Windows 7: Win Boot Mgr Error 0xc00000e9: Unexpected I/O error

Hey there,

My father's computer refuses to start. It's running Windows 7 Pro x64. When I attempt to start it up, it starts up the Windows Error Recovery program, suggesting that I launch Startup Repair, and allowing me to start Windows normally. In both scenarios, I get the same error. When I start normally, I get the Starting Windows text, then I get a solid white bar with Windows is loading files... above it. It fills up halfway, then I get Windows Boot Manager error 0xc00000e9: An unexpected I/o Error has occurred.

This computer is a stock Dell Inspiron 530s, with no new hardware devices added or removed in recent memory (other than starting from a USB stick once or twice, but not since I installed Windows 7 Pro x64 on here).

How should I proceed? Should I plug in a USB stick I have Xubuntu 9.04 on and backup all his files before I do anything?

Thanks,

--Red

Try this:

Startup Repair

System Repair Disc - Create
System Recovery Options
Repair Install

Running the Startup Repair program now.... I dunno if this is normal, but it took a couple minutes for the computer to report back on the number of Windows 7 Installations (which there is one, on a 250GB hard drive, I'm guessing about 75GB of that is being used). I hope my hard drive isn't failing - we got the computer around two years ago...

Now it's automatically trying to use System Restore on it, and it's saying Attempting Repairs... it's sat there for a couple minutes, and the hard drive LED is solidly on, no blinking or variations in the intensity of the LED.

Did startup repair find Win 7 installation?

If,yes you need to run 3 to 4 times.

Restarted, and now it's automatically logging into the user account as usual. Should I run any sort of system integrity check?

Looking good. you can do a check.

Check your ram.

Memory Diagnostics Tool

Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

Check your HD.

SFC /SCANNOW Command - System File Checker

Check with a hard drive diagnostic tools.

Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.

Scans check out - I think I'm all right. I didn't do the Memtest86+ scan and the Hard Drive scan since things are working quite smoothly.

Is there any 'mark as solved' command for threads on this forum?

That's good to here.

Use the red triangle, & report solved.

I never would have guessed that it was there.

Is it intentional to hide the command? I stay away from 'report post' type buttons in case I accidentally get another user in trouble.