn't think my flash drive was big enough (128 MB) the setup running WintoFlash seemed to run OK. I'm not sure if I can boot to a flash drive with my Dell Studio 1555 as I don't seem to have a USB as a boot option when I try to boot to it. Seems to only have the CD/DVD as options. I have been looking over the Dell site to see it there is a way to make a USB the boot device, but am still looking to see I it will. I also note that some flash drives don't work as bootable USB drives. Will keep looking.

jkswanda

Hi,

128 MB flash drive is too small for a Vista installation. You would need a 4 GB (minimum) drive.

Regarding booting from USB, check BIOS to see if there's an option enabled that allows booting from a USB device. I know with my netbook, if I press F12 and have a Flash drive plugged in, I have the option of arrowing down and selecting it as first boot.

I went out and bought a 4GB USB Flash Drive. I used the Win to Flash program to put vista on it. At frist my computer would not boot to it. I did update my BIOS and that seemed to help. Also is looked like my Flash Drive was bootable, so I read that If you partition the Flash Drive, then format it before you use the WinToFlash to put the Vista software on the USB Flash Drive. Any way I was able to get it to boot to my computer. I did find out that I should purchased a larger Flash Drive as my drive need about 4.2 GB to hold Vista. I went into the flash drive and removed the language setup for french, etc. my flash drive had enough room to hold the rest of the Vista software installation disk. I then ran it to try to set up my computer and I seem to get to where you get 100% of the files copied, but then it quits installing at the expanding operation. Looking at some of the links on the internet some took out part of there memory and that seemed to help, but didn't do much for me.

I do have a copy of Win 7 that I got when I purchased my Dell computer as it came out right after I bought the computer. I have tried to install it from the DVD, but it error our with a error code of ox80070570. I may try installing win7 using the flash drive as I want to go to win7 anyway when and if I get my laptop working again.


jkswanda

Windows 7 is definitely the way to go If you have the Dell Disk.

Regarding the error code of ox80070570, checkout this link: Win 7 0x80070570 install error EASY FIX.

• Read post #1 and then post #3 for further clarification.
• I would try this before USB install.

I tried to reinstall Win7, and got the same error code 0x80070570 with the message that the setup.exe file was corrupt. I tried to back out to the install point, but when it quit installing I couldn't go anywhere, and had to shut off he power or crash the computer to go on. I did try putting win7 on the flash drive, but had the same results that it got to the setup.exe error code ox80070570 and had to crash computer to go on.

I did go back to my vista install and tried to install from both the DVD and from the flash drive. On custom advance installs I get a encountred an expected error. It expands all the files, and stops when it get to installing the features. It says verify that the installation sources are accessible sources are accessible and restart the installation. error code oxc0000005. I am able to go back to the install screen on the Vista install dvd, but I get the same results the 2nd and 3rd times. The same results on the Flash Drive

jkswanda