Kotuku

Do you have the latest WHQL Certified Video driver from the NVIDIA site? That would be the first thing I would check and change if you don't. Is it all games or just some? Do a Google of the error messages and check if any apply to you. Are you overclocking?

Assuming this is a legit request, just go ahead an re-install Vista using the disk that came with the Computer (or the restore partition on the HD). When it comes to validating/registering the Vista, do it electronically. It will either accept or reject that validation/registration. If it doesn't accept it should give you a phone number (toll free) for what ever country you are in to talk this through with an MS representative. If all genuine and the checksums of your computer hardware match what was recorded at the first registration, then there will be zero hassles

Ya'all lost your Vista disk!!! Wow! Well I don't think any disk will do, what do you mean by "any". Pirated Vista disk? You can't live without your Vista Install disk, so I suggest you bite the bullet and buy a new one and save all your data and do a complete re-install with the new legal disk and then put it somewhere safe! That gets rid of all your problems, including the lost disk and gets you back to squeaky clean and fast computer.

Well it certainly found problems, so if the machine is back to normal, leave it, but if SFC /scannow still reports errors, then you need to run the repair install from the Vista HD

Click the Orb, then ALL PROGRAMS and then ACCESSORIES, Right click on the Command Prompt and select RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR, it will not work if you don't. (as an aside, you can at the right click select PIN TO START MENU and that puts the command prompt always there and easy to get at - you then just right click that and do run as Admin). Type CHKDSK /R/F Note the space after the DSK (last K) Hit enter and say Yes to do it at next re-boot. Then do a normal restart and it will do the CHKDSK and do all the repairs automatically. It could take a few hours if you have a large HD, watching it is fun <smile>. There are 5 stages. The first goes quick so watch that at least to see if it finds any errors. AT the end it just reboots and you are not sure what it has found and corrected.

Is there anything on the Acronis forum on this? I gave up that program a few versions back after it trashed my drive. Some swear by it, others hate it. Can you remove and hook the drive up to another computer to recover the data? Any PC shop will do that for you. What about booting to a Linux disk to recover data? There are specific programs out there for locking drive letters, if you Google for that.

If the Sfc finds errors, then you need to do a Repair install with your Vista disk, BUT you can't do that if SP1 is installed (you need a Vista SP1 disk to do that). Assuming you have an aborted install of SP1, I would use System Restore to get back the day before you tried the install and then do a Repair install of Vista. There are numerous tutorials on the Web for showing you what to do. The usual Caveat to back up any data before you do this. I would also do a CHKDSK /R/F before you do the repair install, if you have corrupted regions on the HD (possible cause of the failure to install SP1) then fixing those is first priority. Kotuku

Oh Yes! <smile>