URGENT - Windows 7 Crash - won't repair and won't reboot


  1. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #1

    URGENT - Windows 7 Crash - won't repair and won't reboot


    Windows 7 Home Premium
    Gateway EC1430u Netbook

    Issue -

    My OS crashed yesterday and upon restart would not load Windows. The option came up to do a Startup Repair, which it did until it finished with the blue wallpaper/screensaver screen. It then restarted ok and was functioning. I then tried to do a backup which after several hours was only 40% completed. I stopped and then the system crashed again shortly afterwards. When I went to reboot again, the following error msg came up -

    Unspecified changes to system configuration might have caused the problem. Result failed. error code 0x490.

    I tried to reboot again and got another error msg -

    Windows has encountered a problem communicating with a device connected with your computer. Status 0x00000e9. Info - An unexpected I/O error has occcured.

    I tried to reboot again only to get either a black screen or go through the repair cycle and get the blue wallpaper screen with nothing but a cursor after 10 hrs. And nothing changes unless I switch it off and the one of 2 cycles starts again with no result. It either won't start with Start Windows Normally (black screen forever) or gets stuck in the repair cycle (blue wallpaper screen with cursor forever). What do I need to do???

    I have tried the Startup Repair option and the Start Windows Normally option - nothing works.

    I am at the point of reformatting the hard drive with the Recovery disc I made when I first bought the pc except I can't run it or can't see how to run it. I tried to boot it from the recovery disc and all I get is an error msg telling me I have to either Startup Repair or Start Normally - neither of which work at the moment.

    It's been a while since I backed up and of course that's the time these things pick to go batsh%$. Although it seems to have been freezing more and more of late and requiring a hard start, and I also recently installed Google Chrome on it, I'm still at loss as to what's caused the problem and more importantly, how to fix it.

    I bought it in Nov 2009 from Amazon and really don't want to give it up. I'll reformat it if there's no other option for fixing it, but would obviously like some means to recover the data either before or after I do that. I can probably answer any diagnostic questions you have, but I don't know what else to include here to help. If you need more info to help you help me, just ask.

    I'm at my wits end as my wife is currently deployed, my phoneline has also gone down this week, so I need this pc working ASAP. I'm at a loss as to what to do so any timely assistance will be greatly appreciated. Apologies for the essay and also if this isn't in the correct section.

    Cheers

    WAL972
    Last edited by WAL972; 01 Mar 2011 at 11:59.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,360
    win7 ultimate / virtual box
       #2

    unplug all peripheral devices and check your ram is seated properly, Do not disturb this if it will void any warranty ?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks for responding, I've really had a gutful dealing with this for the last 2 days. There are no peripherals attached but can you tell me how I check to see if the RAM is seated properly?

    Thanks

    WAL972
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Icky,

    If you're talking about the RAM memory chips then yes, they are seated firmly inside. I just can't seem to get the boot working, whether it's from the dvd or anything else. It won't boot, it won't repair itself, it won't access the laptop through safe mode. It either repeatedly hangs on a black screen or comes up with a Windows Boot Manager error msg. I've given up any hope of recovering the data, I just want to boot my recovery disc - and it won't even do that. I have no idea of the original cause or any possible new ones. I'm out of answers and it seems that my cry for help will be lost in the crowd without regular bumping. I don't know anymore and I'm knackered to be honest. Is there any way to access windows via the recovery disc/s (there's 4 that the system made originally and one with drivers & apps) if the system keeps failing to boot ANYTHING? It either appears to be doing nothing after HOURS of waiting so I restart it or it ends up in error msgs. I know this probably isn't very helpful, but I can answer better quality questions if I get them. I don't know enough to give you a better description without better quality questions.

    I'm out of answers and ready to do some percussive maintenance on the *******. ANY help will be grateful at this stage from ANYONE.

    Thanks

    WAL972
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Apologies, however I need something to work with. Bump.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,360
    win7 ultimate / virtual box
       #6

    its possible there are no replies as the scene you describe could possibly be a hardware issue

    your repair options are limited with a notebook and you need a working windows PE environment to run startup repair which i would try to setup from a USB stick or usb optical drive ?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #7

    I have the optical drive and the recovery discs I made when I first ran it. PE environment? Not sure what you mean.

    And I've been trying to run startup repair for 2 days now but as I've said it either hangs and requires a hard restart or it results in some kind of error message.

    So how do you suggest I proceed from this point?

    And if it is a hardware issue - what are my options then?

    Your timely response (or anyone else with some helpful advice) is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks mate

    WAL972


    P.S. I'm in Cambs btw.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,360
    win7 ultimate / virtual box
       #8

    WAL972 said:
    I have the optical drive and the recovery discs I made when I first ran it. PE environment? Not sure what you mean.

    And I've been trying to run startup repair for 2 days now but as I've said it either hangs and requires a hard restart or it results in some kind of error message.

    So how do you suggest I proceed from this point?

    And if it is a hardware issue - what are my options then?

    Your timely response (or anyone else with some helpful advice) is greatly appreciated.

    Thanks mate

    WAL972


    P.S. I'm in Cambs btw.
    winpe is windows pre installation environment where you get some of the simpler options for install, format and repair etc.

    the mention of I/O errors makes me suspect it could be a hard drive problem, does your hard drive show correctly in your BIOS ?

    can you access safe mode by tapping F8 on boot ?

    have you tried booting to a Knoppix disc to see if you can access your system and files and to verify the hard drive is working ?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 6
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Thanks Icky,

    What should my BIOS be saying about the hard drive?

    Yes I can access safe mode on boot, but like hitting the repair option, it only results in an I/O error message - 0xc00000e9 Unexpected I/O error has occurred, stating that 'Windows has encountered a problem communicating with a device connected to my computer.'

    The problem is I don't have ANYTHING attached/connected to my computer now, so I have no idea what it's referring to.

    Any ideas?

    Also, once I have this knoppix disc, how to I verify the hard drive is working? What am I to look for?

    Thanks again for your assistance, it's definitely appreciated.

    Cheers

    WAL972
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,360
    win7 ultimate / virtual box
       #10

    your bios should simply show your hard drive to confirm its detected ?

    the "I/O error message - 0xc00000e9 Unexpected I/O error has occurred, stating that 'Windows has encountered a problem communicating with a device connected to my computer." could be a bad hard drive or possibly a corrupt MBR (Master Boot Record) ?

    to fix the latter you can try by downloading and running a windows 7 system recovery disc , run it 3 or 4 times at least to see if it can detect and then repair the boot for your windows installation ?

    let us know the result ?

    N.B. the knoppix disc can be used to boot to its own linux environment and you can view your files on your hard drive if the drive is still working ?
      My Computer


 

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