After last Windows Update Win7 64bit ultimate will not boot

[TrapezeCDN]

My apologies as I am new to the forum and my quick searches have not given much fruition.


I have a CyberPower PC which was working fine until Friday January 17 when I got home and had a notification of one last important Windows Update. i am running an AMD processor on an ASUS M4A89TD Pro motherboard (all data was on the computer) Windows 7 ultimate 64 bit.


After downloading and installing the update I shut down the computer. Then re-started and it seemed to get stuck with a black screen and would not boot up. It seemed to be stuck on one of the 2 optical drives.


Since than I have shutdown, unplugged restarted many times. I have attempted to get into the bios and change the startup by pressing F8. Nothing.


I disconnected everything but the SSD (Samsung EVO 860 SSD 1TB) . nothing.


it will not show anything on the screen at all. Removed the graphics card (Radeon PCI) and re-installed and nothing. it does seem to power up as the fan on it works.



Tried a Win7 repair disk I made when I received it in both optical drives. nothing.


Of course my life and business is on this thing and i would like to get it at least to display something on the screen. I even tried a graphics card i removed from an old XP machine and the result was the same.


I had the old HDD that I had swapped out with the SSD. I tried that and the same result.


this are quick attempts by a pretty low knowledge guy.


It would seem to me it was the update (not sure which KB as I cannot start the computer) to see.


Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[SIW2]

Can you get into bios setup if you detach all hard disks?

 

[ZakGordon7]

That sounds nasty!

And just to sooth your concerns i also installed the last updates (on W7 Pro mind you) and it worked fine after.

A couple of questions come to mind:

like SIW2 mentioned, can you get into BIOS? (and if so can you get into Safe Mode at all during boot up (normally tapping F8 brings it up)?)

How long did you wait at the black screen before turning it off again? (i ask as i have had a couple of long (like 10-15 mins!) wait times over recent updates on rebooting when windows was still doing it's update thing etc)

How old is the system and is the PSU all good (that you can tell)?

Fingers crossed you find a workable solution.

 

[Barman58]

Going back to the very basic level, Is the monitor working correctly - check preferably with attaching to another device but if the monitor has a test mode try that, also is the cable OK?

Do you have another device that you can connect the current data Hard Drive to? -and transfer the data - best to safeguard this first

As soon as your data is safe you can then look at sorting the software or coincidental hardware issue

 

[TrapezeCDN]

Believe I have attempted it all that has been suggested

Everyone, thank you for your suggestions.




I had repeatedly tried to get into the bios to do a safe mode boot. tried a few different times by tapping F8 but could not get it to display anything.


I have used the monitor on another device (old netbook I am using now to get online to look for solutions.) I also tried on my flat screen TV ( I had an old XP machine that still works on that display)


As nothing ever displayed on any monitor when I attempted to re-boot the Win-7 machine, I also thought power supply might be at issue. Everything else works and all the fans work, lights etc. The Video card power cord used a specific port from the PSU and it had another similar one and I switched to get the same result of no display and a seemingly un-bootable machine.


I am about to attempt to boot using the VGA port (Instead of the DVI or HDMI that I have already tried).


Will attempt with all disk drives, card readers and optical and floppy (yes still had a floppy) drives disconnected to see if I get anything on the monitor for a bios.


Will also attempt to leave un-molested for 10 minutes or more, but have my doubts as i would expect that something would have displayed on the otherwise black monitor if something was going on in the background. (As well the monitor's LED light was yellow entire time indicating rest mode as opposed to green when actually displaying something)


Unfortunately I am beginning to believe in conspiracies from MS as one of my long time students experienced exactly the same thing as explained to me (briefly) in my class yesterday. They are not as hands on and are trying to decide if they will abandon it or get some repair shop.


Will update as I attempt more, but had hoped for possible suggestions from others that might have experienced the same as myself. Not sure if you folks can see the details of my system? I had scanned somewhere that perhaps my Corsair parts might be an issue? Way too many possible combinations for a simple non-tech person such as myself

 

[TrapezeCDN]

Still no luck

So I have disconnected all Disk drives, bootable devices. still nothing on screen, no getting into bios by hitting F8


Left computer to turn on for 30 minutes with SSD drive attached, nothing.


power supply seems to be getting power to everything. the fan on the video card is spinning, all the fans are spinning the motherboard shows it's respective lights.


I attempted plugging the video card into another PCI slot. Nothing


I am fearing a video card problem, but the coincidence of it running, then shutting down and then powering up to this, (after the last update) makes me suspect of something else but have no idea how to proceed.


Yes I have checked all cables, the monitor works fine, etc.


I have removed th SSD and can plug it in and see it with appropriate cabling to another computer through USB port.


Have tried original 1TB WD HDD instead of upgraded SSD and still same result. Nothing to the screen.


If PSU why would power get to everything but still not boot?






anything from anyone? Please?

 

[SIW2]

I am fearing a video card problem

from your earlier post

it will not show anything on the screen at all. Removed the graphics card (Radeon PCI) and re-installed and nothing.

Did you try to get into bios setup with video card detached?

 

[RoWin7]

Is it possible that M$ is disabling computers through that last update? I didn't install that one and my machines are fine.

 

[ZakGordon7]

Is it possible that M$ is disabling computers through that last update? I didn't install that one and my machines are fine.

Unlikely (imagine the fallout from that!), but i certainly have stopped trusting MS since Windows 10. Both my Windows 7 machines have been fine since those last updates. They are Pro rather than Ultimate though. It would be strange if this was an Ultimate specific bug, but MS update checking has been terrible these last few years in terms of creating problems for users etc, so it could be that.

If you are running Ultimate back up everything before trying them (if you wish too), as in a full disk image so you can simply write that back onto the drive after if needed etc. it would be interesting to here from more Ultimate users re these last updates etc?
TrapezeCDN, in terms of the potential GPU issue, have you tried using different cables to connect etc? If you have been using the same cable across different tests that can sometimes be a source of the trouble for display problems?

 

[TrapezeCDN]

SIW2

Did you try to get into bios setup with video card detached?

Unfortunately my motherboard has no video output, so must use some sort of video card. With limited resources I am stuck with using the the card I have in one of the 2 PCI slots on the board. (at least the only two slots that look the same).


I had an older XP machine with a video card that was working in that machine. Not sure of the compatibility but tried it in my Win7 and still the same result.






ZakGordon7

in terms of the potential GPU issue, have you tried using different cables to connect etc? If you have been using the same cable across different tests that can sometimes be a source of the trouble for display problems?

Unfortunately I do not have a lot of resources such as spare cables to connect PSU to Motherboard, etc. The video card had a specific cable that went into a specific port on the PSU unit. (grey connector on the PSU side). Despite the fact that the fan on the video card was running (which to me indicates it is receiving power) I switched the grey connector from the original port to another one on the PSU side. Same result. No luck in seeing anything during boot, and the video card appeared to be getting power, as the fan on the card was spinning as it did when connected in original location.










ZakGordon7 & Barman58

Do you have another device that you can connect the current data Hard Drive to? -and transfer the data - best to safeguard this first

Have successfully connected the primary SSD to my netbook using appropriate cables to a USB 2.0 port. The netbook is so under-capable I could not even easily get the user folder to open, as it just dragged along when i attempted to get to some documents in one of those libraries. it just hung for about 15 minutes as it tried to read all the data.



As well I do not have any software to make a disk image of the Win7 Ultimate 64 bit primary SSD, and am pretty certain that the little under-capable netbook would not be able to do so given it's limitations indicated so far. (I did recently upgrade the netbook from XP to Win 7 pro 32 bit, and had only been using it for a light duty source of internet access for video watching, at it was definitely struggling with that. Heck just trying to get into my webmail account to see notices from the forum is a bit of an effort using this netbook.


As I upgraded to the 1TB SSD in late 2018, one of the first solutions I attempted was re-hooking up the original 1TB WD HDD instead of the newer SSD, had had the same results of nothing on the screen and it seemingly hanging up during the boot.








Given that all the fans, lights etc seem to work as "normal" , my thoughts around this (with no actual expertise, knowledge or experience) is that somewhere in the code of the last update that something has affected a component. Not knowing what I am talking about but having scanned/read things over the years, my thoughts wander to many possible things, like it has affected the ram chips? the motherboard? the video card? the PSU? AS I believe all of these do at least some basic communication between them for things like temperatures etc is it possible something was "updated" that is incompatible with my particular configuration?



So many possible issues? What given my explanations and my system specs seems most plausible and likely? I am trying with my limited resources to ascertain the actual problem so i can more accurately throw money at it....


Thank you for all of your suggestions so far and hopefully still coming

 

[RoWin7]

Unlikely (imagine the fallout from that!), but i certainly have stopped trusting MS since Windows 10. Both my Windows 7 machines have been fine since those last updates. They are Pro rather than Ultimate though. It would be strange if this was an Ultimate specific bug, but MS update checking has been terrible these last few years in terms of creating problems for users etc, so it could be that...

...it would be interesting to here from more Ultimate users re these last updates etc?
.....

I have Ult in both machines, and I heard the last 2 updates triggered a full-page nag screen, so I skipped them.
Disable Your Windows 7 PC is Out of Support Full Screen Notification

 

[TrapezeCDN]

I have Ult in both machines, and I heard the last 2 updates triggered a full-page nag screen, so I skipped them.
Disable Your Windows 7 PC is Out of Support Full Screen Notification

I experienced that screen on my last boot-up. clicked remind me later then got to my traditinal desktop. Clicked on the windows update Icon and saw there was one more important update. proceeded to download and install. then shut down.


after that the computer will not boot, nor display anything hence why i am here searching for possible answers.


I have no way of disabling the notification as i cannot get into window, safe mode nor bios.

 

[RoWin7]

It's just too much of a coincidence, but I'm not an expert on computer failure. I think , @Brink @Paul Black or @torchwood should look at this.

 

[AK6DN]

This looks like a hardware failure to me, either in your motherboard, CPU, or even power supply.
Windows update can't break the BIOS.
Coincidence? Well more likely the power cycle restart triggered the failure.
If you can't get into the BIOS, or the BIOS startup screen does not display on restart, the problem is h/w, not Microsoft.

 

[RoWin7]

I leave this to wiser heads than mine.

 

[Golden]

Is it possible that M$ is disabling computers through that last update? I didn't install that one and my machines are fine.

There have been some stupid posts in these forums over the years, but this takes the cake

 

[torchwood]

Hi

couple of things to try
question first AS SOON as you boot do you see the cursor VERY briefly, then it dissappears, top left corner

from a cold boot IMMEDIATELY hit/hold the Escape key, does it give you a bios screen
next
Reboot hit escape then your F? bios entry key

reset bios by removing the CMOS battery


Roy

 

[TrapezeCDN]

couple of things to try
question first AS SOON as you boot do you see the cursor VERY briefly, then it dissappears, top left corner

from a cold boot IMMEDIATELY hit/hold the Escape key, does it give you a bios screen
next
Reboot hit escape then your F? bios entry key

reset bios by removing the CMOS battery

Nothing ever displays on the screen. so no cursor not even briefly.


Attempted all that you suggested..... again still nothing.


In further research i learned that a LED light near the centre of the motherboard is for the CPU. I had originally thought just to indicate that it is on. I believe I have read that when it is lit, it means the cpu or the bios has a problem. Can anyone confirm this? If it is the CPU I presume that would prevent the whole thing from working. Really strange coincidence that the update to re-start miraculously happened to be perfectly timed for one or the other to fail? I fear the last update might have adjusted some setting or code and perhaps did the CPU in.


I am going to look for an inexpensive AM3 chip to place in the 941 socket (hopefully the same one i have) and see if that remedies the issue.


any further thoughts from anyone.?


thanks for the suggestions

 

[bendipa]

It looks like a hardware issue, which is just coincidence that it occurred around the time you did your update, but nothing to do with Windows. A no-post could be caused by anything from an unseated DRAM module to a full-blown mobo failure. Unfortunately there could be a lot of work involved in trying to locate the cause, unless it's something obvious like a loose DRAM module or unattached cable, eg to the GPU etc.


I would recommend watching this video (37 mins long) which gives some very helpful ideas as to why no-post can occur, using a Ryzen build as the example.

 

[Megahertz07]

I had once same problem.
Unplug the power cable from the power supply, wait 1 minute to discharge the capacitors.
Open the case side panel and remove the memories. Gently clean the memory contacts and spray the slots with a contact cleaner.
Insert one stick at a time and try to boot (leave the computers without drives)
If it boots, power off, Unplug the power cable from the power supply, wait 1 minute to discharge the capacitors and insert another stick etc

Do you have a MB speaker? Can you hear an beep?