BleepingComputer.com: Windows Vista Startup problem

An old problem has returned to haunt me. I believe I reported this problem some weeks ago on this Forum, but cannot trace it!! Quite often my laptop, with Vista Home Premium, will not get past the green "runner" with Microsoft Corporation underneath. It just sits there and does not continue to load. I was advised to go to MSConfig/Boot section and switch on OS Boot information. This corrected the problem for sometime and I switched it off many weeks ago and the problem stayed away. Tonight I had four attempts to startup and eventually carried out a Startup Repair. This appeared to work - but watch this space. Nothing has been installed recently, apart from updates to SpyWare programmes, AntiVirus and, of course, MS. I have not connected, or disconnected, any hardware for some considerable time either. Once I get Vista loaded and running all is okay and my programmes etc., work correctly.

I would appreciate some possible help and advice please.

The 2 most common causes for this sort of error are hard disk problems and video driver corruption.

I'd uninstall your current video drivers and download/install the latest version from the website of the video chipset manufacturer.

Since Startup Repair completed, you've run chkdsk /r (so that's not the issue).
I'd also suggest a hard drive diagnostic available from the manufacturer of your hard drive. There's a list of the most common ones here: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic28744.html

Thanks usasma for that. I have done what you suggested. The Harddrive check result was a PASS! I only carried out the Short Check though. Should I also do the full one? I have uninstalled the Graphics Driver, downloaded and installed the most recent update. I suppose we shall have to wait now to see what happens. Would you recommend I leave the OS Boot Information switched on in the Boot section of MSConfig, or should I switch it off?

I don't know for sure about your particular short test - but most of them only check some of the sectors. On several occasions I've run the Hitachi DFT Quick Test and it passed. But before the customer's had left the parking lot, the Advanced test had failed.

The other suggestion would be to run chkdsk /r - but that was done by Startup Repair.

I never noticed the OS Boot Information selection before. I can't see it causing any harm - but I only recommend using msconfig as a troubleshooting tool - not as a permanent fix. If it were me, I'd disable it and set msconfig to Normal Startup and be done with it.

Okay, I have done the Hard disk extended check and it has passed that all right. I have also unticked the OS Boot Information in MSConfig. We will just have to wait now to see whether, or not, the problem returns.

Once again, many thanks.

Thanks for letting us know!

I regret the problem has returned. Today, whilst running on battery only, it has occurred twice!. Each time I have to switch off by holding the on/off button for 10 seconds and then restarting. I am then offered two options, to run the startup repair or start normally. I select start normally and it starts all right. This is really frustrating.

I'm stumped here

Try running these 3 things to help isolate issues:

1 - Go to Start and type in "perfmon /report" (without the quotes) and press Enter. This'll generate a report that may list some problem areas.
2 - Go to Start and type in "reliability" (without the quotes) and press Enter. Then click on Reliability Monitor in the left hand pane in order to view the errors in the right hand pane.
3 - Bo to Start and type in "eventvwr.msc" (without the quotes) and press Enter. Click on the + sign by Windows Logs, then check both the Application and System logs for errors around the time of the problems.

Thanks usasma.

1. No apparent problems show up in this report.

2. No apparent problems show in this report either.

3. Two warnings are appearing on a regular basis:

User Profile Service Event ID: 1530. Reports are showing that User Registry handles are being leaked, and it refers mainly to Diskeeper. I do have this programme running and it works well for me.

CertificateServicesClient - AutoEnrollment Event ID: 64. This is telling me that some "thumbprint" is either about to expire or has expired. It has a very long number which I can send you if you wish. Do not understand this one!!

Hope these mean something to you.

As the only evidence of a problem seems to point to Diskkeeper, I'd have to suspect that.

I'd uninstall Diskkeeper, then download the latest, Vista compatible version and install it.

Greetings Kathandbrian,

I noticed this problem, because it stands out a bit. I'm not sure that I believe that DiskKeeper itself is the Cause of the problem. I would go
into the Services.msc and Disable the DkService.exe for disk keeper and then reboot and see if the problem continues prior to uninstalling and
reinstalling, as this is shooting in the Dark. If you disble the Service and restart and the problem goes away, you can be confident that the problem
is disk keeper. However, if the problem continues, then you know that Disk Keeper is not the issue.

You can get to services.msc by clicking start>Run, and typing services.msc
Don't start disabling everything that looks like a good candidate, but just the DkService.exe

I would also recommend going into event viewer again and View the Errors/Warnings in the System Logs. If you find any Disk errors, then you may
want to do a more thorough, low level check of the Hard Disk.

Good Luck

Thanks to you both for your suggestions. I have disabled Diskeeper and will have to wait and see if that is the problem. The problem, unfortunately is very random and I may have to wait a few days, or even a week or two, so see if it returns.

The system logs show no disk errors.

Okay, I have run it for a few weeks with Diskeeper disabled and it was working all right. Now the problem has returned despite Diskeeper being disabled. This afternoon it took me half an hour to eventully start my PC. I allowed Start up repair and it found nothing. I have checked the Events Log and found two entries that I know nothing about:

1. Unable to initialise Kerberos for server side authentication. Event Id: 15016

2. Following system driver failed to load. BTHidMgr. Event Id: 7026

What exactly is Kerberos? I have no such programme installed - or file for that matter!

I have no Bluetooth equipment or software on my PC.

This problem is so frustrating and baffling.

Here's a google search that shows issues with the BTHidMgr (it's a Bluetooth driver) hanging on loading: http://www.google.com/search?q=BTHidMgr&am...lient=firefox-a

Here's a description of Kerberos: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerberos_(protocol)
It seems (to me) to be a way to be secure without using a secure network.

Once again thanks Usasma for trying for me. I have searched my PC and eventually found a "disused" file for Blusoleil, a bluetooth programme I did have installed once. I have deleted it. I read the items in the Google search page you suggested, and also the page about Kerberos. The latter was way above my head I am afraid!

If you do come up with anything else I would appreciate it.