Restart Problems -- Help!!

I just finished re-installing Windows 7 on a machine that previously had a clean copy of Windows Vista Home Basic. Windows 7 runs beautifully UNTIL you have to restart/boot up the computer. Then it goes directly to "Startup Repair" which says it cannot solve the problems. When you click on "finish," it starts to reboot and you go through the same ugly loop. I have figured out that I can start Windows 7 by pushing F10 when it reboots, select the right hard drive for booting, and it gives me a screen in which I can choose "Start Windows 7", and then everything runs fine from there. I'd rather not have to do that every time I boot up my computer. Any ideas on how to fix it?

Thanks!

Yes, run a repair install from the desktop. In Windows 7 a repair install is an Upgrade over itself, which saves all programs, files and settings in place but reinstalls the Operating System and reconfigures the boot.

Put the DVD in the drive, run it, select Connect to Internet during Install, then Upgrade.

It takes about an hour normally, and only requires reactivation afterward at Computer>Properties.

Thanks for the information. I had just finished a repair install and realized that the problem still existed. That's when I posted to the forum. Is there anything else I should try before resigning myself to having to go through the "F10" process each time I restart/reboot the computer?

The strange single- boot menu you get using F10 should have been reconciled with Repair Install which completely reconfigures the boot.

The only other thing that comes to mind is to check BIOS setup (look for F-key given on first screen, likely F1 or F2) to be sure Windows 7 HD is first HD set to boot.

I would make it after DVD drive so you can use your DVD for repairs easier.

If this fails, then I would boot into Win7 DVD and click through to Recovery Options to run Startup Repair 3 times as it has many tests and repairs it runs through.

i have exactly the same problem, after i installed an update of AVAST free antivirus, i have win7 ultimate 32bit build 7600. if you do come up with a solution, please, notify me, im not that good in computer repairs, this is my first time to encounter this kind of problem, i tried the windows startup repair but it could not fix the problem. and, i had BSOD when i restart my pc. Thanks in advance. . . .

Boot into the WIndows 7 DVD Repair console and System Restore to before the problematic update.

I have never heard of an Avast update causing this (or anything) however, in over 100 installs of Avast free home.

If the SysRestore fails to start it, tap F8 at reboot and try Last Known Good Configuration.

If that fails, try to boot into Safe Mode via F8.

Startup Repair sometimes needs to be run more than once if there are multiple problems. You want to run it until it tells you there are no problems it can fix.

Thanks a lot, ill try that ASAP, ill post the results. thanks

i've tried ur advice, has'nt done anything, i sent an error report to microsoft though, hope they will help me, i just noticed that after doing all of that, it change my theme to default, though i can start my computer normally, and shut it down normally. the restarting is the problem, still not fixed after 3 tries. heheh. maybe this is new in windows 7, hope they'll make a fix for it. i have to patch my system again to use third party themes. hehehehe... thanks anyways, please, do let me know if you have something.

YuanMasipag said:

i've tried ur advice, has'nt done anything, i sent an error report to microsoft though, hope they will help me, i just noticed that after doing all of that, it change my theme to default, though i can start my computer normally, and shut it down normally. the restarting is the problem, still not fixed after 3 tries. heheh. maybe this is new in windows 7, hope they'll make a fix for it. i have to patch my system again to use third party themes. hehehehe... thanks anyways, please, do let me know if you have something.

If you patched your Win7 to use third party themes then that is most likely what bollixed your startup.

Try booting into the Win7 DVD Repair console, choose System Restore and restore to before you made the tweak.

Can you boot into Safe Mode by tapping F8 at bootup?

iv used third party themes sinz october, and this problem that i have in restarting just occured yesterday. sadly, i dont use system restore, windows have auto restore point though, tryd that yesterday, but never solved the problem as well. anyways, i think il be okay with this for now, shutting down and turning my pc on again whenever i nid to restart. it sux though but i guess il have to get used with it. il just kip this thread updated, maybe in a month or two, some solution will come out. thanks 4 ur tym greg.