Endless reboot loop / chkdsk. Safe mode fails to load.

[TSDAdam]

For some reason, the computer I built a couple of years back has taken to doing an odd reboot loop.

It had been working fine, but now when I turn it on it POSTs as normal, starts to load Windows (7 Home Premium 64bit), but when it gets to the point where it would normally show the login screen it jumps to chkdsk. It goes through the tests, often saying it's fixing things, then restarts. After restarting, it does the same thing again, ad nauseum.

When it starts chkdsk is says 'press any key to skip/cancel', but pressing a key on the keyboard does nothing.

I've tried using the install disc to do a repair, but it doesn't make any difference.

I've run the samsung HDD test tools from the ultimate boot cd which have come back with no errors. I've also run memtest from a flash drive and left it running for over 100 hours. In that whole time it did give two errors, but I don't think that's responsible for causing the constant reboot loop. The worst I ever used to get was an occasional BSOD/reboot.

Someone suggested I try booting into safe mode and trying this - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/56685-check-disk-reset.html

If I boot into safe mode, it takes as long as it would do to get to desktop/login, then immediately reboots without warning.

I noticed that when safe mode was loading, I got some graphical corruption across the top of the screen.



This led me to think that maybe it was a problem with my gpu (GTX460), so I unplugged it, reset the bios and loaded into safe mode with the onboard gfx instead. Exactly the same thing happens, and I get the same corruption/artefacts at the top.

Any more ideas anyone?

 

[mitchell65]

We don't have you system specs that would tell us how many RAM modules you have installed.
I would tend to try to eliminate which module has the errors and run without that if I were you.
You might look at this:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139576-startup-repair-infinite-loop-recovery.html

 

[VistaKing]

See if this will help

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139576-startup-repair-infinite-loop-recovery.html

 

[TSDAdam]

I have two Corsair 2GB DDR3 modules installed. I'm not convinced it's the RAM, although I do acknowledge they could do with replacing. I can replicate this every single time I try now.

I'll try the linked fix the next chance I get, my little boy has just gone to bed so I daren't go up making noise now

(nice to see someone else from Cornwall btw )

 

[mitchell65]

Try it with one module removed> If you still get the problem, swop the modules over! Might find one of them iffy. If you stil get the problem then you will need to run memtest with one mod removed, then swop them again!

 

[TSDAdam]

Tried all the above, no luck.

chkntfs reports the volume as dirty. If I boot into system repair and use the cmd prompt to run chkdks it ends with an error 50, failed to write to event log.

Tried using one stick of ram (b0th), no difference.

Is there any way to do the equivalent of an in-place upgrade without being able to boot to desktop?

 

[mitchell65]

Can't help with your last question but just in case it comes down to a Clean Install I would make sure your back ups are up to date. If necessary you could download a copy of Ubuntu on another PC if you have access and burn the copy to a CD. Then run Ubuntu from that CD, no need to install Ubuntu, and get access to you data files for backing up preferably to an External HD.

 

[TSDAdam]

Yeah I run Mint on my laptop already, I'll just make a flash drive install to pull everything off to an external HDD.

Very annoying

 

[mitchell65]

Then I would opt for a Clean Install see here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164
But perhaps wait a few hours to see if anyone comes along with a better idea!

 

[flamingworm]

works on windows 10. file sizes of the regback files were different, but at least its not looping in a reboot anymore and just boots! wonderfull, thanks