Vista problems...Help, please.

Hi, I've got some problems on my windows Vista, I've got XP and Vista on the same PC…I just solved my issues with XP and right now I'm using XP because I don't feel too comfy with Vista because of the problems it has got. 1.When I press restart, it never works, so I have to use to restart button on my PC case. 2.Java doesn't work, I uninstalled it and installed it with the newest updates, and it still doesn't work. 3.DVD movies no longer work on Vista, they used to work on Vista before but not anymore, but they work here on XP. 4.The worst thing ever: I left my PC on, went out with my friends had some fun, came back and my PC was shut down…I opened it and all my permissions were gone, my administration account was deleted from the user login, was deleted from Control Panel>User accounts…But I found the files that were on that account still in the PC. So I went on Safe Mode and created a new Administration account, still won't give me all the permissions I had before…That's the most important thing… I'd appreciate some help, thanks ~Tariq

Hello Tariq Zainal,

I see you have just had your system cleared for Malware with LDTate over on the HJT forum.

Are your Windows Updates current? there were new critical updates Tuesday of last week, so make sure you are up to date please.

I see you have already uninstalled and reinstalled Vista, but I cannot find answers to your current problems unless you follow this link provided and see if that helps.

I am not using Vista, but as no one else had answered your post, maybe following the link above may solve your dilemma.

kind regards,

No. I havn't uninstalled Vista and re-installed it…I only installed it for once and got all the problems at once…And yes my update is the current… :|

Are you saying that you have Xp and vista on the same console? because maybe they are conflicting. I have never had problems like yours, except that my java did break once and i had to uninstall it and the program that used it, then re-install java and then the program,

Hello Tariq Zainal, To assist you it may be necessary to take a few steps back to ascertain information. By now, most folks realize that XP and Vista can Dual-Boot on the same hard drive (from separate partitions) on one machine. Early on Vista didn't play well with such Dual Boot setup, but does now, most of the time. Of perhaps more importance is that Vista continues to have specific requirements for hardware and driver features. Can you be assured that this machine is "Vista Ready"? Have you downloaded/installed the entire Chipset Drivers appropriate to Vista for this machine (from the machine Manufacturer… not from Microsoft) Have you downloaded/installed the specific Driver for your DVD unit appropriate for Vista? ("may" not apply, but let us know) When you say "JAVA doesn't work" I presume you mean when booted into Vista. Have you downloaded/installed JAVA JRE for Vista Platform? What "Guide" did you use for installing Vista a Dual-Boot with XP? It is possible that we may be able to provide additional assistance after the above questions are answered. Best Regards

Can you be assured that this machine is "Vista Ready"?
Have you downloaded/installed the entire Chipset Drivers appropriate to Vista for this machine (from the machine Manufacturer… not from Microsoft)
Have you downloaded/installed the specific Driver for your DVD unit appropriate for Vista? ("may" not apply, but let us know)

I did not install my Windows on my own, because if I did, my guaranty would be gone when I do. So I took my PC to where I bought it from and got them to install it for me with all the drivers that it needed, but theres was only one thing, my Creative Sound Blaster 5.1's had the wrong driver, so I uninstalled it and did the steps given in the un-installation, I restarted PC as I was asked to…Then I installed the right driver and everything was fine…Then that night that I came back when I left my PC on for like 6 hours straight, I came back and it was shut down, I thought it was my brother or someone who just shut it down to save our internet limit, or whatever I was on about, but that was wrong, when I turned the PC on everything was different, it looked like it was more like Hacked or something, since that shut down, I lost my administration permissions, Java got ruined, can't run anything using Java anymore…Nothing is fine on Vista right now.

Yes, the PC store where I bought my PC from already installed the specific driver for my DVD unit appropriate for Vista after they've installed the whole windows.

When you say "JAVA doesn't work" I presume you mean when booted into Vista.
Have you downloaded/installed JAVA JRE for Vista Platform?

Yes, it works all good and normal on XP, except on Vista it's being stupid…I'm not sure if I have got Java JRE for Vista platform but I have the normal one that ALWAYS worked before the shut down…So I don't know what's that all about

What "Guide" did you use for installing Vista a Dual-Boot with XP?

I did not install Vista on my own, I took my PC to where I bought it from and got them to install it for me.

Thanks,

~Tariq

Ok, Tariq Zainal I get the picture a little better now.

First off, if the custom installation of Vista is a "recent" change to your machine, I'd be inclined to have the shop handle these present problems.

Next: Do you have the Vista installation CD? or is there a Recovery Partition for Vista?

Next: Have you tried System Restore to a time/date prior to this incident of 6 hour unattended operation?

Next: Having had more time to possibly investigate, have you received any information from your brother or others about what may have transpired?

The Symptoms present as:

• Corrupted Device Drivers
• MS Update gone bad (could have auto-updated during the 6 hours)
• Malware infection
• Last and distant possibility is a possible hardware fault occuring during those 6 hours (video card, RAM, MotherBoard)
• But a hardware fault would be unlikely if the machine boots and runs smoothly in XP
• Scan for Virus/Spyware in Vista (and consider possibly submitting the Vista boot to our Malware Removal Forum)

What I would do:

• Backup any important files and documents to external media
• Check in Device Manager for any warnings or alerts
• Use System Restore to a time prior to the 6 hours
• Boot to Last known Good Configuration
• Run System File Checker (sfc /scannow)
• Run Virus/Spyware scans and submit to Malware Removal
• Repair installation of Vista

p.s. (for a chuckle) Ever wonder what "really" goes on when you walk away from your machine?
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jvdkuyp/flash/see.htm

Hi again, thank you for giving me some of your time.

Next: Do you have the Vista installation CD? or is there a Recovery Partition for Vista?

I don't really have it. My cousin got it for free, and his PC was way too crappy to be good for Vista, so he gave it to me, I just installed it the way I told you(took it to where I bought my PC from…), But I can get it whenever I want, he's just keeping it with him for keeping it safe because it values a lot…And I'm not sure if there is a recovery partition for Vista.

Next: Have you tried System Restore to a time/date prior to this incident of 6 hour unattended operation?

No, but I'm sure it doesn't work because *after* what happened when I try to System Restore it says that the System restore hasn't been done…I'm sure that because of the Virus or whatever my poor PC is on

Next: Having had more time to possibly investigate, have you received any information from your brother or others about what may have transpired?

Yes, I asked my brother, he's a PC pro he's got some certificate from Microsoft or whatever, he checked my PC and said there are some problems with my operating system files(or whatever it is), he said he can't help me doing this because he's too busy and can't be bothered to do it…So I came asking for your help.

What I would do:

* Backup any important files and documents to external media
* Check in Device Manager for any warnings or alerts
* Use System Restore to a time prior to the 6 hours
* Boot to Last known Good Configuration
* Run System File Checker (sfc /scannow)
* Run Virus/Spyware scans and submit to Malware Removal
* Repair installation of Vista

I have no idea how to back up drivers and stuff, but I have an external disk that I can transfer most of the things I need to…
I've checked in Device Manager for any warnings or alerts, everything's fine.
* Use System Restore to a time prior to the 6 hours < I did not get this right but I'll try to(I'm arabian so take it easy ): It's too late, it's been more than 2-3 weeks since that happened…
I've tried booting to last know good configuration but nothing changed.
I don't have the installation CD so I can't rune the System rule checker.
I have used NOD32 anti-virus program(I heared it was one of the best) and there was nothing, I also used Spyware doctor, it only stuff like harmful sites and removed them but I don't think they had to do anything to do with what happened to me, and nothing changed.
I wouldn't really want to keep Vista, but if theres a way to fix what it's on now I'll keep it, I don't want to start over from 0…So I'll either find a way to fix what's it on now or remove it…Because I don't feel like going back to where I bought my PC from and leave it there for 1-3 days…for just that, then work out the installations of the programs I want and stuff…

Thanks

~Tariq

Tariq,

You "may" have a problem with the Vista Activation.
The shop that installed it for you would ordinarily have checked to be sure, and they would have activated Vista with Microsoft Activation.
The following is what concerns me:

I don't really have it. My cousin got it for free, and his PC was way too crappy to be good for Vista, so he gave it to me, I just installed it the way I told you(took it to where I bought my PC from…), But I can get it whenever I want, he's just keeping it with him for keeping it safe because it values a lot…And I'm not sure if there is a recovery partition for Vista.

There are various types of Vista licenses -
Retail - Can be installed on any one machine
OEM - Can only be installed on "the specific" machine for which it was coded
Academic - Can be installed on any one machine, but required Activation code authorized by a licensed university
Corporate - Can be installed on multiple machines, but requires a multiple license authorization code from the owner company

The Vista Disk itself should have a hologram printing on it that verifies what type of license/COA (certificate of authenticity) it carries with it.

Any "Vista Ready" machine can accept an installation of Vista, but then a time period starts "counting down".
If the Vista installation is not "Activated" with Microsoft, it reverts to a very "limited display" and "limited functionality".

I'm not saying you've done anything wrong, since I don't know your situation or type of COA/License your Vista Disk carries with it.

Lots of Vista Disks got distributed with new machines in the past 18 months. Most of them were licensed and carried a COA for "the specific" machine that they were coded for.

If you have a "Retail" Vista Disk and you are the "single" authorized user of it, you should be OK.

Otherwise, the "symptoms" you describe "could" be the result of Vista "timing out".
_____________________________________________

You'll need to have that Vista Disk back into your possession to perform some of the System Check and Repair procedures that I described earlier.

Best Regards

P.S. I'm a Californian - American on the west coast (Pacific) of the US.
The Internet and Tech Forums like WTT are wonderful for helping people all over the world.
Please don't hesitate to ask or correct me, if my use of English confuses your understanding.

Okay then just give me some time to talk to my cousin and get back the CD then I'll need you to have to ask me some important questions…And steps you want me to make to see what's going on exactly with my PC. Thanks alot again…I'll let you know when I get the CD. ~Tariq