Tonight I encountered the dreaded endless reboot cycle of Windows Vista. The system would boot and display “Configuring Updates Stage 3 of 3: 0%”. After sitting for several minutes the computer would restart and begin the loop all over again. The same thing happened when booting into safe mode. Without access to safe mode the only option for saving Vista was the use of the original installation media. I was able to boot off the Windows Vista DVD and utilize System Recovery to revert to a recent restore point. Within 5 minutes of booting from the Vista DVD I was back up and running. Luckily I had created a restore point only hours before this occurred, so there was no additional work required. Depending on the last time you created a restore point your mileage may vary. If you are faced with the endless reboot cycle however, this is pretty much your quickest way to get back up and running.

So what caused the problem? PC Tools Registry Mechanic 8. Each and every time I compact my registry, a function of Registry Mechanic I have used on Windows XP hundreds of times, the computer enters the endless reboot cycle. I’m not sure if this is a compatibility problem with a recent windows update or a problem with Registry Mechanic but its sure to create a headache for many people. For now I would recommend avoiding the compact registry functionality of Registry Mechanic 8. Everything else in the current version operates flawlessly.