Cannot open program-keeps restarting

[SuzanG]

Dell DM051
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00 Ghz
Bus speed 800 Mhz
L2 Cache 2Mb
64 bit
SATA Maxtor hard drive 150gb hard drive

Purchased system used.
Was working fine.
Did not do anything other then plug into Ethernet.
Next time I tried to start it it gave me the following message-with the Vista Ultimate background;
"Updates were not configured correctly.  Reverting changes"  "shutting down computer do not turn off". 

It does this over and over again.  I have tried the following, with no success;

F8 and tried all choices there
unplugged all devices from computer including power and then plugged it all in again.
F12-did not know if there was anything I should change there.

Can you please tell me what I can try doing to get the program to open?  I can then get on the internet and download "updates" that it needs.

Thanks you

[patio]

So it was turned off in the middle of an update finishing ? ?

[killerb255]

Ouch!

It sounds like it really was turned off in the middle of an update finishing (as Patio said).

Do you have the Windows Vista 64-bit DVD?  If so, boot from it (your F12 menu should help with this--select to boot from your CD/DVD).  Time for Startup Repair:

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html

If you can't find the original disc or if, for some reason, the discs that came with it are not the actual Windows Vista DVD (i.e.: some type of recovery disc that only formats and installs bloatware along with it), then you'll have to create a Windows RE disc.

What you'll need:

1) One blank CD
2) Someone else's PC running Windows Vista 64-bit and has a genuine Vista 64-bit DVD.

http://www.istartedsomething.com/20070929/vista-sp1-recovery-disc/

[patio]

For future reference NEVER interrupt the update process...no matter how long you have to sit and wait...