I am both posting the problem and solution here, in case anyone else runs into this problem.
I booted up a Vista Home Premium computer this morning to a black screen. Upon restart, Windows offered to take me through the system repair. This seemed to fail and then they offered a System Restore. During the System Restore, I received StartRep.exe - Application Error. The instruction at 0x7405060a referenced memory at 0x00000000. The memory could not be read. Click OK to terminate the program. I repeated this entire process two more times with the same error.
After failing, Windows gives you a menu of a half dozen options - Repair, System Restore, Memory Test, DOS Prompt, complete re-install, etc.
The test of memory reported everything was OK.
I was about ready to open the case, when I remembered that I recently started using a USB drive to enable ready boost. This was my first reboot after installing the USB key. (I had plugged the USB drive in the back of the computer, figuring that I could leave it there and forget about it).
I powered off the computer, popped the USB drive out, restarted, told Windows to try to start normally, and it loaded up just fine. I don't know if this is an isolated incident, a bad USB drive or a problem that will continue, but in case this is happening to anyone else, try removing the USB drive before your next restart.
Bill
I booted up a Vista Home Premium computer this morning to a black screen. Upon restart, Windows offered to take me through the system repair. This seemed to fail and then they offered a System Restore. During the System Restore, I received StartRep.exe - Application Error. The instruction at 0x7405060a referenced memory at 0x00000000. The memory could not be read. Click OK to terminate the program. I repeated this entire process two more times with the same error.
After failing, Windows gives you a menu of a half dozen options - Repair, System Restore, Memory Test, DOS Prompt, complete re-install, etc.
The test of memory reported everything was OK.
I was about ready to open the case, when I remembered that I recently started using a USB drive to enable ready boost. This was my first reboot after installing the USB key. (I had plugged the USB drive in the back of the computer, figuring that I could leave it there and forget about it).
I powered off the computer, popped the USB drive out, restarted, told Windows to try to start normally, and it loaded up just fine. I don't know if this is an isolated incident, a bad USB drive or a problem that will continue, but in case this is happening to anyone else, try removing the USB drive before your next restart.
Bill