HELP!! Win 7 Crashed. Will not boot up

[gregrocker]

Perhaps you are not aware that the light blue type in our posts are links to tutorials which explain in depth with illustrations how to do each step. I just posted the process for copying out your files using the Repair CD: System Repair Disc - Create

You can also do this from the DVD (Win7 installer fits on a DVD, not a CD) once you get it.

What about Gateway Recovery? Do you have the Recov partition or made the Recov disks, or have any disks? Boot the disks to clean reinstall, or use the hotkey to trigger the Recovery partition.

First use the System Recovery Options command line to run through the commands SIW2 posted above.

This is an interactive process. If you have any questions, ask them back and we will give you further explanation and new steps. If you want the fix, you have to do the work.

 

[bkolt]

I do have 3 GatewayRecovery disks. the first one has these directories: GRC , I386 and preload. how do I use them from the prompt?
The second and third ones have the same thing. I created them on 6/8/2008 after I upgraded my computer. They do not self boot.
Also, I have been following the links and trying those instructions. I keep running into dead ends when I dont have a dvd with the files needed.

Also, just fyi... I just graduated with an associates degree in Computer Science and have been messing around with computers for 20 + years. The problem was the courses were about Windows XP and earlier. Not much information about Win 7 at all. They taught us to use forums to find answers. LOL.

 

[SIW2]

Recovery discs should boot.

Sounds like XP is on them.

 

[Dave76]

I do have 3 GatewayRecovery disks. the first one has these directories: GRC , I386 and preload. how do I use them from the prompt?
The second and third ones have the same thing. I created them on 6/8/2008 after I upgraded my computer. They do not self boot.
Also, I have been following the links and trying those instructions. I keep running into dead ends when I dont have a dvd with the files needed.

Also, just fyi... I just graduated with an associates degree in Computer Science and have been messing around with computers for 20 + years. The problem was the courses were about Windows XP and earlier. Not much information about Win 7 at all. They taught us to use forums to find answers. LOL.

bkolt, any of the tutorials in the links posted will work, just start from the command prompt section of the tutorial.
You don't need the CD/DVD to get to the command prompt, just access it from your System Recovery Options like before.

You are very fortunate to have Greg and SIW helping you, they are very good at this.
I have seen them fix hundreds of MBR, booting issues.
This is your chance to learn from them.

My advice is to follow Greg and SIW's suggestions, starting with Gregs suggestion:

First use the System Recovery Options command line to run through the commands SIW2 posted above.

Post any questions you may have, and someone will answer.

 

[SIW2]

bkolt,

1. You do have a win7 repair disc.

I put in my Win 7 repair disk 32-bit. It ran the startup repair twice but could not repair it automatically

2. SFC command can be run with that - you need to run it in a particular way- not the way you did it already.

Boot it up, go to command prompt and type:

Diskpart

lis vol

( find the drive letter of your Windows 7 partition - use that instead of ? below )

exi

SFC.EXE /scannow /offbootdir:?:\ /offwindir=?:\windows

3. You can copy your data off with the repair disc you have also, exactly as described by Greg.

4. If you need to reinstall windows7 - then of course you will need an installation disc.

You can get one from the tech who installed it for you, or you can find the installation .iso files on the internet. The installation .iso needs to be burned to a dvd as an image - not as data. You must have a valid win7 product key with your machine - usually on a sticker on the side of the machine, or under the battery.


NOTE - Don't worry if drive letters are differnt from the booted repair cd - that is normal.

X is the temporary drive you are in when you boot the recovery cd - it is a drive in memory not on your HD.

Use diskpart commands above to find out which drive letter relates to your win7 partition.

 

[bkolt]

OK I was up till 3am moving files to my external drive. I followed the instructions above: SFC.exe ... what is supposed to happen when I do that? the screen filled with the commands for SFC and discriptions of what they are for, but nothing else seemed to happen.
I typed in:
SFC.exe /scannow/offboodir:C:\ /offwindir=C"\windows

I also downloaded the Win 7 Repair ISO with -torrent and burned it to a DVD.
What is the next step with that?

 

[SIW2]

SFC.exe /scannow /offboodir:C:\ /offwindir=C"\windows

should be

SFC.exe /scannow /offboodir:C:\ /offwindir=C:\windows

I also downloaded the Win 7 Repair ISO with -torrent and burned it to a DVD.
What is the next step with that?

I don't know why you would need that - it is the same as the win 7 repair cd which you seem to have already.

If you to reinstall - you would need the installation iso

 

[bkolt]

The download of Win 7 was in one of the instructions posted. Just following what I was told.

Now I did type the command for SFC correctly. several times... and the only thing that happens is a list of commands scrolls by.
What is this command supposed to do? Scan all protected system files and repair files with problems when possible.. How do I know whether or not it did this?

 

[SIW2]

If it is typed incorrectly , then a list of the commands is displayed.

What is this command supposed to do? Scan all protected system files and repair files with problems when possible.. How do I know whether or not it did this?

Yes, that is what it is for.

If it is done correctly, you will get a message it is scanning and may take a while.

Like this:

Beginning system scan. This process will take some time.

Beginning verification phase of system scan.
Verification 100% complete.

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired
them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log. For
example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log

 

[bkolt]

OK I am still not getting anywhere with the sfc.exe I am typing it as I see it on here. No option for copy and paste.

SFC.EXE(space)/scannow/offbootdir:C:\(space)/offwindir=C:\windows

I also tried it without the spaces

is that correct? all I get is a list of commands. is it case sensitive?

If I just type sfc /scannow it says there is a repair pending which requires reboot to complete. Restart windows and run sfc again. Only it cannot complete the repair because it does not know the root cause.

 

[SIW2]

Can diskpart see the partitions ?

Did you find that C is in fact your windows 7 partition?

Do you have one of those 100mb partition as as well. ?

If you do , then it is likely diskpart will list the 100mb as C and the windows partition as D.
You will have to check to be sure.

 

[gregrocker]

Try it this way:

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=f:\windows

SFC -SCANNOW Run in Command Prompt at Boot

 

[SIW2]

Well spotted Greg - tho it may just be a copy and paste issue - get odd spacing here sometimes.

Let's hope that's the error.

Just checked pasting - seems ok atm .

 

[bkolt]

Greg, That worked. Now I get this message:

Widows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log windir/logs/CBS/CBS.log.

How do I access this log?

Can diskpart see the partitions ?



SWI2 said:
Did you find that C is in fact your windows 7 partition?

Do you have one of those 100mb partition as as well. ?

If you do , then it is likely diskpart will list the 100mb as C and the windows partition as D.
You will have to check to be sure.

My partition is C: and Before it crashed there was a D partition for restoring Windows but it does not show up on Diskpart. It only lists the C partition and dvd drive. I disconnected my external drive after copying all my files there.

 

[gregrocker]

Run SFC at least 3 times to see if it can fix the problems. Then run Startup Repair repeatedly again after confirming Win7 or it's 100mb boot partition is marked Active: Partition - Mark as Active

I would also run Bitdefender bootable AV CD to see what it finds: FREE Bootable AntiVirus Rescue CDs Download List. If it cleans up infection try the Repairs again.

If not you'll need to reinstall since you can't get to the desktop to run a Repair Install.

From your description it appears your Recovery Disks are for XP . So do you have retail Win7 installed on the Gateway? If so clean reinstall using the Disk and Product Key in its packaging.

If you have a WIn7 COA sticker on the Gateway, you should have a Recovery Partition which will run from boot: Gateway Support - Full Factory Recovery. You can also try running the Recovery Disks to see if they have WIn7.

If not you'll need to borrow or find a Win7 installer to clean reinstall factory OEM following these steps: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[bkolt]

I want to thank all of you for all your help. I waited a couple days and still have not heard from the tech with my Win 7 dvd. So I used the Gateway recover disk from the C: prompt to reload Vista. I need to download service packs etc and reload all my programs, but at least it is working again. Maybe he will bring me the dvd and I can update to Win 7 again. You guys were great with suggestions and very helpful. Thanks again so much.

 

[Dave76]

Glad to hear you got it running stable, hope your Win7 DVD comes soon.

Let us know when you get Win7 installed.

 

[peblz]

I am having this exact problem with my HP notebook.......I can't even get to the advanced boot menu anymore.......I did a system restore and at first running windows normal would give me the bsod with a 6b or 7b error but we don't even have that option anymore! Now it is going straight to system repair.......when I try to restore to fa Tory settings I get a c++ run error then the system shuts off.....HP wouldn't send me a recovery disk when I bought the laptop and told me to make one myself which I thought I had but it doesn't work. Last night I downloaded a full recovery I so file but it says that it can't run without a specified platform........please help.......I am so frustrated......HP can't help and I can't figure it out.......

 

[gregrocker]

You can try the steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start. I'd start with running HP hardware Diagnostics by tapping the ESC key at boot.

However if you get it started you'll still have the grossly inferior HP factory installed Win7 which is the worst install one can have, with HP's worst load of bloatware in the industry including unnecessary duplicate utlities that conflict with better versions built into Win7.

So I'd take the same amount of time now to invest in a Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 and end up with the best install one can have. Read the SPecial Note For HP Owners at the end to learn about HP's Minimal Recovery which if your PC has it is a simpler way to get close to a Clean Install, and if not how to preserve the HP hardware diagnostics.

 

[peblz]

How do I restore my photos or are those gone too? Is there any place to download the reinstall to a USB? I thought the I so file was going to do the trick but nope......