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General discussion

Update/Driver Issues ( Black Screen )

Jul 16, 2010 3:12PM PDT

I have recently been posed with a problem on my main computer. I am running Windows Vista Premium 32bit, and I am having some serious issues. I have been running the computer for about 3-4 years now, and never had this problem, but recently an updated driver/update shot my computer to hell. The problem is, when I am downloading some Windows Updates, my computer is not able to start regularly after the update. It will load up, and after the Windows Loading Screen, it will not show a black screen, not refreshing the video card and showing the mouse. It will just stay on the black screen, until I restart the computer. But, it will run in Safe Mode just fine. It will not allow me to login after some updates. I have had to recover my drive to get it to actually login regularly. I thought it was the hard-drive, so when I first found out the problem, I just hit my computer with a System Recovery, but I am still having the same issues. And most of the time, after I am done doing the updates that will work, it will show that the updates were not configured correctly, and it will revert the changes. I cannot download DirectX, or my graphics card, because once I do so, it will not reload after, and I have to recover to before I did it. I am working with a nearly fresh Vista right now ( Used the Recovery Disc after the problem started, as I said earlier. ) and it is still not working. I have been working on this problem for a few days now, and figured I would try to take my slave drive and give that a shot. Well, I am still having the same problem. I just downloaded 92 updates and it will not let me start Vista normally. I can only get it to start up in Safe Mode. Windows StartUp Repair has said that it was due to a bad driver, but the only thing that I have installed on it, was the Qwest 802AIN, which is for my wireless internet. Other than that, I am using a Nvidia 8500GT Video Card, and that will not even let me update the drive. Those are the only two things plugged into the computer, other than my mouse and keyboard, which are USB and I have been using them for a few months now, with no issue. I did change out the adapter from the mouse to actually run USB, but I highly doubt that it could be the reason. If someone could please help me out, I would surely appriecate it. I would hate to have to just go buy a whole new Vista disc and HD. Thank you for your time.

Discussion is locked

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A lesson for us all.
Jul 16, 2010 3:23PM PDT

Please don't use Microsoft's drivers. DO NOT accept their drivers or click the Update Driver button or you can lose a machine. It's a shame folk don't share this tid bit.

Start over but do not accept any drivers from anyone but the card and board makers.
Bob

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Looked over
Jul 16, 2010 3:53PM PDT

Alright, well that is something that is rather interesting to know. I will definitely watch that in the future. I just recovered the drive, yet again, and I don't see any availible drives other than the Video Card, which I have been unchecking when I do the updates. Currently, I just have a bunch of Update for Vista, Security Update for IE 7 and ActiveX Killbits, Update for Media Center, Framework 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, Update for Jscript, Movie Maker, WM Format Runtime, Rights Management Service, Windows Mail Junk Filter, and Powershell/WinRM 2.0 in optional, which I will be doing very last. I normally do not install Windows Search, and I have most of the regular Security Updates for Vista installed, only two will not install. There are a total of about 38 updates waiting, and as I said before, if I update them, I will end up having to recover my computer. The only thing I can think of, is to actually take the time out of the world, to go through every one of those updates and figure out which one is causing the problem. And I still have to install Service Pack 2, which I actually have saved from the Support Site. I could imagine it might be one of the Framework updates, but then I could be wrong. If it was, I would suspect that it would not load in Safe Mode, either. But it will boot up just normally in Safe Mode, just when I try to login regular, it nips me in the bud.

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NET FRAMEWORK
Jul 16, 2010 9:30PM PDT

Windows Update install failures are sadly too common. What you learn to do is to keep moving forward and let Microsoft sort it out. In some cases like the .NET FRAMEWORK items you wait and wait but eventually have to step in and help it along.

Here's an article where the root cause was found. The initial failure was some non-Microsoft software and the fallout (failout?) was Microsoft's error in a rollback (rollover?)

Full detail at http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6122_102-0.html?messageID=3328173&tag=mncol;lst;2#3328173
Bob

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Update
Jul 19, 2010 2:08PM PDT

Took a day to cool off from the computer. Hehe. Well, I was able to isolate the problem. One of the MAIN issues I have having, was the fact that Microsoft Office was not installed on the computer, with the system disc. And that was causing a major problem, because Microsoft Office has the OSE, or Office Source Engine, which is used for the installion of Windows Updates. It was not on the computer, and the service is needed to operate the Updates. I was dumb-founded when I found out that you actually need M.O. to operate properly, but I just downloaded the trial and will use the OSE file to keep it running. I also used the Update Readiness Tool first, and didn't have too much of a problem finishing up the updates. The framework updates still had a problem, so I used the tool that you provided, but the link is not usable anymore. But I was able to find it via Google, the best tool in the world. +F I have installed every update, all the .net frameworks, and even Service Pack 2. It went off without a hitch! I thank you much. But, I am still having one problem. I have successfully installed DirectX as well, but now I cannot install my graphics driver. Everytime I attempt to install my Geforce card, it will stop about a quarter of the way, then after about a minute, it will say failed. Then when I go to restart the computer, it will have the same problem as before, to where it holds a black screen after the Windows Loading bar, and not load up to login, not showing the mouse or the Vista Symbol. I have attempted the newest installment of the driver, and even the older one, and it is continuing to not load up for me. I do have my system set to a recovery point after all the updates, so I am able to get on it, without a hitch. But I am unable to do anything with my graphics driver. I do have a spare in my other computer, that I can see if it is just this card, or whether it is my system, itself. What do you think the problem could be? I have not really found anything online about it, I will keep looking and see what I can find.

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Sorry.
Jul 19, 2010 7:55PM PDT

I read about 1/2 of this nearly monolithic post that has one paragraph and see you took care of the patches.

Since the graphics card does not work, it does not work. It could be as simple as that. Or a monitor incompatibility.

Time to return what does not work.
Bob