Windows 7: "Starting Windows" Lock Problem

I have a computer problem, and I need help finding the cause.

Almost 75% of the time when I turn my computer on it boots past the POST and then I see the "Starting Windows" text at the bottom, it then locks up during the "Windows" animation. Sometimes I see the little red dot, sometimes the whole thing shows up and it stops. Sometimes I don't see any graphic.

I reset the computer and run into the option of Startup repair or Start Windows normally. If i start normally, it almost always works. If i do the start up repair, it can't find an error.

What can I do to find out what is causing this problem?

64 Bit by the way. Didn't have this problem with Vista. Did have the same problem with 32 Bit 7.

Is the behaviour noticeably and consistently better when booting into safe mode (press F8 at startup)? You may need to reboot into safe mode a dozen times or so to be sure.

If so, a bit of standardised "safe mode troubleshooting" should help to find the culprit. It's going to be something which loads in normal mode but not the reduced-functionality subset of components which constitute safe mode. MSCONFIG is one of the ways to do some experiments in order to find the cause.

I never boot into safe mode. The problem is, everytime i restart and select "start windows normally" the error doesn't repeat itself until the next time i shut down.

Do you shutdown properly or do a half A*s'd job and rip the cable out, or hold the button in?

The point of booting into safe mode is to test, not to use the computer that way. The outcome of the safe mode tests tells you something about the nature of the problem:

- If the symptom NEVER occurs when booting into safe mode, then you know that the cause is something which loads in normal mode but not in safe mode, and there are additional mechanisms for isolating such a culprit.

- If the same thing happens when you boot to safe mode, the Windows installation itself is somehow damaged. Obviously, a different approach is called for, potentially involving a system restore to a point before the problem started.

Try a different graphics driver...when you can get in to install one.. There are a number of loading screens that M$ tried, but couldn't get to show properly, so opted for this one, but I have looked at a couple, and they look quite good, but M$ can't give you something that wont load !!!!!!

No, I always shut down properly.

I'll try the safe mode approach. I don't have to use it much, but i don't rememebr a problem getting into it.


Any screen shots or videos of these loading screens? I'd be interested to see them. To answer your question, I have tried a few different drivers, i keep them updated though. 8800GTX

actually, run 'msconfig', select " no gui boot" and apply, when you restart, you will have a new boot screen that M$ disabled, because it wont run on SOME systems.. it runs on mine ok, but I was given another that wouldn't run... so if this doesn't run on yours, your graphic driver can't handle some graphics until Windows has actually initialised all the drivers !!!!! try it.... it doesn't work, just MSCONFIG and cancel the changes you previously made... let me know if it runs ok ??

I will try that SofTones. However, it may be worse than that, because I couldn't get into Safe Mode at all today, it kept locking up during the driver install.

hmm, possibly corrupt M$ drivers?