Mouse dead and then computer failed

[amgo_gnome]

My friend's computer stopped working this evening. It runs on Vista Home Premium with an Intel 6400 @ 2.13 GHz and has 2GB of RAM.

When he switched it on, the mouse wasn't working so he couldn't even switch it off, apart from holding in the On/Off button, which he did. When he started it up again it said that it had been shut down incorrectly and it needed to go through an automatic repair routine. At the end of this it said that it hadn't been able to repair the problem automatically. So all he could do was click the "Finish" button, which then shut it down. So it seems that it had got the mouse working but the computer itself was now not working for some reason.

Does anybody have any ideas as to how he might solve this problem please. Thanks.

[Miz]

When he starts it up on the screen that gives the repair option, he should also see the option to start Windows normally.

Choose the "normally" option, press Enter.

After all, choosing the repair option isn't working so if this doesn't work, he won't be worse off.

[amgo_gnome]

Thanks Miz but he's actually already tried doing that and just gets sent back to the same options screen - so just gets sent back into the same loop.

[Miz]

Has he tried booting into Safe Mode?

Sometimes all it takes it to boot into Safe Mode, then reboot normally.

[amgo_gnome]

Thanks Miz. No, he hasn't tried booting in Safe Mode. I'll suggest that to him and update you. Thanks again.

[amgo_gnome]

Just an update. Managed to solve the problem by pressing F8 repeatedly immediately after switching the PC on. I was presented with a menu of options. One of them was something like 'use configuration of last successful boot up' and this is what I selected. It took me straight into Vista. Anyway, I thought I should check that I wouldn't have to do this every time the machine was booted up, so I shut it down normally and then just started it up normally and lo and behold it behaved itself normally and took me straight into Vista - job done. Anyway, thanks Miz for your input.