Cannot Boot - Hang on Windows Logo

[kawaii]

Thanks for reading. My laptop has mysteriously stopped booting as of last Saturday. I suspect it may be because I had stopped a windows update (I cancelled it while it was running and then it hung during shutdown).

When it hung during shutdown, I had to hard-power it off to turn the machine off. Once I did that, it would not get past the Starting Windows logo screen.

I've tried all the steps listed here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html

with mixed results.

1) I tried booting into Safe Mode to no avail. It would previously hang on "avgidsha.sys" file.
2) I managed to get it to boot with Kaspersky's Rescue 10 Boot CD, and scanned my system. It found no viruses or malware on the system. I renamed all the avg-files in system32/drivers.
3) When I boot into Safe Mode, it hangs on Classpnp.sys.
4) I tried using a Windows 7 install CD and a Windows 7 USB boot CD, but neither one could boot past Windows 7 logo "Starting Windows."
5) I loaded the Partition Wizard onto a USB and loaded fine. The 100mb system partition was already active and I tried to restore the MBR.
6) I still can't boot past the Windows 7 logo.

Any other suggestions would be welcome! I was able to rescue all of my critical data off the HD when I managed to boot it with Kaspersky's Rescue 10 Boot CD onto a portable USB HD, but I'd like to be able to fix the issue if possible.

My last resort is to use PW to wipe the partitions and then see if it will boot of an install CD or bootable USB - but right now, because I can't get past the Windows Logo even with an install CD or bootable USB, I can't do a re-install unless I wipe the partitions (I'm hoping wiping the partitions will at least allow me to re-install).

Any thoughts or other things to try would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Arc]

avgidsha.sys is AVG IDS Application Activity Monitor Helper Driver. Classpnp.sys is SCSI Class System. So it may be that some startup entry is blocking windows to boot, or blocking disc activities.

Have you tried the bootable scan suggested in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html, using Windows Defender Offline? If not, do it at first. If the system is infected, it will not be repaired.

If it is clean of threats and still not booting, boot to System Recovery Options . Try Safe Mode with Command Prompt. In the command prompt .... enter the command ....

start msconfig

It will open the system configuration window, with the "general" tab selected.

• Click the "startup" tab. Click "Disable all" > Apply > OK.
• Click on "services" tab. Check the "Hide all Microsoft Services"; Click "Disable all" > Apply > OK

Then try to boot again normally. Is it failing still?

If so, boot to System Recovery Options once again. Try Enable Boot Logging. It will create a file named ntbtlog.txt. Collect it and upload it. If you cannot do it within windows, Boot with a live Linux disc and collect it in a USB stick, use the usb stick in another computer and upload it. It is necessary.

 

[kawaii]

I scanned the machine with Windows Defender Offline and Kaspersky Rescue Disk and it found no infections.

I tried booting into Safe Mode with Command Prompt, but that hangs at Classpnp.sys and doesn't load. I then went back in and Enabled Boot Logging.

After I did that, it tried to boot and got stuck at the Windows logo again. I booted into the system with a linux boot-usb and mounted the drive but found that it hadn't created the ntbtlog.txt file.

Maybe it didn't get far enough? I can't tell when it is booting to the logo because it stops doing disc-access and just sit there - while when I check with a linux boot-usb, it never has the file (I checked the %windir%, and through a bunch of directories and couldn't find the ntbtlog.txt file).

Any other thoughts?

 

[essenbe]

I assume you made a system repair disk. If you did not make one, you can make one from any computer running the same version of Windows 7 you are using. If you are using Windows 7 Home Premium X64, any computer running Windows 7 X64 can make a system repair disk. Boot from the system repair disk and try to restore your computer from a restore point created before the Windows Update was installed.

 

[gregrocker]

When you have a failed Update that prevents Win7 startup, the solution is to boot into System Recovery Options to System Restore to before the update was run. You must have missed that step.

If it fails and Startup Repair cannot find anything to repair after running it several times with reboots, then copy out your files and do the Clean Reinstall. Everything needed is in the same tutorial.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html?ltr=S

 

[kawaii]

Essenbe: is a system repair disc different from a bootable USB made from a Windows 7 ISO or an Windows 7 install disc? I tried using both of those and neither would boot past the Windows logo.

xunuogui: Thanks for the advice, I'll try using Windows Boot Genius and see if it gets me any more data.

gregrocker: I can't boot into the System Recovery Options at all. When I try, it hangs before successfully booting into the SRO to do a system restore. Similarly, startup repair does not successfully boot either - it hangs and thus, I have not been able to running it at all. Hence, my thoughts about seeing if there's any other way to figure out what is wrong. I recognize, as I noted in my OP, that if I can't find any other options for repair, I will have to wipe the partition table and do a full re-install. I've already moved my files when I am successfully able to boot with a linux boot-USB.

I think more data collection would be preferable to try to find a solution but I'm at a loss as to how to collect additional data about what is causing the boot to fail or hang.

 

[gregrocker]

You'll need to boot the Win7 DVD or System Repair Disk as shown in Option Two of System Recovery Options.

How to Boot A Computer from CD or DVD - YouTube
You should be prompted to "Press any key to boot DVD" once it's set correctly in BIOS.

If it won't boot try vigorously tapping the one-time BIOS Boot Menu key,

If that fails reset the BIOS to defaults: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS.

 

[kawaii]

Gregrocker: I understand. I've tried booting from an install CD, as noted in Option 2. It will not load past the Windows logo. If it would be helpful, I can attach a camera-phone photo of it failing to load?

 

[gregrocker]

Where did you get the disk? Will it boot in another PC and load correctly? Try the latest official ISO written to flash stick or burned to DVD from Steps 1/2 of Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Next reset the BIOS to defaults, try again: Clear CMOS - 3 Ways to Clear the CMOS - Reset BIOS

 

[kawaii]

It is an official Windows 7 install disc from Microsoft. I used to it to install Windows 7 on my desktop and it loads properly when I boot from it on my desktop.

I've just reset my BIOS to the default settings. It being a laptop, it's a little harder for me to get at the CMOS battery or try to find the CMOS jumpers. Thus far, when I attempt to boot into "Startup Repair," it just sits at this screen, and the bar just continues to move from left to right.

 

[gregrocker]

Is the HD still detected in BIOS setup under Storage devices?

Are there hardware diagnostics in the BIOS? What's the HD's SMART reading? Can you test RAM? If necessary RAM - Test with Memtest86+

What I'd do next is write the latest installer iSO to flash stick to try booting that.

 

[essenbe]

May I suggest, Greg asked earlier if it would boot on another machine. I didn't see an answer to that question. Try booting to the Installer on another computer and taking it to the point where it says where do you want to install Windows. If you get to that point, close it out and remove the DVd/USB. That will tell you that there is a problem with the DVD or with your computer.

 

[kawaii]

gregrocker: Sorry about taking so long to respond. Yes, the HD still shows up in the BIOS. I didn't see any diagnostics in the BIOS when I checked last night but I'll check again tonight. I haven't had a chance to run memtest+ but I plan to do that tonight and let it run overnight. I can't imagine that it is RAM related because there hadn't been any hardware issues prior to it dying (or even any hardware errors that suggest potential hardware issues) but I suppose it is possible?

essenbe: Yes, I did try to use the DVD in my desktop and it booted correctly from the DVD there.

 

[gregrocker]

90% of the time the failure to boot a disk is because it isn't being timed right, not vigorous enough, not enough time given for it to load, etc. If you're getting the loading bar then I'd let it sit for an hour if necessary.

Is there CPU and HD activity, and is the HD detected in BIOS setup? Set HD first to boot, trigger DVD drive using one-time BIOS Boot Menu key.

Try booting the flash stick installer.

 

[kawaii]

There is CPU and HD activity when it first starts to boot and then no more HD activity once it gets to the logo/loading bar. The HD is detected in BIOS setup.

I've attempted to boot from USB installer and DVD. Both times, I use the BIOS boot-selection (F11 for me) to select the boot device. For the USB and DVD, there is drive-access activity up until it gets to the loading bar, and then no further drive-access activity. This is true for the HD as well - when I try to boot in either Safe Mode or Startup Recovery, there is drive-access activity until it gets to the logo and then no further drive-access activity.

I've left the laptop at the loading bar for over 2-3 hours, as I went out for dinner, with no success.

 

[gregrocker]

Well I'd want to test the HD and RAM to clear the hardware, then what I'd probably do next is force a reinstall by Quick wiping the HD from HD maker's HD Diagnostic boot disk which will boot itself, or booting Partition Wizard CD which also boots itself to Wipe the HD.

This will force the installer to boot itself to Clean Reinstall OEM . You can also consider running MSI Factory Recovery if it will run from it's hotlink at boot or you made the disks.


All of the links to do these and rescue your files with self-booting Paragon Rescue CD are in Fix Unbootable Win7

 

[kawaii]

Hi all, sorry for the late reply.

I've ran memtest and it has found no errors. I've also used partitionwizard to remove all of the partitions and tried re-installing, to no effect. I don't know what else to do. I think I'll have to take it in to the OEM and hope they can fix it.

 

[gregrocker]

To force the installer to autostart you need to wipe the HD as I stated, not just delete partitions: Partition Wizard Wipe Disk - Video Help.

Once you do this what happens when you boot the installer? It should start itself. What happens exactly?

If not try booting the installer on another PC to confirm it's sound.

If so test your hardware using HD Diagnostic CD scan and RAM - Test with Memtest86+