Exteremly weird Vista restarting problem

[Guest]

Hi,
This morning, my computer was a bit slow, so I decided to restart it... I haven't restarted for a long time (just sleep and wake because of the time Vista always takes to start up), and when I finally logged in, the desktop was fully loaded, and a window with the message "Windows has encountered a critical problem and will restart automatically in one minute. Please save your work now."
Before I could do anything, it shuts down, and restarts... I looked up for some solutions using my Ubuntu live CD. Most of them suggest that I start WIndows in safe mode (pressing F8 on startup) and running MSConfig. Most of the solutions say that a plugin service installed by a Brazilian bank has corrupted something.

This is where I have hit a brick wall - when I start Windows in safe mode, just before it loads my login screen, it shuts down, and restarts. I don't even use Brazilian banks
I then started the Ubuntu LiveCD again and started a scan using KlamAV (it scans from Ubuntu for WIndows viruses). It is still scanning and hasn't found anything.

I run a Samsung R60 Plus laptop with a 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, and 2 GB memory. The ATI 1250 Graphics chip takes 256 MB of the memory. My hard drive reports itself as 150 GB, but I think it's 160 GB really. It runs Home Premium, and a broken Ubuntu which won't run properly. I broke it. Kids...

Can anyone help me? The least I can be glad for is if I can get into safe mode properly and see what the hell is wrong :S and maybe do a general cleanup.
[strike]Most of my CDs are boxed up somewhere since my last move of house - I'd like a solution that doesn't involve a recovery disk if possible, for the mean time[/strike] (Though I think the Samsung recovery environment does work)
My dad's found my recovery CD

edit: On another note, the confirmation email for this website has not yet arrived :/ The email is not a typo.
edit2: The main, huge reason I am asking this is because I need to recover the product key for my Windows Vista installation - which faded off the label :X then I can install it on a brand new 500 GB hard drive, until I can get Windows 7. So even getting into safe mode would be REALLY great.

 

[Guest]

My account will expire in a day or so :S

 

[Harfeg]

Brazillian banks, critical errors. Maybe the Mafia is after you....

Sorry it must be annoying as hell and I'm not sure how helpful this advice will be if, at all.
Reading your message it struck me that all the computer might need is to be restarted normally as sometimes these critical errors just happen and cannot be replicated. I'm not sure if you have already tried it but that might be very simple (read: lucky) fix.
It might work so it's worth a shot if you haven't already.

Personally I think the problem behind your crash is probably because you never turn off your computer. Windows does slow down the longer it is left on through accumulated services eating up system resources and heat exhaustion (mostly in laptops). The slowing down you noticed might have been caused by a combination of the two and restarting from that state may have stressed the computer out too much. (I might as well admit right now that I see computers as little metallic brains with a tendency for stubbornness ). All it may need is a normal start up from cold and it could be happy again.

Oh and since your planning to reinstall with future pans to reinstall later may I recommend you use partitions as that will make your life SOOOOO much easier for the next reinstall. just pop all your stuff on the the non-windows partion/s and then wipe the hell out of the windows partition. Just be absolutely sure you got all your documents out of their first as that is where they are kept and moving them so that windows recognises where they are is a pain on vista.

 

[CreativName1]

I've already tried a normal startup from cold :S I left it off during the night because I couldn't even use it.
Thanks for the advice I'll let it restart or cool down every now and then.

I'll split stuff up into partitions. I've done this on Ubuntu, and I've had a partition thing going on Windows before, but I merged them back together (probably caused some instability there now that I think about it) because I was starting to use Windows less and less.... then I came back to Windows, for a few months, figured I didn't need to split them again, and this happens.

My laptop seems to have a very efficient sleep mode (I think most do). I used to set it on sleep mode without power plugged in every night, and there would be barely any battery power loss. I started doing this, because for some reason, it wouldn't hibernate any more. And I restarted every 3 weeks.. probably a bad thing.

I managed to make the hard drive external and recover the key from it using another computer.

 

[Harfeg]

Good to hear you found a work around

And of course sleep mode is great at conserving power, starting up quickly etc. I use it all day when i'm not near my computer (desktop).

But a restart a day (or more practically, over night) will keep the BSOD away.

Personally i turn mine on, go downstairs, grab a marsbar, peer at todays headline and by the time i get back upstairs its ready to rock. Anyway good luck with your fresh install and all the best for your transfer to 7

H