Here's some answers that might help from the Microsoft user forum:
http://tinyurl.com/3erzw2y
rogerX
--- In simplycomputers2@yahoogroups.com, "lsmiscmail" <lsmiscmail@...> wrote:
>
> My computer broke recently and a friend offered her computer, that she bought, but did not use very much, since even after taking a few classes, she did not know how to use it. The computer had not been online for about 2 years.
>
> It is a Compaq Presario Desktop, bought in 2007, with AMD Athlon 64 processor, 3800+, Memory 512 MB, Hard Drive 120 GB, Graphis NV1d1a GeForce 6150SE.
>
> I only know how to use a computer and unfortunately had just enough knowledge to get myself into trouble. Unfortunately, I did not make a recovery or backup disk upon getting the computer. (Live & learn).
>
> I started by removing the norton symantec. Then got the computer connected to my modem and got connected to my ATT DSL (slowest speed). I started downloading the Windows Security updates. That took forever. First 13, was downloaded and installed. Then I installed avast antivirus. Then when I went back to updates, it said one date; when I did that, it said another one update, which I again installed. Then it got to the Vista service pack something update. I started downloading that 3 am. A long time after that I restarted for the installation part. The comment says, "step 1 of installation" then "step 2 of installation.... 39%". It was at 39% around 9 am, when I left the house, with everything on. I got back about 5:45 pm and it was still at 39%. At that point, I pushed and held down the on/off button to restart it.
>
> When it restarted, it said something about windows got shut down in an unusual manner, do I want it to start in safe mode, so it can keep some of the data it had. So I did that. Immediately it said "step 3 of installation...xx%" That xx% increased until 100% from about 6 pm to 9pm. At that time it showed the icons in safe mode. So I click the restart to get me out of safe mode.
>
> When it restarted, it said "windows installation" and something, but nothing about which step and how many % was completed. I left it on for about 1 hour and when nothing changed, I held down the on/off button to turn the thing off.
>
> THIS is when the trouble started!!!
>
> The computer won't start up. I somehow hunted around and eventually ended up with a "start up repair diagnosis & repair log". It says (I copied by hand and am now having trouble reading my handwriting; I'm at a public computer):
> Session details
> System Disk = device\harddisk
> Windows directory =C:\Windows
> Autochk Run = 0
> # of root causes = 1
> ---------
> ...
> -----------
> Test performed
> Name: Check for updates
> Results: Completed successfully
> Error code = 0x0
> Time take = 0 ms
> ...
> ------------
> Root cause found
> Boot status indicates that the OS booted successfully
> -------------------
> session details
> ---------------------
> System Disk=\device\harddisk0
> Windows directory = C:\windows
> Autochk Run = 0
> Number of root causes = 1
> Result: completed successfully
> Root cause found
> A recent driver installation or upgrade may be preventing the system from starting
> Repair action: system restore
> Result: Failed. Error code OXE (?or OXC?)
> Time taken 67174 ms
>
> I tried system restore and I would have thought it would have several restore points, because, when I was updating those 13 dates, it kept saying something like "taking a restore point". Anyway, the only restore point I saw was
> Description: Install: Windows Vista Service Pack/
> When I clicked on that point to restore, I got:
> Repair action: System restore
> Result failed. Error code = 0x490
> time took 0 ms
> Repair action: System files integrity check & repair
> Result failed Error code = 0xa
> Is this computer totally dead or can I get it working again?
>
> Thanks for any help you can give me and thanks, for just reading through all this!
>
> Lynn
>
