my computer has gone insane

[Nessa 23]

unplug all USB

[Otto 83]

OK so I restarted my computer and everything came back up normally. I type in my password and it says loading and then instead of the desktop coming up it's just a black screen with a mouse. Sooooooo...I turned it off and restarted it in safe mode and it was so weird...it comes up with a black screen, the mouse, and safe mode in all 4 corners of the screen and nothing else. ####### is going on? I have Vista. Any ideas from anyone?

If this is a desktop PC - it sounds like your power supply is going bad. Had same issue recently (black screen with mouse/pointer) - Vista Ultimate - replaced power supply and all is well.

[Welshcookie 17]

Stay off the web.

You mean there are other uses for a computer????

My kids computer did pretty much the same thing last month....Husband first tried reinstalled whatever and that didn't do much good, so he had to "reformat the hard drive" (that's me listening with one ear and nodding as I'm not very techie) That seemed to do the trick but he still has some problems, his is less than a year old too....he must have picked up something nasty, give it a good spray with Lysol, that's what I'd do.

Good luck!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Welcome to the wonderful world of windows vista.

Strange inexplicable glitches, startup errors. Sometimes it even forgets that its a registered copy of the OS.

Currently trying to figure out how to get my printer to work again. Windows doesn't seem to recognise it anymore

[Amby 490]

I googled the problem and there were 1000s of results so I guess I'm not alone. I'll just take it for someone to fix it today because I use that computer for school and classes start again on Monday. Lame.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I googled the problem and there were 1000s of results so I guess I'm not alone. I'll just take it for someone to fix it today because I use that computer for school and classes start again on Monday. Lame.

Yeah Vista is a dog.

It started out promisingly, but seems to get more and more unstable with each new update. Hopefully the new service pack will fix a lot of these problems, but I somehow doubt it. Half tempted to junk the whole thing and go back to XP.

Its also ridiculous that installing my blackberry via USB and the software CD now causes a fatal error message each time the computer starts up.

[Amby 490]

I googled the problem and there were 1000s of results so I guess I'm not alone. I'll just take it for someone to fix it today because I use that computer for school and classes start again on Monday. Lame.

Yeah Vista is a dog.

It started out promisingly, but seems to get more and more unstable with each new update. Hopefully the new service pack will fix a lot of these problems, but I somehow doubt it. Half tempted to junk the whole thing and go back to XP.

Its also ridiculous that installing my blackberry via USB and the software CD now causes a fatal error message each time the computer starts up.

it often forgets that my sister's computer even has a cd drive lol

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Ok so I restarted my computer and everything came back up normally. I type in my password and it says loading and then instead of the desktop coming up it's just a black screen with a mouse. Sooooooo...I turned it off and restarted it in safe mode and it was so weird...it comes up with a black screen, the mouse, and safe mode in all 4 corners of the screen and nothing else. ####### is going on? I have Vista. Any ideas from anyone?

this doesn't surprise me

LOL

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I googled the problem and there were 1000s of results so I guess I'm not alone. I'll just take it for someone to fix it today because I use that computer for school and classes start again on Monday. Lame.

Yeah Vista is a dog.

It started out promisingly, but seems to get more and more unstable with each new update. Hopefully the new service pack will fix a lot of these problems, but I somehow doubt it. Half tempted to junk the whole thing and go back to XP.

Its also ridiculous that installing my blackberry via USB and the software CD now causes a fatal error message each time the computer starts up.

it often forgets that my sister's computer even has a cd drive lol

I don't have that - but I have had the message pop-up twice now asking me to register my copy of windows.

Also totally inexplicably Windows Photo Viewer doesn't work now, have to look at everything in media player or Paint. Ridiculous.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

.it comes up with a black screen, the mouse, and safe mode in all 4 corners of the screen and nothing else. ####### is going on? I have Vista. Any ideas from anyone?

There, I found your problem

[NickD 203]

I googled the problem and there were 1000s of results so I guess I'm not alone. I'll just take it for someone to fix it today because I use that computer for school and classes start again on Monday. Lame.

Yeah Vista is a dog.

It started out promisingly, but seems to get more and more unstable with each new update. Hopefully the new service pack will fix a lot of these problems, but I somehow doubt it. Half tempted to junk the whole thing and go back to XP.

Its also ridiculous that installing my blackberry via USB and the software CD now causes a fatal error message each time the computer starts up.

Probably noticed that Vista is not backwards compatible, after we got my wife a new HP notebook, had to lay out another 500 bucks for basic software. Still using XP on mine but would prefer using Win98SE with FAT and DOS, but it won't run. But PC now stands for Public computer, not personal, could get rid of most of that public ####### from XP, won't let you do that with Vista. She panicked when I set up her computer in classic mode, looks just like 98, just said, don't worry, have to do things, but will switch it back to Vista mode so you can see all that ####### they added. And ####### it is, for me an OS is just a common platform for the various peripheals, and to run programs, I don't need all that stuff consuming memory and processing speed with junk dancing across the screen. Now I see MS is coming out with a new OS, Movave I think, who can keep track of all these changes every five minutes. But Vista for me is just a cut down version of XP, even for Office, are you sure you want to run this program, it could corrupt your computer.

My first step with a brand new computer is to pull the HD and on a second computer, make a complete backup of all the installed files even before turning that computer on. That way, I have a backup as they no longer include a CD for the OS. Second step is to spend a day to get rid of all of that so called free stuff, can screw up on this, that is why I have a backup. Have to use a manual method of cleaning up all that ####### in the registry, that sure has grown since 95, and God, do I hate that registry, every e-mail, every program, every web site location gets jammed in there, and yes, every malware, adware, worm, and virus gets in there too. That can take hours to clean up, sometimes, just easier to reformat and reload, hate that too, for every program, have to download the upgrades, and reboot, reboot, and reboot. Many programs require that you sit in front of that box, are you sure you want to do this?

Ha, with Win3.1 was running a program for advanced electronic programs to take full advantage of the 32 bit 486 microprocessor, Win32S, I think was the name of it, as 3.1 was a 16 bit operating system, programs ran twice as fast using it's full 32 bit capacity. Guess where we are today with Vista and 128 bit processors, still at 32 bits, those that have paid extra for Vista 64, a 64 bit OS are going crazy trying to run 32 bit programs.

If this is a notebook from HP, came out with a warning that their BIOS was not running the cooling fan long enough with their notebooks burning up, so they have extended the warranty from one year to two years on selected models. Something to check into, that shut down is also a symptom of a BIOS problem, what's a BIOS?

Wife also liked to use her notebook in bed, said you cannot do that, soft comforter blocks the cooling fan stupidly mounted underneath, that will burn up your computer in short order. Has to be on a hard surface, even added sticky feet to it to raise it another 1/4" for better air flow, and have to vacuum out the fan outlet that gets blocked with dust and debris. Have to do that with all of my computers as PC also stands for Poor Cooling.

With many, the air intake is through the CD or floppy drives if you have one, so that gets loaded up with dust and they don't work with dust. Long time ago, spent hours modifying the air flow of a computer with a real easy to clean air intake filter, was a complete waste of time, computer was obsolete within a year. Computers are throwaway items, no different than an aluminum pop can you only take a couple of sips out of. Now they are screaming about using lead based solder in our electronic junk, so using this new stuff that doesn't stick very well, another cause of new problems.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Its funny you mention Mojave.

Its one of their marketing campaigns to sell Windows Vista, by getting people on the street to try it on the premise that its the next version of Windows. So far it seems that they're spending more money marketing Vista than on fixing the problems!

The next MS OS - "Windows 7" won't be out for a year or two.

[NickD 203]

Its funny you mention Mojave.

Its one of their marketing campaigns to sell Windows Vista, by getting people on the street to try it on the premise that its the next version of Windows. So far it seems that they're spending more money marketing Vista than on fixing the problems!

The next MS OS - "Windows 7" won't be out for a year or two.

Vista recently came out with SP1, will have to wait a few more years, for SP2, SP3, and SP......

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think there is supposed to be a new Service Pack for Vista coming out in a month or two.

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

.it comes up with a black screen, the mouse, and safe mode in all 4 corners of the screen and nothing else. ####### is going on? I have Vista. Any ideas from anyone?

There, I found your problem