Vista won't open on startup

I'm running Vista on a Dell inspiron 530S and when I try to start it, the Dell opening screen comes up but doesn't get any further than that. I've tried pressing all the F buttons but nothing works.
Just before this happened I was trying to get some photos from a card reader but the computer wouldn't recognise that the card reader was there. I tried to close that window but it wouldn't close. I got a message telling me the program was unresponsive and I chose "close it now". The program closed and everything on the desktop disappeared. I couldn't do anything so I turned it off manually. The problem I described started from there.
Any ideas?
(I'm assuming this is a software rather than a hardware problem)

 

Have you tried starting in Safe Mode, or is that what you mean by

?

 

If you have a Vista disc, you can choose startup repair from that, if f8 does not work.

 

How do I open in safe mode? I can't get past the initial Dell screen. It says "F2 = Setup" and "F12 = Boot Menu". Neither do anything.
I'm pretty sure I wasn't given a disc when I got the computer.

 

Keep tapping the F8 key after pressing the power on button. Hopefully that will give you a black screen with a list of options, including Safe Mode. There will be other option there too that might be worth a try, such as Last Known Good Configuration.

 

Tapping F8 doesn't do anything.:cry

 

Click START, then type in msconfig (press enter) click yes for the UAC if it is turned on.

Next, click the boot tab, then check the box next to "safe mode". Keep at the default level, hit ok. Click restart.

NOTE!!!!

You will have to re-run msconfig to go back to normal mode on the first tab. Otherwise, you'll always boot into safe mode.

 

I can't click start because it won't open that far. It only gets as far as the Dell screen and stops there.

 

Actually I just found the Vista disc. It doesn't do anything when I put it in either.

 

Try turning off the computer and then turn off the power at the wall. Even pull out the plug. Wait half a minute and turn back on. Low chance of success, but worth a try.
Did you put the Vista CD in before turning on? You should.
Do you get a single beep when you try to start the computer?
Do you have anything other than the basics attached to the computer - printer, external hard drive, etc.If so, disconnect them.
There is more to try, but these are the easy things to try first.

 

Wow! That worked! Thankyou!

 

Excellent!
Computers are very strange people sometimes.:confused