Hi
My computer won't start up - it was switched off whilst doing the automatic updates, now when we turn it on it goes downloading 3 of 3 after a while a black screen appears then it goes back to downloading 3 of 3 it repeats this sequence all the time and doesn't proceed further. We've left it like that for a long time but it won't complete the updates - can someone please help me - thanks


PS - it is a vista home premium, if this helps!

Go to safe mode by pressing F8 and uninstall last updates done by vista and then check

Hi Zaithe - have tried your suggestion but it doesn't work when pressing safe mode the computer goes back to downloading 3 of 3 and so on then repeats the process again and again - please help thanks

Were you udating to SP2? If so, you may have to let it stay on step 3 longer than you have let it go so far.

Would let it sit maybe overnight.

Ahan then do you have recovery cds? If yes then restore your system to previous date using that cds?

I'll try to leave it overnight tonight and see what happens tomorrow.

No I don't have any recovery cds any other suggestions please.

Thanks guys I'll try any suggestions

Did that help to wait longer?

If did not come with recovery cd's,
What model computer

No, it did not do anything different - it is an acer aspire computer. Apparently the automatic updates were completed and when the computer prompted to restart it was my daughter shut it down instead. The next day the computer wouldn't work and just comes up with the downloading system package 3 of 3 - 0% complete - do not switch off your computer. This goes on for a few seconds then a black screen appears with little green lights at the bottom moving from left to right in a small box. After that the whole process repeats itself again and again all night for the past few days. I even switched everything off and plugged all lead out too. The only way to switch the comupter off is press the power key for a few seconds - please, please help

Use the following step to make vista repair cd and then restore your system to previous date.
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/how-to-make-a-windows-vista-repair-disk-if-you-dont-have-one/

This another link might also can help you
Creating a Windows Vista Recovery CD | Microsoft Windows | TechRepublic.com (http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=622)

Thanks for your answers but I can't download anything onto my computer - the only two screens I get is the downloading message and after that the black screen - it doesn't go any further than that I can't access anything from my computer - I'm replying to you using another computer away from home!

Ahan, but I really doubt one thing that it is still in safe mode say to download the package because in safe mode no network setting are enabled and no internet and it just run few necessary files to run the window so how that download screen come in that mode?
Did you use safe mode?
1- Press F8 right after the bios screen and a menu ll open and you select safe mode and then press enter?
Did you do this?

I've pressed F8, F1 and F12 - F12 is the boot menu key but when I press it to boot with hardrive it goes to a black screen with a few words for a split second then disappears and goes back to the downloading message - this is driving me crazy and I'm going mental - nothing seems to work!

No you have to just press F8 and then a scren like
Press f8 image by Wolfeymoles-Pics on Photobucket (http://media.photobucket.com/image/press%20F8/Wolfeymoles-Pics/FPCH%20files/win2ksafemode2.jpg)
Comes and you ll select safe mode and then press enter? Did you do this ?

Last night I kept on pressing F8 but no new screen comes up apart from the annoying downloading message

By the way my computer is an acer aspire - does this help

Well you have to press f8 again and again when computer restart or you on the system. And then the safe mode option came

I'll try again tonight and let you know - I hope it will work but I must say I have been doing this the past few days I kept pressing the F8 again and again and again but will persevere - many thanks for your continual suggestions

Worse case scenario, with acers, you can do a full system recovery back to factory settings

You would hold hit CTRL + F10 during boot which would bring you to a recovery screen (this recovery information is on a hidden partition on Acer's)

This would re-format the drive and install vista back to the way it was when purchased.

As far as the update, I would suggest to download the update as a stand alone update and not use the online update.
-This way the update can be installed from your hard drive and not need the internet to do it.

I have the link if interested

Yes, please give me the link - thanks

Now I don't know if your system came with sp1 already installed and you were just trying to update to sp2

So in case your system did not have sp1 installed when purchased and was just Vista, here is sp1 first

vista sp1
Download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 - Vista SP1 (Full package) (http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows-vista/windows-vista-sp1.html)

If that is already installed or you are installing from above link, then here is SP2
Download Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Vista SP2 (Full package) (http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows-vista/windows-vista-service-pack-2-sp2.html)

Note: when downloading these from this wwebsite, go down till you see 'Click Here to Download", you may have to wait 10-15 secs for the download box to come up - wait for the download box to come up and don't click on this on next page:
If something goes wrong, try clicking here to download from Microsoft.com
-Wait for download box to come up

Now before vista will let you update to sp2, you must have 'ALL" updates previously to that point
-Meaning when ready to install sp2, you must use windows update and install 'Every' update avail

After all updates are installed, you are ready to install the SP2
-It will go through same process you have gone through before (but quicker as from hard drive)

With that said: It will go through same steps as far as restarting and go to steps 1-3 and it will take a long time (be patient) When I had an Acer, it took around 3 hrs or so (I almost gave up, but didn't and it worked)

Hope all this helps out

Thanks for your suggestion but I can't download anything as my computer only gives me two screens the "downloading SP 3of3 - 0% complete - do not switch your computer off" this screen last for about a minute or so then a blank black screen for over a minute with little green lights moving from left to right within a rectangle box then it goes back to the start - it won't let me do anything else - very annoying!!

The information I had given above is if you choose to do a full system recovery back to factory settings as when you first purchased it

If you choose to do the full recovery and are having a problem with doing that, should be able to help

Back a couple post ago, I mentioned worse case scenario - this would be it

-start from scratch as if new

Try to boot the computer up in save mode and restore it to a previos state if this doesent work. If this has no efect the boot up from the recocery disk and select ''repair your pc'' then click next when you see the system recovery options click on startup repair or If you wernt able to boot it up in save mode for the system restore you can go ahed and do that

I tried to boot the computer on safe mode but when I press the enter key nothing happens!

To get into safe mode, tap the F8 key when the computer is starting

How to open safe mode . Read the following link
Safe Mode in Windows XP (http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/safemode.htm)