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Holding down the Windows key and the letter "E" for 20 seconds sends Vista into its death throes.

The simple act of opening up Windows Explorer windows ad infinitum will crash Vista.  Holding down the Windows key and the letter "E" for 20 seconds sends Vista into its death throes.  If the crash isn't completely terminal, you'll get an error message like this one, which notes that "Windows Explorer has stopped working."  Vista's repair options range from simple ones like System Restore to the little-known Bootrec, which isn't explicitly listed in Help. (Bootrec falls under the command-prompt options.  You'll need the Vista installation disk which came with your PC to do restarts and bring you to the System Recovery Options menu.  Complete PC Backup (second option) allows you to save an image, or bit-for-bit copy of everything on your hard drive.  From three to seven DVDs are required to save a full image of your hard drive.  Complete PC prompted the authors that up to 10 DVDs would be required for full back up; only three were needed.  The Bootrec repair process is begun by booting your system up from your Vista installation disk.  To get to Bootrec, you have to remember to skip past the Vista installation dialog box without overwriting your setup.  Bootrec access also requires you to refrain from clicking on the big "Install now" in favor of "Repair your computer" in the lower left corner.  On the path to Bootrec, the "System Recovery Options" box should identify your current Vista installation as the OS designated for repair. Click "next."  To cut to the Bootrec chase, click on "Command Prompt" in the "Choose a recovery tool" dialog box.  The command "Bootrec/RebuildBcd" should be sufficient to fix most problems with the Boot Configuration Data store.  Vista's reliability monitor will show you a complete list of all applications, operating system, and hardware failures, as well as a tally of all your software uninstalls.  Failures and disruptive shutdowns can be shown for any specific day or for an entire month. 

Holding down the Windows key and the letter "E" for 20 seconds sends Vista into its death throes.