Can't boot, Startup Repair fails...

[NeilC]

Hi folks,

Trying to fix my girlfriend's laptop, but not having much joy.

After a crash last night it won't boot.

It looks like it's booting correctly, then there's a BSOD for a fraction of a second before receiving a "Boot Failed" screen. The two options given are.

• Boot Windows normally (this just returns you to this screen if chosen)
• Launch Startup Repair (this fails, and it hangs on a grey background screen with a large mouse pointer like in Safe Mode). Need to power-off to get out of it.

I've pressed F5 during Boot to get the options screen to try to boot in Safe Mode, but it just reverts to the screen mentioned above.

I've created an AVG rescue USB to boot from that, but I can't get to the BIOS (pressing Del during Bootup gives me a Boot Manager, but USB isn't one of the options. Windows Memory Diagnostic is one of the options, but that scans and just reverts me to the screen I first mentioned.

Feel like I'm going round in circles now. Any help would be massively appreciated!

 

[NeilC]

Should also mention that on trying to boot in Safe Mode it appears to hang on AVGIDSEH.sys before going to the failed boot screen

Oh, and "Last Known Good Configuration" failed too... :-(

 

[TrainableMan]

Put in the W7 installation DVD, make sure BIOS is set so DVD is first in Boot Order. When the install screen comes up choose the option in the corner for Repair.

 

[NeilC]

Put in the W7 installation DVD, make sure BIOS is set so DVD is first in Boot Order. When the install screen comes up choose the option in the corner for Repair.

Thanks, but I don't have the DVD. And as I said, I can't get to BIOS. :-(

 

[TrainableMan]

On a good computer, you can download and burn an installation DVD (be sure to get the version for your particular license product key. Links HERE.

As for getting to BIOS, that is normally different then getting to the boot selection menu but if you really can't get to the BIOS then it's possible you have had a hardware failure.

 

[NeilC]

Thanks TM.

Not sure why, but just can't reach BIOS (or get to a screen offering me the option, more precisely).

Left it on the stalled Startup Repair screen for a few hours last night and it eventually booted, for no apparent reason.

Got the following error message:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 2057

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 9f
BCP1: 0000000000000003
BCP2: FFFFFA800372CE30
BCP3: FFFFF800041863D8
BCP4: FFFFFA8008D8AC60
OS Version: 6_1_7601
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\051612-34585-01.dmp
C:\Users\Jo\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-111447-0.sysdata.xml

Read our privacy statement online:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=104288&clcid=0x0409

If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
C:\windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt


Not sure if that helps at all!

 

[TrainableMan]

Copy that dmp file to your desktop and zip it, then start a new thread in the BSOD section of the forum & attach the zip file. Hopefully it will tell the BSOD experts what is giving fits on your machine.

 

[NeilC]

Great, thanks TM. Will do.

 

[Arnold1972]

windows 7 installation dvd.

hi.
Could you please explain what the windows 7 installation disk is and what it is for please.?
I have made a complete system back-up twice to my external hard drive .
this installation dvd is that not the same sort of thing.?
Sorry i dont know a lot about this dvd.

Thank You.:dontknow:

 

[TrainableMan]

If you had a fresh hard drive with nothing on it then the install disk would install a fresh copy of Windows 7 and is not hardware specific, it should work on all machines - it is just like buying a Windows 7 Full Install Disk from a computer store.

Some computers recommend you create restore disks the first time you boot up. These are basically to get you back to what was shipped and are usually minimal, specific to your hardware, and then have extras added in which companies pay them to include (such as trials of an anti-virus, Microsoft office, etc).

If you made a complete system back-up to an external drive that would allow for a complete restore to a point in time when you made the back-up or possibly you can use the recovery software to recover specific files.

An Install disk or restore disks (if you created them) should have a repair facility. Basically you need the system to boot to a W7 DVD and attempt to repair the boot sector of the hard drive and any damaged W7 OS files. There is not really a repair tool with your complete back-up; you have to know what is damaged and restore it or you have to restore everything. Therefore it is primarily for disaster recovery to restore the entire HD or to recover data you accidentally lost or destroyed.

If your system is acting strange, often you do not want to do a complete install ... at least at first. If all else fails it could be your best option but you want to try a repair first because a complete install is a lot more work. If it is data that you lost then yes, it would be your external back-up that you need because the install/restore DVDs are just the OS (and maybe some programs), not data.

 

[Arnold1972]

Thanks Trainableman.
Just out of interest do i need to have the windows installation DVD to use the sun virtual box.?
Many thanks to you.

 

[TrainableMan]

You will need some OS to install in the virtual box but typically you wouldn't install a virtual W7 inside an actual W7; it is more common to run XP in the virtual window. BTW, legally you still need to own another license to run in the virtual OS because your standard W7 license is for one machine and the virtual machine is considered a second machine.

The primary reason to have a virtual OS at all is because you have some old software or hardware that will not run in the current OS.