Windows 7 not starting at all

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  1. Posts : 78
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP 1 (Version 6.1.7601)
       #1

    Windows 7 not starting at all


    (My specs are up to date: TL;DR Win7 HP, Samsung 960 SSD)

    Background:


    A couple days ago, I installed NordVPN on my PC. No problems with it. Last night my PC was running fine, except for some excessive lag on a game I was playing and I was the only one lagging. Shouldn't have been the VPN because I set a tunnel for it to get to the server. But, I decided to disconnect from the VPN and reboot to see if that affect the lag.

    (BTW, I am not home. I am working remotely for the Summer and do not have my Win7 install CDs with me.)

    Upon reboot, I get to a "Windows did not shut down properly" screen with an option to run a repair or start normally. If I chose start normally, I get booted to the BIOS. If I chose the repair, I would go into a loop of repair not working and reboot to the same two options.

    I boot to my other HD, which has an older Win7 installation on it (which I stopped using because Windows Update stopped working there). From there, I could see the main drive and had no trouble checking that files were there in Windows Explorer.

    On the older installation, I create a startup repair CD and boot from it, hoping it can fix Windows on the main drive. I am not sure it ever did anything useful. At some point, it said it was going to repair something and then it failed to repair it. I suspect that it never found the main drive and was busy doing bad things to my older installation. Now I cannot boot from the older installation, either. So, yay. Thinking, I am better off repairing the main drive and not getting confused with the repair trying to fix something that formerly worked, I disconnect the older drive.

    Current state:


    Now, startup repair CD seems not to find the main SSD (if it ever did) or any Windows installations. I suspect that it does not have the SSD drivers for my newer SSD or something. Anyway, I am currently unable to boot from the main Windows 7 installation (or the older one) and have no working Windows 7 PCs. My laptop is a Win10 machine that I am using now.

    When I run the startup repair on the Win7 machine, it loads files, lets me choose a keyboard region, fails to find any installed OS (there is a button to load drivers, but I don't know where they would be). I don't know where to go from there.

    Any pointers to the next step?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #2

    Win 7 installation disk doesn't have the Samsung 960 NVMe driver, that is why you can't see the drive under Win PE - Repair.
    You have to add it to the Win 7 installation disk.
    On the win 7 installation disk you have two compressed files on \sources:
    Boot.wim has the installation and repair wizard.
    Install.wim has the four Win 7 brands (Home, HP, Pro and ultimate)

    How did you install win 7 to the 960? I guess you had win 7 on another drive, inserted the M.2 drive, under windows loaded the NVMe driver and then cloned all to the 960.
    You have to add NVMe driver at least to the \sources\Boot.wim to see the drive you want to repair. I would also add to the \sources\Install.wim to be able to install directly to the 960.
    I made a tutorial to add drivers to the Win 7 installation disk, and I recommend you read it to understand the process.
    Create a Windows 7 USB flash installation with new drives for new MB's

    SIW2 has made a tool to automatize and I recommend you to use it.
    Update your Win 7 installation media.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 6,021
    Win 7 HP SP1 64-bit Vista HB SP2 32-bit Linux Mint 18.3
       #3

    This post has been deleted by me because for some reason it was duplicated.
    Last edited by Paul Black; 18 Aug 2018 at 16:09.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 6,021
    Win 7 HP SP1 64-bit Vista HB SP2 32-bit Linux Mint 18.3
       #4

    Hi MrZork,

    Megahertz07 said:
    SIW2 has made a tool to automatize and I recommend you to use it.
    Update your Win 7 installation media.
    That is what I recommend too.
    I have tested the procedure by SIW2 and it works brilliantly.
    All you need to do afterwards is to burn [you can't just copy and paste it because it won't work] the newly updated ISO to a DVD or USB.

    To burn the ISO to a DVD you can use the Windows 7 built in ISO burner.
    To burn the ISO to a USB you can either use: Rufus 2.18 or Rufus 2.18 Portable.

    I hope this helps.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 78
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP 1 (Version 6.1.7601)
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Folks, thank you very much for those replies. I just want to check one thing because some of the suggestions sound like they might require the installation disks to create a modified set of installation media with more up-to-date drivers for my SSD and USB 3. I am not super experienced at this, so, before I get too lost, I want to check that I can create this updated install disk subject to the constraint

    MrZork said:
    (BTW, I am not home. I am working remotely for the Summer and do not have my Win7 install CDs with me.)
    So, if I these solutions are saying that I need them, is there a place I can get the install disks? I am fine telling Microsoft who I am and my original keys, if needed.

    BTW, to be 100% clear: This is a legit install. I upgraded to Win7 and bought both the original Vista disks and the legit Win7 upgrade. It's just that the disks are 1000 miles away at the moment. I do have the CD keys for both of my disks (one of those rare times I am glad I didn't delete those photos from my mobile). But, I would have to download any ISO of the install disks from MS.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 6,021
    Win 7 HP SP1 64-bit Vista HB SP2 32-bit Linux Mint 18.3
       #6

    Hi MrZork,

    Being that you upgraded to Windows 7 makes this slighty different to just downloading a Windows 7 ISO, installing it, and then activating it.

    You will need to download an upto date Windows 7 SP1 ISO. Then use the ISO to reinstall but don't enter the Upgrade Key. Complete the install, and then run a repair install, this time entering the Upgrade Key. I think this is correct!

    Another alternative, if it is viable, is to get someone to send you the discs!

    I hope this helps!
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #7

    Paul Black said:
    Hi MrZork,

    You will need to download an upto date Windows 7 SP1 ISO. Then use the ISO to reinstall but don't enter the Upgrade Key. Complete the install, and then run a repair install, this time entering the Upgrade Key. I think this is correct!
    Paul, If you download a Win 7 HP iso, you don't need to double install.
    A upgrade disk has a ei.cfg saying it's for upgrade. That is the only difference.
    In other words, if you download an iso you can use the upgrade key as a retail license.

    Link to M$ server to Win 7 HP 64. Link is valid for 24 hours.
    https://software-download.microsoft....28c881843b3ad1
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 6,021
    Win 7 HP SP1 64-bit Vista HB SP2 32-bit Linux Mint 18.3
       #8

    Hi Megahertz07,

    Megahertz07 said:
    Paul, If you download a Win 7 HP iso, you don't need to double install.
    An upgrade disk has a ei.cfg saying it's for upgrade. That is the only difference.
    In other words, if you download an iso you can use the upgrade key as a retail license.
    Thanks for pointing that out. I wasn't sure what the difference was with an upgrade installation as opposed to a standard installation. So there is no difference then to a standard installation!

    I tried to rep you, but it says I must spread it around a little, so to speak!
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 78
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit SP 1 (Version 6.1.7601)
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Megahertz07, your guess about how I installed to the 960 is correct. It's been a while, but I think I had Win7 installed on the older drive, installed the 960 drivers, then cloned over to the 960.

    Thank you for that link. I hope that will save me having my aunt dig around my dusty garage hunting for my old CDs.

    So, I will download that ISO, then create the install CDs. Will I need to use SIW2's tool that you mention in your earlier reply to add more drivers and then create another set of install CDs? Or does the downloaded ISO have up-to-date drivers and I can use the install CDs I create from them to do a Repair Install?

    BTW, I am assuming that the Repair Install is my goal here, right? That will (fingers crossed) get me back up and running?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 7,351
    Windows 7 HP 64
       #10

    - Download the iso.
    - Download the SIW2 tool https://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...7updaterv5.zip
    - Download the 960 NVMe driver 64bit-Sams.zip
    - Make a copy of the iso to a working folder.
    - Follow SIW2 instructions Update your Win 7 installation media.
    Windows 7 not starting at all Attached Files
      My Computers


 
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