Windows Vista - system recovery slow but successful then cannot start Windows

[TheChois]

Computer cannot start windows after very slow system recovery successfully completed. The green loading status bar runs for a very long time then goes to black screen. 

Have tried running diagnostics and all parts pass.

Have tried the command prompts to fix the start up but windows still won't load properly.

Just a home user and not very knowledgable about computer repairs.

Any other things I can try?

[mdklassen · Accepted solution]

>  The green loading status bar runs for a very long time then goes to black screen. 

How long is "very long"?  Give it a few hours, just to make sure.

The black screen is just Windows putting the monitor into "power-saving" mode.

However, note that Microsoft's support for Windows Vista will end next month, namely April 12, 2017.

Already, Firefox and Google Chrome are not supported under Vista.

Running an "unsupported" operating system on an Internet-connected computer is not recommended.

Presumably, your computer was manufactured between 2007 (when Vista first was released) and 2010 (when Windows 7 was released).  So, your disk-drive could be of the same "vintage".  Compare its "age" to driving your automobile on worn-out tires of the same age -- the tires may "blow" unexpectedly, and your disk-drive may "crash" unexpectedly.  It's time to look for newer hardware.

Or, you might try some variant of Linux, e.g., UBUNTU 16, to get a "supported" operating system.

UBUNTU uses Firefox, and has a free "look-alike" to Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.

It might work for you.