One morning i get up and try to boot my system, this is what i get.

windows failed to startup properly, a recent hardware or software change might be the cause." followed by some other stuff about running a diagnostic and the option to run a repair (recommended) or start windows normaly.

If i try to start windows normaly then nothing happens, it appears to be loading and then nothing, i've left it for a while and the screen just stays blank.

When i try the repair it takes a few minutes checking and comes up with the following: "startup repair cannot repair this computer automatically."

Please help me!!!

You may have downloaded a program that corrupted your registry. Do you have the Vista CD? If you do, boot your laptop off the CD and do a repair.

Otherwise, you can try to boot up through "safe mode" and do a "restore" to a previous setting that worked in the past.

i have tried with the cd, it didnt wrk and i cnt get to safe mode. So im on my hard disk ryt nw tru cmd gettin my important files out

Vista, vista, vista.

@Gamine

Always back up all your data work(files) to your own media storage such as USB memory stick, CD-RW, or external hard disk drive in case of something happen to your system WACKO!

1. Did you download link/CD/software you do not know that contain virus files that might be infected to your system? Or did you download upgraded driver(s) that caused corrupted/bad file on your system?

2. Have your computer fully protected from any harm such as virus, Trojan, malware, spyware, etc?

3. Have you installed your own anti-virus software?

4. Did you upgrade your installed anti-virus regularly? Scan them on your system periodically?

5. Is your Vista CD genuine or pirated? If your pirated Vista CD, then you might not able to upgrade Vista during loading detection authentic system prompted by Microsoft online?

If all else fail, then you will have to reformat your system---lose all your files if you did not back them up!

After finished reformat them, IT IS MUST DOWNLOAD ANTI-VIRUS software priority!!!

Use NL Google to find many startup repair somewhere!!!

yeah Vista! Windows! such annoying pieces!

Anyways my Vista came pre-installed so it is not pirated.

i use Avg so i update constantly, i guess it corrupted something.

so my only option is to reformat

great!

Thanks a lot Bill Gates!

Did you compress your Drive C: to save space?cos it also causes boot problems in Vista.

is your system a laptop or a desktop?
do you have a second system?

if you need to recover your files and its a laptop, and you have another system, you can buy a hard drive case, remove your laptop hard drive . (its easy, all you need is a precision screw driver) put it in the drive case. connect the drive case to another system(via USB) .it will see it as an external drive. you can then recover your files.

in future, if you eventually format the drive - i recommend dual booting - ie partition the laptop drive and install vista and xp . that way, if one OS wont start, you can always access d files thru d other partition. if your laptop is hp/compaq - even better - most new hp/compaq laptops have 2 drive slots - buy a second hard drive and instll it, and install the diff oses on diff drives.

ouch, i must have misread the post

google 'windows vista recovery cd' - theres a recovery cd somewhere out there - as vista does not come with a standrad repair windows installation option

My laptop is booting from the recovery partition.
My C: drive has something corrupted

The only option i think i have is to get my hard drive out

What error message does it give when you try to boot from C: