[bundy98]

Problems with my girlfriend's computer, so here's where I'm at right now:

- Windows Boot Manager shows error code 0xc000000e and that winload.exe is missing or corrupt.
- The version of Windows Vista on her Compaq Presario c700 came pre-installed; therefore, I have no installation discs or recovery discs.
- I have the Vista_Recovery_Disc.ISO and have burned it onto CD-RWs, CD-Rs, and DVD-Rs using Roxio's Creator Classic, and have changed the boot order in the BIOS to read from the CD drive first, but the computer does not read from the cds/dvds on startup, so I cannot run the Vista Recovery program. If anyone is familiar with Creator Classic, bootable discs can be created in the following types:
1. Floppy Disc Emulation (1.44 MB)
2. Floppy Disc Emulation (2.88 MB)
3. Hard Disk Emulation
4. No Emulation
I have tried the first three types, but the computer will not read the cds/dvds that I have burned the Vista_Recovery_Disc.ISO onto.
- I'm able to use the AVG Recovery program that I installed on a flash drive (changing the boot order in the BIOS to read from USB first, of course) and its sub-programs, but that's about it.
- I cannot boot into ANY safe mode in order to get to a command prompt to run fixboot.

I am suspecting that the cause of this failed boot has to do with installing AVG Free 2012 onto my girlfriend's laptop computer with Windows Vista Home Premium as the OS. I've read on the internet that there have been problems/conflicts with AVG Free 2012 and Windows Vista.

So, after reading all that, does anyone out there know of a fix for this problem of mine? Every forum I've checked for this problem always shows a guy who has the same problem as me, but his question has never been answered and/or the thread has been locked or is expired. This place is my last chance. I don't want to go out and buy a new hard drive, but that will be my last resort.

[Mark1956]

I think you may have something wrong with the burning of the recovery disc. Follow this guide to use ImgBurn. Scroll down the page to get instruction to make a bootable disc from an ISO image.

http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=1779

[bundy98]

Hi Mark1956,

Thanks for replying. I downloaded Imgburn & tried the "Write" option but got no dice once the disc was burned and I put it into my girlfriend's laptop. The link you gave was for the "Build" option, and the guide does not specifically show how to build a bootable disc with an ISO file, but how to build a bootable disc with files to create an ISO file. I've looked at other links using Google, and all those ones indicate that the "Write" option should be used.

[Mark1956]

The problem may therefore be the "Vista Recovery disc .ISO" that you have , where did you get it from? Burning an ISO should be quite straight forward, if the ISO is bootable you just burn it as an ISO file, you should not need to do anything complicated.

I would suggest trying the disc you burned in another PC just to be sure it is the disc that is the problem and not some other fault on your girlfriends PC.

[bundy98]

Hi Mark,

I can't remember where I got the ISO from (that's how long I've been battling with this problem for), but as of right now, I got the ISO burned to a DVD-R using Imgburn (PLEASE use Imgburn instead of Roxio), and the computer was able to read the disc and boot from it (make sure that, when you fire up the computer that has the problem, you get into the BIOS menu, THEN open the CD/DVD-ROM drive and put the disc in, and then restart). For those out there who may have this very problem of the computer not booting from the recovery CD/DVD, you HAVE to make sure you go into the BIOS menu when you fire up your computer, go to 'System configuration' (for some, it's 'Boot'), go to 'Boot Options', go to 'Boot Order', and make sure your CD/DVD-ROM is at the TOP OF THE LIST (that was what I kept forgetting). Then save and exit. Also, you have to know if you're running 32-bit or 64-bit (this will be crucial for when you get a recovery disc from somewhere, because you can't be using a recovery disc for a 64-bit on your 32-bit OS, etc., etc.). So that solves that problem...

HOWEVER, then the error code of 0xc000000e came up and now it's memtest.exe that is missing or corrupt! Luckily, after I clicked on the "Repair my computer" option in the Vista Recovery program, I also made sure that chkdsk would run on the next startup, so I restarted the computer, chkdsk did its thing, and viola! I'm back into the girlfriend's computer! Now to remove AVG and all should be well. I will be updating my progress over the nexst day or so in the case that any more problems of this kind and type occur.

Many thanks to Mark1956 for his time.

[Mark1956]

Use this to clean out AVG http://www.avg.com/gb-en/download-tools or it will leave behind a few remnants.

I would then suggest you use, Avast, Avira or Microsoft Security Essentials. They all do a free version and can be found easily by doing a search.

SuperAntiSpyware and Comodo firewall would be good additions to improve the PC's security.

Secunia PSI will keep a check on security updates and Winpatrol will warn of any changes to the system.

[bundy98]

I use Malwarebytes on my main computer, and that seems to do the trick.

It's been a few weeks, and there have been no problems with her computer. So, to reiterate:

Get a copy of the Windows Vista Recovery Disc (or get the ISO and burn it to a disc), then make sure that, when you fire up the computer that has the problem, you get into the BIOS menu, THEN open the CD/DVD-ROM drive and put the disc in, and then restart). For those out there who may have this very problem of the computer not booting from the recovery CD/DVD, you HAVE to make sure you go into the BIOS menu when you fire up your computer, go to 'System configuration' (for some, it's 'Boot'), go to 'Boot Options', go to 'Boot Order', and make sure your CD/DVD-ROM is at the TOP OF THE LIST (that was what I kept forgetting). Then save and exit. Also, you have to know if you're running 32-bit or 64-bit (this will be crucial for when you get a recovery disc from somewhere, because you can't be using a recovery disc for a 64-bit on your 32-bit OS, etc., etc.)

[Mark1956]

Glad to hear that all is fine.

Are you using the full version of Malwarebytes, the free version is not an active Anti Malware program.

Even with the full version you should also have an Anti Virus. Malwarebytes is designed to compliment Anti Virus software, so to give better protection to your system I would avdvise you add one of the Anti Virus programs that I suggested earlier.

In addition I would add a third party firewall. Windows firewall only blocks incoming connection attempts but not outgoing which a third party firewall will.