Boot to black screen with cursor/Repair Windows

[speedgamer01]

Hello.

Yesterday, when i booted into my windows 7 64bit installation it took me to a black screen with a cursor and nothing else.
What happened was i was trying to tweak the 'authui.dll' (i wanted to remove the logon picture...never do that again) and i changed a height and a width value. At reboot it took me to the black screen.
I booted into another windows install and changed back the files and restored every permission and ownership manually.
Then my original windows install (instead of booting normally this time) didn't manage to start. I have 'no gui boot' enabled. Instead of giving me 8 or so little blue lines on the top, it gives me the lines and a Bunch of other colorful dots horizontally. The colored dots change slowly and nothing happens.
In safe mode i see the same dots but Over the DLL loading screen.

I created a bootable usb drive that has the official windows installer on it and it is the same version as i use.
The installer console detects my original istallation, but i can't run sfc /scannow at all. (gives me the same error every time, screenshot below)

I also tried 'Upgrade'-ing but i could only do that if i were running the original installation.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If i can't fix this installation in like 2 days i'm screwed :huh:

 

[Arc]

Bad news, Speedgamer pal !

You try http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html to bring authui.dll in its place .

Later, if needed, you mar run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html .

 

[speedgamer01]

Thank you Arc, I forgot to add that Startup Repair finds no errors
I will try sfc /scannow Method 2 right now. Wish me luck

 

[Arc]

Thank you Arc, I forgot to add that Startup Repair finds no errors
I will try sfc /scannow Method 2 right now. Wish me luck

Best wishes mate

 

[speedgamer01]

Now i managed to run the sfc /scannow command with Brink's method, and it replaced my system files with the orginial ones... Although it said that it has done the job with errors (log:CBS.log) View attachment 202240

When i boot into the original installation it displays the windows logo (which it shouldn't i believe) and at the end it gives me a BSOD but no information under the usual text, no dump file and an instant reboot (i only managed to view the BSOD through my phone where i played back a video )

Sfc log attached.

To sum it up... Now i have all or most of the orginial system files (please, review my log file), but windows is unable to boot. I hope some guys see this, who could understand my log file.

 

[Arc]

IMO, SG pal, you should try http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html now , for at least three separate times (with restarts in between every run) , to fix the MBR.

 

[seavixen32]

Arc's suggestion of a startup repair run three times is a good one and one you should consider.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html

In the absence of any other solutions, you might want to consider a repair install, which effectively re-installs Windows, but keeps all your personal data and applications intact.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

 

[speedgamer01]

Thank you both seavixen, Arc. The only problem is that i would need to boot into my original installation (which i can not) to perform an Upgrade install or so called repair install.

I also tried 'Upgrade'-ing but i could only do that if i were running the original installation.

I ran the Startup Repair 2 times already, and it was doing the same: trying to fix disk errors for about an hour. It said the usual things, if it was successful windows will boot normally...

This problem is very misterious.
Also, i was using Intel SRT (ssd caching) (in the mode that stated that no data loss would occur if the ssd is detached)
My working installation is on the sdd which was previously used as a cache drive. I'm afraid that i did something real stupid.

 

[seavixen32]

In the absence of any other suggestions, I can only offer the suggestion of a clean install using your computer's COA product key to activate afterwards.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174907-clean-install-factory-coa-activation-key.html

 

[speedgamer01]

Thank you for your efforts, I will do a clean install then I guess microsoft is not ready for such evil users like me trolling around in the system foldersicnic:

This time I will install to the ssd. I think I will wipe it with my bootable installer to avoid the windows.old folder.

If anybody has any new ideas on this topic please feel free to post them here, my hard drive with the original installation will stay untouched for about a week.

Thanks again, have a nice day!

 

[seavixen32]

You're very welcome.

As you're going to install to an SSD, you might want to check this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/149969-ssd-install-transfer-operating-system.html

 

[gregrocker]

I would try System Restore from the DVD System Recovery Options or System Repair Disk first. I would also run Startup Repair again.

You cannot always count on repairs from a flash stick in situations this critical.

In the future before taking any experimental actions back up both a System Image and a Restore point.

Clean Reinstall Windows 7 Factory OEM

 

[speedgamer01]

What would happen if i installed a new windows 7 over the old windows 7 so it would go into a windows.old folder, and after that I would use this utility to restore my settings to the new installation?
How to restore your personal files after you perform a custom installation of Windows Vista or of Windows 7
I have also seen a tutorial around about doing this Would I be able to get a similar result as the 'Upgrade' installation would do?

 

[gregrocker]

You can't count on windows.old as a backup anyway, but you don't usually get it from a booted install.

You can browse into your install to copy out your data including hidden AppData folders to external or USB flash with the DVD or System Repair Disk using this method: Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console, or using Paragon rescue disk to recover data.

But I would not reimport AppData settings as they are a corruption path into a fresh new install. Better to start over with new settings, access AppData if you need game, mail or other data which might also be in Program Data folder.

But if you have the DVD or Repair CD I'd run the repairs again, including System Restore, to see if they work better.

 

[speedgamer01]

Windows' internal startup repair can't detect the problem. The installer's startup repair finds problems, but doesn't seem to help.
Now it doesn't even show the windows logo, just the blank BSOD screen for a split second.

 

[gregrocker]

Are you still using flash stick for repairs? Try DVD or Repair CD. It can make a difference.

Does it Blue Screen when installer is loading or Windows is loading?

Next I would test RAM - Test with Memtest86+, HD using maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan and run Disk Check from DVD/CD Command Line or slaved in another computer with a full disk partition created to check.

Once hardware passes tests, I'd copy out my data using Paragon disk if necessary or by slaving HD to another computer. Then I'd wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command which should force installer to autostart, follow these steps to get a perfect Clean Reinstall Windows 7 Factory OEM disregarding the steps for OEM if they don't apply.

 

[speedgamer01]

Thank you for the reply. I get the Blue Screen when loading Windows. No problems with the installer so far.

So far I have used the flash stick and the internal windows startup repair (I guess running on the 100mb partition) I will create a Repair CD now.

Currently I am running a clean install on my SSD, so another drive. I will only move back to the HDD if I can get that installation working again, if I can't, I will format that partition.

CheckDisk results attached, I will test other hardware stuff tomorrow.

 

[speedgamer01]

Repair CD didn't make a difference this time, excluding "Attemping repairs" took 3 times longer.

So, what do you think, what are my chances to perform a successful windows.old to new installation progress?

 

[gregrocker]

I've only seen it done successfully with XP<>Vista<>Win7 but you can try: How to restore a Windows 7-based computer to a previous Windows installation by using the Windows.old folder

Back up your data first if it's not already.