Step by Step - Fix me!

[tres]

Laptop running 32bit Windows Vista.
Gets to the log in screen, then the "Welcome" with spinny circle, and stays on that.

Nothing new has been installed, changed or added to cause this.
Boots into safe mode fine.
No idea where original backup media is. Want to avoid reinstalling OS!


What's the first thing I should do to fix this?

 

[bledd]

First thing I'd try..

Hammer F8 on startup, then choose the 'last known good configuration'

This will load the last settings / config that had a successful logon, just this week I used it to fix a Vista laptop.

Couldn't find any culprit, so just gave it a general cleanup/update after that and the problem didn't come back

 

[Ratbag]

Doesn't necessarily sound like malware but for ****s and giggles I'd run Malwarebytes in safe mode too.