Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or Windows Server 2008 stops responding (hangs) during startup

SYMPTOMS
When you press the power button or click Restart on the Start menu to start a computer that is running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008, the system startup may fail. The system stops responding (hangs) and shows a black screen where the Windows logo typically appears. Additionally, the mouse pointer does not appear, and the hard disk drive (HDD) light does not flash. When the HDD light does not flash, it means that the HDD is not being accessed at that time.

When this problem occurs, you have to force the power off. Then, you must press the power button to start the computer again.

CAUSE
This problem occurs because of a deadlock in the remote procedure call (RPC) component.

RESOLUTION

Hotfix information
A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing the problem described in this article. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note: If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support
(http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)

Note: The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites To apply this hotfix, you must have Windows Vista SP1 or Windows Server 2008 installed on the computer. Restart requirement
You have to restart the computer after you apply this hotfix. Hotfix replacement information. This hotfix does not replace any other previously released hotfixes.

Registry information To use this hotfix, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

File information The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.