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Vista SP1 Startup Fails Due to Client and Server Communication Issues

Also valid for Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1

Dec 29, 2008 10:40 GMT  ·  By
Windows Vista
   Windows Vista

With SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 available as a Beta since the start of December 2008, Microsoft continues to deal with the isolated SP1 issues outside the service pack cycle. An illustrative example in this context is an issue that causes Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1 to fail booting because of issues associated with the client and server communication process. According to Microsoft, both Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 SP1 will stop responding entirely during startup and present users with nothing more than a black screen.

“When you press the power button or click Restart on the Start menu to start a computer that is running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008, the system startup may fail. The system stops responding (hangs) and shows a black screen where the Windows logo typically appears. Additionally, the mouse pointer does not appear, and the hard disk drive (HDD) light does not flash. When the HDD light does not flash, it means that the HDD is not being accessed at that time,” Microsoft informed.

The Redmond company indicated that the only way to take the operating systems out of the failed boot process was to power off the machine. The startup hangs are caused by what the software giant referred to as a “deadlock in the remote procedure call (RPC) component.” At this point in time, Microsoft does not offer an update designed to resolve the issue. However, a hotfix is available instead. Users will have to contact the company directly, in order to obtain it, should they be affected by this specific problem.

“Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a powerful technology for creating distributed client/server programs. RPC is an interprocess communication technique that allows client and server software to communicate,” the Redmond giant explained. “Microsoft Remote Procedure Call (RPC) is a powerful technology for creating distributed client/server programs. RPC is an interprocess communication technique that allows client and server software to communicate.”

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) Beta is available for download here.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM is available for download here.