Computer will not boot (from hdd OR disc)


  1. Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
       #1

    Computer will not boot (from hdd OR disc)


    Recently my desktop pc has refused to boot into Windows 7. It was running fine/normally for 2 months (after a fresh Windows 7 install), then this past Monday (18 May) it shut itself down and I've not been able to get it operational since.

    When trying to boot from the C drive my pc goes to the "Windows Error Recovery" screen immediately after the usual "motherboard logo screen." When I try the "Startup Repair" option my pc begins loading files but during this process (after about 15 seconds) it shuts itself down and restarts. This also happens when I try to start windows normally - it shows the "starting windows" screen then restarts itself after about 15 seconds.

    What has me stumped: When I try to boot from a disc (I've tried 3 bootable discs that have worked for me before including the official Windows 7 install disc) my pc begins to load it, then restarts itself the same way it does when I attempt to boot from the hdd.

    What I've tried so far:
    - Loading discs from both my internal drives and from an external USB 2.0 drive
    - Disconnecting then Reconnecting the cables for the internal disc drives
    - Taking out the RAM and putting it back into place
    - Leaving the pc unplugged for an hour
    ALL of these made no changes

    Note: I AM able to access the BIOS and my pc will idle in the BIOS menu for at least a few hours (I shut it down manually after confirming this)

    My motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth 990 FX (purchased in 2012)
    My CPU: AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 8-Core 3.6GHz Socket AM3+ 125W (also purchased in 2012)

    Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated! (even if it's suggesting another forum to post in - I don't know the best place to post this in so I thought I'd start here)
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 21
    Microsoft Windows 10 Pro (x64)
       #2

    Hello Harvey7,

    You could try:
    1. Create a bootable USB Flash Drive a try to boot from it, and see if it is still happening.
    2. If a Windows Bootable Media is not working, try to create a bootable Linux media.

    I had a similar situation about 3 months ago with my desktop
    which has a AMD FX-4100, 4 GB RAM and Windows 8.1 Pro.

    It turned out that it wasn't getting enough power supply.

    My PC would stay powered on for about 5 to 10 minutes then suddenly it would restart.
    Check if the same is with you.

    Good luck.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    One of the discs I tried was my Linux Ubuntu disc (which worked in the past on the same machine but now it does not).

    I also tried removing the onboard battery on the motherboard then I cleared the Real Time Clock RAM in CMOS by moving the jumper cap (to pins 2-3 then back to pins 1-2) then I replaced the onboard battery. Only noticed a slight change:
    when booting from the disc drive my pc loads the disc for a little bit longer than before but still restarts itself like before.

    At this point I don't know what to try or what the problem is and I may have to salvage parts from this machine to build another one.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,774
    Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
       #4

    Grasping at straws, are you able to boot any DVD containing hardware-testing utilities? I'm wondering if your HD might need checking.
      My Computer

  5.    #5

    Can you enter BIOS setup quickly upon boot to monitor any temps given to see if it is shutting down due to overheating? If so follow the cleanup step in Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7.

    If so try booting the Win7 installation or repair disk by setting hard drive first to boot in BIOS then triggering the disk to boot using the Asus one-time Boot menu which on some models is the F8 key before it goes to OS.

    Does the disk prompt to Press any Key to boot Disk? If so and it won't boot try another disk. If not try powering down to unplug the hard drive, then try again to boot disk. Report back.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I confirmed the Bootable discs that I tried using on my machine will boot on a friend's machine.
    I don't think it's overheating - I can see the temps in the BIOS menu and they are relatively normal idle temps compared to when my pc was working ok.

    I talked with ASUS (motherboard maker) customer service recently to see if they had any suggestions. They suggested it might be the SATA controller, but if that was the issue why would my machine still not boot from an external USB disc drive? Then they made a good point - since my pc will idle just fine in the BIOS menu, but restarts any time I try to boot it (both from hdd or disc), perhaps my power supply unit is failing when it needs to supply the necessary power for the boot-up process. So I figure it's worth a try and I ordered a replacement PSU. It should be arriving in a couple days - I hope this works.
      My Computer

  7.    #7

    Let us know how that goes.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Replacing the Power Supply Unit solved the issue. I was able to restore my system with an Aomei backup I made before my PSU died. It figures - it was just past the 3 year warranty.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #9

    Good to know that the replaced PSU resolved the issue. That you had an AOMEI backup deserves another pat. You seem to be well armed. :) Thanks for sharing the info.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #10

    gregrocker said:
    Can you enter BIOS setup quickly upon boot to monitor any temps given to see if it is shutting down due to overheating? If so follow the cleanup step in Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7.

    If so try booting the Win7 installation or repair disk by setting hard drive first to boot in BIOS then triggering the disk to boot using the Asus one-time Boot menu which on some models is the F8 key before it goes to OS.

    Does the disk prompt to Press any Key to boot Disk? If so and it won't boot try another disk. If not try powering down to unplug the hard drive, then try again to boot disk. Report back.
    tnh
      My Computer


 

  Related Discussions
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 7 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 7" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

© Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 23:55.
Find Us