Windows 7: Unable to boot following BSOD: "Loading operating system" hang

thx1139 · 12 Feb 2011

Last night, my computer (specification in signature) was running the folding@home client on both cores (nothing unusual about that) among other things and suffered a BSOD. After dumping something (memory or page file?), it restarted - it didn't stay on the screen, so I couldn't note down any information. After restarting, the computer got as far as:

Code:

Loading operating system_
Booting from CD_

(there's a random irrelevant CD in the drive and removing stops it from checking the CD but otherwise makes no difference).

At that point the screen dims (with the writing still faintly readable, and no progress is made.

I've run a Ubuntu live DVD and it sees the harddisks (both data and Windows drives) and the files are accessible.

When I attempt to repair the Windows installation via the Windows 7 DVD disc, no operating system is detected, even after loading the necessary drivers for my motherboard's RAID controller (the installation is not on a RAID-configured disk but I think the drivers may be necessary nonetheless based on my installation experience, about a year ago).

When I select "Use recovery tools that can help fix problems starting Windows..." and click "Next" and then select "Startup Repair", a repair is attempted and I am told to restart the computer to complete the repairs. According to the diagnosis and repair details:

Code:

Root cause found:
-----------------
The partition table does not have a valid System Partition.

Repair action: Partition table repair
Result: Completed successfully. Error code = 0x0
Time taken = 9282 ms

---------------
---------------

Then, when I restart and remove the Windows disc, I get the same

Code:

Loading operating system_

as before.

How might I go about resolving this issue?

thx1139 · 12 Feb 2011

I solved it using help I recieved for a similar problem months ago.

At the command prompt type:

Code:

diskpart

Wait for completion. Type:

Code:

lis vol

Determine which volume number and drive letter is your system drive/partition (where Windows 7 is installed) and make a note of it - you might need to use the label or the volume size as a clue.

Type the following, replacing c: with the drive letter of your system drive/partition and replacing # with the associated volume number - press enter after each:

Code:

bootsec /nt60 c:

Code:

bcdboot c:\windows /s c:

Code:

diskpart

Code:

sel vol #

Code:

act

Code:

exi

Now restart the computer, removing the CD from the drive as soon as the PC enters the boot process (allowing it to shutdown first).

Done.

theog · 12 Feb 2011

Startup Repair
Note: You may need to do startup repair 3 to 4 times.
Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

thx1139 · 12 Feb 2011

Hmm, thanks. Though, in my experience, with the few problems I've dealt with, no number of repetitions of the start-up repair will fix it while those commands I used sort it out it one go :/

Windows 7: Unable to boot following BSOD: "Loading operating system" hang

Unable to boot following BSOD: "Loading operating system" hang problems?