Fresh install of Vista SP2 to a virtual machine. I downloaded and installed all the Windows Updates. Then I downloaded and installed the latest version of Norton Security. I rebooted. Everything was ok.
I ran the Norton Disk Defrag (included with Norton Security). I tried rebooting, but I got the Black Screen of Death (KSOD) without a mouse. Same result with Last Known Configuration. Safe Mode with Networking booted ok.
I've tried a Full System Scan, Norton Power Eraser, and Norton Bootable Recovery Tool. None of these found anything, nor would I expect them to, because this is a fresh install of Vista SP2 to a VM.
For KSOD troubleshooting, I've gone through the checklist here:
http://vault32.blogspot.com/2013/01/roundup-of-vistas-black-screen-of-death.html
These solutions don't work, except System Restore may offer temporary relief.
Here's what works:
- Completely uninstall Norton.
- Run "sfc /scannow". It finds corruption.
- Run "chkdsk c: /f". Allow it to fix disk on reboot. It finds MFT and Bitmap errors.
Then the system boots normally.
It may be tempting to blame my VM software, but my parents had the same KSOD on their machine which runs on bare metal. There problem occurred second week of December. Maybe a December update from MS is in conflict with Norton Security on Vista SP2? Regardless, I think there's a genuine bug here due to my ability to replicate both the problem and solution.
In a worst case scenario, I can send you the entire VM image. However, I'm hoping I don't have to due to its 40 GB size.
How can I help you identify and resolve this bug?