Laptop will not fully startup

Northernsoul55 · 12 Aug 2013

Hi,

Thanks for the update, and info about Buffalo, may help someone in the future with similar issues.

Firstly I would strongly advise against the use of Tuneup Utilities ....reason:

Code:

 
Windows is a closed source system. Developers of tuneup utilities and registry 
cleaners do not have the core code of Win 7 and are not working on definitive 
information, but rather they are going on past knowledge and experience, 
most of which is not applicable to Win 7.
There is almost no tweaking that can be done to Win 7 to speed it up. 
The system is designed to diagnose itself and take care of itself which it 
does remarkably well. Win 7 maintains itself and that includes the registry.
Tuneup utilities are pure snake oil. At best they do nothing except use 
resources. At worst, they can mess your system up, slowing it down, and 
even crash it. There is no tuneup utility out there anywhere that can speed 
Win 7 up and improve its performance, at least not at this time.

I would uninstall the program, never to be used again :) but it is upto you as it is your
computer, I can only advise

Probably a case of works well in XP but not Win 7.

So is the computer running without issue now after Buffalo removal and Windows Update, booting fine,
running more smoothly etc?

cheers

Dave

andrew129260 · 12 Aug 2013

I agree, although I think ccleaner is the only exception to this rule that was stated above. IT clears things out that you can do yourself, with no problems using the basic settings. If you check everything listed and run its registry cleaner though, you need to know what your doing. But using windows built in tools are almost always the better option.

PeaB4YouGo · 12 Aug 2013

"Win 7 maintains itself and that includes the registry.
Tuneup utilities are pure snake oil."

While I'm ready to agree that Win7 is MS's best OS ever, I'm not ready to agree that tweak programs are unnecessary. Anytime I uninstall a program, using Win7, I find file associations and registry settings that no longer apply that were not removed. Ccleaner finds them and, if you watch it closely, will help you get rid of the b.s. that's left behind.

Anyone will tell you that a clean registry is a good thing. MS may tell you that the registry items left behind after an uninstall are harmless, but I disagree. It's only my opinion, but telling someone that Win7 is finally foolproof is wrong.

There are good tweakers and bad, that's true. But don't dissuade someone for wanting something beyond JUST Win7.

thesaint · 12 Aug 2013

Good evening gentlemen,
Sadly I have to report that the original fault as in my first post has returned (9 times out of 10). Dave, I believe that my system always automatically creates a restore point before installing a new program or windows update.
Once today when I did get a correct startup I did plug the VGA in, so I could watch the 50" display of yestedays Cricket summary. The displays on the laptop and the TV were working okay.
Today I have got access to the desktop whenever I start with F8 and Safe mode. once I tried F8 then a Boot Log start (which is supposed to produce a log of startup events and include the name of the last driver to install in the sequence.) It started okay - I,m using it now - but I was not offered to look at a boot log. Perhaps I have to request it somewhere?

Northernsoul55 · 13 Aug 2013

Hi,
Yes to view the Boot log, you can use msconfig.

To open msconfig:

1.Click the Win+R key combination to open the run dialog. Or Start and type Run in search box.
2.Type msconfig.exe.
3.Click either OK or the Enter key to run the command
4.Once the System Configuration Windows opens, select the Boot tab.
5.Check the box for Boot Log, and click OK. You'll receive a prompt to reboot the machine
to complete the setup. If not reboot anyway.
When the reboot completes, return to the System Configuration window.

In order to view the log file, do the following:
Navigate to C:\Windows\ and search for the file ntbtlog.txt.

It will give you the loaded driver list on boot :)

cheers

Dave

thesaint · 14 Aug 2013

Good Morning all,
Problem solved by doing a further restore but to a day 2 weeks ago.
After checking that all was now well I created a new restore point on "C"; then did a full scan with "Microsoft Security Essentials" & "Malwarebyes Pro." Moving on to using "CCleaner; Eusing: Glary "TUU" and "Auslogics" Registry Cleaners - "Stop spitting blood Dave" - (I have been using these utilites for the last 4 years and they have never caused me any trouble) I then did my usual once a month job of making a backup onto a USB Flash drive, then one onto a set of 3 DVDs followed by a backup "Create System Image" onto an external Hard drive. I finished off with creating a "Repair Disc".
Thanks for your help

Northernsoul55 · 14 Aug 2013

Glad to see your up and running. :)

No comment on the Registry Cleaners

So System Restore was the real answer then? At least I got something right

cheers

Dave

gregrocker · 14 Aug 2013

If you were using fatal Tune Up Utilities and the other optimizing tools mentioned which have never been required and often cause problems with Win7, then I would strongly consider doing a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 using only the tools and methods which work best with Win7.

If this is still the Acer factory preinstall then it's overdue anyway since most tech enthusiasts would never run the corrupt factory preinstall larded with bloatware and useless duplicate utilities which interfere with and have better versions built into Win7.

So stick with the steps, tools and methods in the reinstall tutorial and you'll get and keep a perfect install instead of the one you have now which we can easily recognize as ruined by dated XP-era tweaking.

It's your decision: the worst possible install one can have crippled by unnecessary tweaking Win7 has never needed, or a perfect install which we've helped tens of thousands of users do here without a single complaint, helping us earn the reputation of undisputed top tech forums on the web.

thesaint · 14 Aug 2013

Good evening "Gregrocker"
Thanks for your advice - which may or may not be entirely true! Your text reads more like an advertisement than advice. My recent problem was almost certainly caused by installing a program (Buffalo) which was not compatible with W7.
I use the aforementioned utilities frequently and have no trouble from them before. In fact a couple of years ago, when I had a serious problem and tried many unsuccessful ways to fix it; I finally fixed it by running the full scan (2 hours) of Tune Up Utilities - Disk Doctor) There - now I'm starting to advertise!

gregrocker · 14 Aug 2013

Not a week has gone by here since Win7 was in beta that we haven't seen a case of TuneUp Utilities or a comparable unneeded tweaking or optimizing suite cause fatal problems for the OS. In most cases like with the most serious infection it requires starting over to get a perfect reinstall, this time keeping with the tools and methods which work best if you value perfect performance in Win7 which is our specialty.

These experiences are not imagined or anecdotal but the actual week-after-week experience for nearly five years with Win7 here where we know Win7 the best, and where our applied experience with it have earned us the undisputed reputation as top tech forums on the web, probably in history.

So sometimes our conviction on this might read like an advertisement if only because we've had to repeat it so often, but we'd feel like we weren't giving you the same benefit of our experience if we didn't. That is what you came here for, right? Or did you want to give us rebuttal in a thread about your laptop not starting up?