Ran Disk Cleanup Now Computer Won't Boot To Windows


  1. Posts : 1
    Windows 7 64 bit
       #1

    Ran Disk Cleanup Now Computer Won't Boot To Windows


    So I was running low on hard drive space so I ran disk cleanup because windows prompted me too. Looking at the selections it seemed to all be temporary files & update files. Given that it was going to give me about 20 GB I ran it and messed around on my computer for a good 20 min afterwards and everything worked fine but then I closed it down went away for 5 min and then came back. When the computer went to boot it failed at the loading screen and went straight into startup repair. No files were changed in that 20 min and the only thing I did was surf the internet on reddit in that time. I don't know if I had an update ready to go, but I'd read on the internet that occasionally that happens and can cause issues if you delete windows update file through disk cleanup (which I did).

    It boots to startup repair after trying to load windows files. Only oddity when it is boots up it says it's looking for files in D:/Windows ... my installation drive is C:/ and I don't have any other partitions on this harddrive. D:/ is my cd drive, but my bios is pointing bootup to my C:/ so I'm a bit confused on why it is looking at D:/. I don't know how to point it at the right place, but I have command prompt option that starts out pointing me at X:/Windows/system32 I can't cd to other places. I can execute files that I'd expect at this location like DISM, but I have no idea what to do through the command prompt that could help me. Not even sure that is a problem since it appears like the command prompt knows the correct directory.

    When I run Startup repair it fails with a signature of "Signature 07: MissingOSLoader".

    It gives me options to recover from image or restore point, but there are files I'd like to recover so was going to see if there was a way of fixing or better yet if this D:/ thing is an error get it working correctly. Not much more information as everything was working fine before I used disk cleanup, didn't think temporary files or windows update files would brick the computer when they got deleted by a windows utility : /.

    Running Windows 7 x64 with an intel processor and an Intel 256 GB ssd. Not 100% sure what the other parts are. I have had the computer a little less then 3 years now. Any help would be much appreciated ...
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Windows prompted you to run disc cleanup ?

    Never heard or seen that before, anyone else ?

    Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 113
    Windows 11 Home x64
       #3

    Do you have the windows cd to boot from? It might be able to repair the startup with the cd, the error message your getting sounds like something is missing in the boot manager.

    Searched and found this thread on sevenforums, follow directions in the post by Arc Windows Startup Repair Not Working!! Please Help!!
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #4

    Startup repair does not always work
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 113
    Windows 11 Home x64
       #5

    I think the op needs to try booting from the windows cd or a recovery disc first to see if it will boot and repair the problem in the startup entry, here is the quote from the thread I linked to:
    Arc said:
    There is a problem with the startup entry . The automated startup repair doesn't fix such problems all the times. What you need to do is to run ( click ) https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html , using either a system repair disk, or a windows installation disk. Sometimes it needs to run startup repair for at least three times, with restarts after every single run (https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html) . This action will add the missing OS loader.

    At the same time, as you forced the system restore to stop, there might be some corruptions in your system files , too. To fix those, you need to try https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html .

    If you dont have either the system repair CD or the or a windows 7 installation DVD, but you have a legit windows 7 product key, you may download the windows 7 pro 64 bit iso from digital river .
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 113
    Windows 11 Home x64
       #6

    AddRAM said:
    Startup repair does not always work
    I hate it when that happens

    It has a better chance of working booting from the win7 cd or a recovery cd though.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #7

    AddRAM said:
    Windows prompted you to run disc cleanup ?

    Never heard or seen that before, anyone else ?

    Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console
    Nor have I except when I tried to do a Repair Install. Windows 7 would not let me do it until I gave Windows 7 some room to work with. (more free space) I just got rid of some trash and things went well. Their was no lock up or any problems after the clean up.
    That makes me wonder what did cause the pop up.

    ***What programs was used to do the clean up?
      My Computer

  8.    #8

    I've never heard of Disk Cleanup causing unbootable Win7.

    Everything that can be done is here for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start.

    You'll need to make a Win7 disk for doing the repairs or if necessary rescuing your files to do a reinstall.

    Startup Repair has the ability to rewrite the System boot files and make the OS bootable again providing the correct partition is marked Active, so there is a step to do this with the disk once you've confirmed it is not infected - because it may not repair if seriously infected.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #9

    Cleaning your disk can cause problems. It all depends what programs you use.
    I have never heard of the built in Windows 7 Disk Cleanup causing problems.

    Disk Cleanup - Open and Use

    Disk Cleanup : Extended

    I have no doubt that their 3rd party clean up programs that can cause problems.
      My Computer


 

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