Vista Users! How to / Problems

The sfc /scannow command was used on the older versions from 98 to XP and not applicable on Vista. With the installation disk in boot up with that and look to the bottom of the first splash screen for the "Repair Tools" button seen there. Vista now sees an automatic repair option for fixing startup problems. This is most likely what you have been running into if you saw a bad install of Windows.
 
The sfc /scannow command was used on the older versions from 98 to XP and not applicable on Vista.

It worked for me...sorta.

The only problem I experienced was receiving an "Access is Denied" message when attempting to view the log file. The scan apparrently found corrupted system files but failed to fix them. :rolleyes:
 
This is why I was pointing out how it was a tool good for some extent on the previous versions while Vista has it's own stratedy and security processes inplace. Instead of seeing the recovery like seen with 2000, ME, and later XP Vista no longer sees that for manual attempts at reparing any installation there. What MS did was put the new auto repair type tool as well as the Linux memtest utility as an extra on the full version disk.
 
With the two sites seen for downloading the free memory tool widely recommended over their own memory tester something like memdiag they finally smartened up a little promising "Customer Satisfaction" with Vista. :P

I found that one almost split a rib here since while many will knock the new Windows I've been finding it not so different in various ways when reviewing the various versions going back as far as 95/98. The themes and gadget as well as some useful features change between each version anyways.

While many complain about Vista being the great "memory hog" I can easily look back to seeing a need for only 16mb for 95/98 while needing 64-128mb for XP! Each new version sees it's own dilemnas that way while the most common complaint is the need to see all new softwares. games, whatever when you go to upgrade to any newer version.

Yet one old 8bit dos game can make you laugh when seeing that it survives even on Vista and actually hearing it over 5.1 surround sound speakers while it was originally heard through the beeper type speaker on the board itself. :P





"duke where are you?" Duke Nukem and Nukem2 seen in those.
 
Apparently, there's something about running Vista with more than 3GB of RAM, you have to have a patch from MS to fix it, so I'm going to give that a try!

If it doesn't work, any ideas on the BSOD?
 
BSODs are generally hardware drivers causing them. When the ATI 7.9 and drivers on the software disk itself were causing problems on the new build here on both Vista and XP alike ATI came out with a patch that didn't quite make it. The 7.10 soon to follow saw Vista's problems cleared up fast!

XP then still needed the 7.11 for some annoyances however. So the best advice is to give a go to avoid the possible need to reinstall Windows there in order to the problems cleared up. The MS patch was obviously developed due to the specific error seen when running 4gb in borh 32 and 64bit versions.

This addresses that problem seen in the 64bit versions as well as seen in 32bit Windows. As I pointed out to some already 4gb still poses problems in the 64nit Windows as well as in the 43bit editions. This is one line only from a good article on the 3gb barrier seen at the link below.

"By default, an all-64-bit PC will still have the standard big holes in its memory from three to four gigabytes. This is the lowest-hassle way to deal with the problem - just install more than 4Gb of memory, and live with the fact that your 8Gb PC with a 768Mb graphics card only actually has seven-point-not-much gigabytes of visible RAM." http://www.dansdata.com/askdan00015.htm

The main thought there regards the present 2-4gb chipsets used on boards seeing memory slots upto 8gb and 16gb even. Memory capacity before the support by OS and hardware manufacturers results in seeing this type of problem.
 
The Windows event viewer logs all occurances. The main MS page for that feature in XP is seen at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308427

Since you are now running Vista the MS page for the new version is seen at http://www.windowsvistauserguide.com/event_viewer.htm

A third link seen here is by a non MS source with tips for using that in Vista. http://www.petri.co.il/vista-event-viewer.htm

These should be a big help in learning how to read the logs created in both versions there. BSODs are commonly seen when hardware drivers load sideways from a bad install or are simply the wrong version for that model video or even sound card if you are not using the onboard there.

Even drivers for boards can go on wrong or be for a different board altogether. The initial problem seen here recently on the new build was seeing the Creative installer downloading the drivers/software for the wrong version of Windows namely Vista when installing sound on XP! The MS updates saw the same. Creative had put the Vista set on the same page for the July 2007 update as the Dec. 2006 XP one!
 
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Is a good sign!
 
Yeah, I think we can! Well, like you said, Hope so at least!

I think I may double check that I've got the right sound and chipset drivers! How do I un-install drivers in Vista, is there like an Add/Remove Programs? I'm still getting used to it :o
 
Now the focus is on video and sound drivers to see if you saw a bad install or incorrect version go on. You saw the sound problem corrected leaving the video drivers as the next step there. The key is to catch any driver pointed at when seeing a BSOD even by pressing the pause key to put a hold on the boot process long enough to read the name of the driver often pointed at.
 
I've got pictures of the BSOD's, that I can post up tomorrow...

The video drivers are the latest ones off the nVidea website too :confused:
 
Yeah, I think we can! Well, like you said, Hope so at least!

I think I may double check that I've got the right sound and chipset drivers! How do I un-install drivers in Vista, is there like an Add/Remove Programs? I'm still getting used to it :o

Interesting timing factor!

For sound as well as video drivers the software or driver remval tool is common for those while chipset drivers usually require a trip into the device manager to right click and choose the uninstall option there. But you will usually see the best results by first verifying the correct driver set is downloaded so those iwll be onhand once Windows prompts for drivers after the next restart.

The software disk that came with the board should have been all that was needed for the chipset to get started and later grab the correct update. Generally updates for boards see an installer while never seeing a removal tool like seen mostly with video card and their driver sets.
 
I've got the latest Video Card Drivers installed, and they're the correct ones, so I don't think there's any reason to un-install them... I have downloaded the drivers for my motherboard off the Gigabyte web-site;

The latest Chipset and Sound ones, I just don't know how to remove them... Thanks!
 
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