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Windows 7 will not start up?

phototec

New Member
Windows 7 will not start up, after stat up jus a black screen and a moving cursor...

Tried starting I Safe Mode opens but when you select a tab the bottom of the screen it take several minutes for anything to happen.

Tried starting from system Repair is made in November, which started Startup Repair, an then it asked to
allow It to use a previous restore point and I selected that option.

It's been checking the system for problems for 1.5 hours, is that normal?

How long does this take?

What should I do next?

Thanks
 

Nat

New Member
I can't be absolutely sure.

But I Think your ok with the 1.5 hours if its checking your hard drive for errors, that could take some time.
As long as your ok with where its going to start the recovery.
At least you have a very positive response from your computer by that I mean that it read your recovery disk, and it sounds like its doing what its supposed to do. Wish I could be more help.

Let me know if there is anything you need, I have a couple computers running windows 7 and 10.

Nat
Natdevries@ymail.com
(707)254-SIGN
 

phototec

New Member
But I Think your ok with the 1.5 hours if its checking your hard drive for errors, that could take some time.
As long as your ok with where its going to start the recovery.
At least you have a very positive response from your computer by that I mean that it read your recovery disk, and it sounds like its doing what its supposed to do. Wish I could be more help.

Let me know if there is anything you need, I have a couple computers running windows 7 and 10.

Nat
Natdevries@ymail.com
(707)254-SIGN

Well the Startup Repair application is running (2 hours now-see photo), I just don't know how long this is suppose to take?


I don't even know if it is actually doing anything, it could be hung up?
 

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Nat

New Member
After seeing that picture, I would agree, should of only taken a few minutes, not hours.

Nat
 

phototec

New Member
You said that it would start up in safe mode?

Nat

Well kind of, everything is very SLOW, when select the FILE button at the bottom it takes several (4-5) minutes before the file windows opens. Cant really do anything.


I just tired using a System Repair Disk I made in November however when it gets the part where you should be able to select which system restore point you want to use (per this video), I don't get any options it just goes to the screen shot and says attempting repairs.


Based on the attached video, should I be using MY System Repair Disk, or the Dell Data Safe System Recovery Disk I made when I purchased the computer?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LupjK4Ka57o
 

Nat

New Member
do you have a Windows 7 disk?
If not the one you made at start up is probably the one you want
 

GAC05

Quit buggin' me
Not sure how far you have gotten but there are a bunch of sites that list how to recover a Win7 system.
Most of them recommend not using the Windows recovery/repair options as a first step.
My win7 box would not start up not too long ago - turned out to be a botched update not taking.
After looking around I pulled my hard drive out and slaved it into a second pc - was able to find and replace the file that was stopping the boot-up.
Backed up my work files, put the HD back into the original PC -all good to go.

wayne k
guam usa
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
Should only take a few minutes.
Sounds like a bad sector.

mark-s

I could take upwards of 30/40 minutes depending what is on that HD, but 2 hrs is much too long.



I would imagine that the OP has done a hard reset by now. I would unplug the cable and let it try to get out whatever excess juice it has in it (press start button with power still unplugged) and then try to restart again in safe mode and try to look in the event viewer.

It could be a lot of things, problems with starting up, virus, bad sector, bad update etc.
 

phototec

New Member
Not sure how far you have gotten but there are a bunch of sites that list how to recover a Win7 system.
Most of them recommend not using the Windows recovery/repair options as a first step.
My win7 box would not start up not too long ago - turned out to be a botched update not taking.
After looking around I pulled my hard drive out and slaved it into a second pc - was able to find and replace the file that was stopping the boot-up.
Backed up my work files, put the HD back into the original PC -all good to go.

wayne k
guam usa

I tried using my Windows 7 Repair Disk made in November that didn't work as noted above. Then I tried to use the onboard recovery tools by pressing F8 several time will the computer was turning on, this time I was able to get to the screen where you can select a previous Restore point and I selected one from Jan 6, and it started to Restore Files (see screen shot), it has been doing this for 9 hours now and still say Restoring Files, however it doesn't seam to be doing anything, the hard drive light is solid and NOT flashing.


The computer with the problem is a Dell XPS 8300 (Windows 7), I would like to remove the hard drive and put it into another older machine running Vista, to recover all the application files like Versaworks and files that where in the MY PHOTOS folder.


You said you pulled the hard drive out and slaved it into a second pc and were able to find and replace the file that was stopping the boot-up. What do you mean SLAVED IT, what do I need to do to be able to have the other PC see the files on the HHD?


How did you find and replace the file that was stopping the boot-up, what software did you use to do this?

Thanks
 

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Nat

New Member
You can do the same thing as thing by creating a boot disk or System Disk, Putting the disk in your disk drive and then restarting your computer. as long as your system is setup to boot on your disk drive first Hard drive second it will use the operating system files on the boot disk to start up your computer then you can look at your hard drive.

Before you go taking out your hard drive I would first try the the Dell sight.
Its Free has good info on what to do, you can even talk with them for free.

There is also a way to start up your computer and have it load one file at a time and will prompt you after each file loads, this way you can see which one is causing the problem. If this is where your problem is?

Your problem could also be in something that is attached to your computer. unplug everything that is not necessary. then restart. Just your keyboard and monitor hooked up.

How many beeps are you hearing when you restart your computer, The absence of those beeps or more than one beep at startup tell ALOT. You should here only one beep at start up. That one beep is self diagnostics for the power up and one beep is saying that your power supply, mother board and all peripherals attached have passed the power up diagnostics, after that beep it starts to load your operating system. There isn't much use getting into anything if your not getting that first beep.
Nat
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
There is also a way to start up your computer and have it load one file at a time and will prompt you after each file loads, this way you can see which one is causing the problem. If this is where your problem is?

There is a script that you can initiate through the command prompt that will stop the bootup sequence and give you an error message as to what caused it to "crash". Just have to remember to stop the script from running after you figure out what's wrong.

It could be that something in the bios could have been tweaked that it isn't liking. I know on my dad's, he had the primary boot device changed and later on various other settings that were tweaked that caused some instability. Who knows what caused those concerns, may never know. Oh the joys of electronics at times.
 

phototec

New Member
I want to thank all who offered help and suggestions, it turns out the "C" hard drive failed.

I called a local tech and he told me to keep tapping the F12 key as the computer starts up, then on Dell computers there is a option for self diagnostics. I ran it and the main HD failed, so I took it to the tech and he installed a new hard drive and loaded Windows 7, the last few computers I purchased don't come with a backup copy of the operating system.

Then the tech moved the old hard drive to another location and connected it to the mother board and he could see the USER folder in Windows explorer, he is trying to copy all the files over to the new HD, it was working although he said the old drive was making noise.

The estimated time to copy the files was longer than they were open today, so he said to come get it on Monday. He said no guarantee the files will be readable however it is a good sign that you could see them and that the indications that they are being copied.

The ironic thing is just a few days ago Player told me that I needed to make an IMAGE of my hard drive, but I didn't have the software to do it yet. Now I have to reload all my software and lost all the project files from VersaWorks. Anyone who reads this, make your IMAGE of your HD before are in this position.

Your HD will fail, just a matter of time. This computer went into service in April 2010, so the hard drive lasted about 5.5 years.
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
Then the tech moved the old hard drive to another location and connected it to the mother board and he could see the USER folder in Windows explorer, he is trying to copy all the files over to the new HD, it was working although he said the old drive was making noise.

That sounds like what my mom's drive was doing when it failed. Except while we were trying to copy everything we had fans blowing on it as well as it was overheating big time.

The ironic thing is just a few days ago Player told me that I needed to make an IMAGE of my hard drive, but I didn't have the software to do it yet. Now I have to reload all my software and lost all the project files from VersaWorks. Anyone who reads this, make your IMAGE of your HD before are in this position.

Your HD will fail, just a matter of time. This computer went into service in April 2010, so the hard drive lasted about 5.5 years.

Couldn't agree more. Backup, backup, backup. I just hope you didn't have anything that needed to be deactivated first that may prevent reactivation.
 

phototec

New Member
That sounds like what my mom's drive was doing when it failed. Except while we were trying to copy everything we had fans blowing on it as well as it was overheating big time.



Couldn't agree more. Backup, backup, backup. I just hope you didn't have anything that needed to be deactivated first that may prevent reactivation.

Oops, I had Illustrator 5.5 and Photoshop CC, I wonder how t will work to reinstall them?
 
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