i recently downloaded update for windows vista on my laptop and then restarted my computer to continue the update configuration process. I left the computer configuring the updates and when i came back i realized that the computer kept restarting when it gets to the configuring updates screen. Is there any way to bypass this without having to do a clean install?

Have you tried Safe Mode and uninstalling the recent update?

"You don't know what you got, till it's gone..
80's hair band Cinderella or ode to data backups???"

Are you sure it is really looping and not just continuing to apply updates?
Some updates require that the PC restart several times before they are all completely installed.

To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

System Restore might be an option to get back before any updates were downloaded.

How to repair the operating system and how to restore the operating system configuration to an earlier point in time in Windows Vista (or 7)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936212/#appliesto

Right - system restore AND turn off windows update service to keep the problem update from re-installing.  Then the problem will be to find WHICH update is causing the issue and whether you can allow updates to be installed again automatically.

I had this problem a while back, when it came in it was the exact same way, but here is where it gets tough, makes no difference in regular of safe mode it still would cycle so no way to get into safe mode to do anything.  I had to boot from the disk & do chkdsk /r then fixmbr, then was able to boot to safe mode & repair the problem.  Once had one like this & had to reinstall, could not repair at all, its a real pain.

xit sounds like you had more than the standard issue there...possibly.

I've seen this with several laptops and desktops running Vista and have fixed it in the following way...
goomb. is right, system restore prior to the updates/issue and turn of Windows Updates, then manually check for updates and install the one at a time.
I did this with a view to finding the rogue update but it never actually occurred, installing one at a time never re-created the issue.
Be mindful not to go back to far with your systems restore though or you may leave yourself with a lot of indvidual updates to do.
Having said that, it's a while since I updated a Vista machine so there might not be that many of late.

I used to have a handle on life... but it broke.         Cpt. Red Bull

The machine could get into safe mode, it did the same thing, kept restarting. i tried to do a repair and was also unsuccessful at that. I went about and backing up my data using a usb data cable to my hard drive and reinstalled windows on my computer to get it going.Thanks guys

Good that you got it fixed and it will no doubt thank you for the rebuild anyway
I wonder if you picked up a driver as part of the updates that stuffed things up for you.

I used to have a handle on life... but it broke.         Cpt. Red Bull

Sounds like you had more than the standard issue there kangodan, glad you got it up and running.