I can't boot and no restore points work...

[GMX]

I have a HP Windows 64 Ultimate computer that gets stuck loading drivers (according to the ntbtlog.txt log) resulting in 7 just rebooting at the Windows logo splash screen.

I was using IOBIT's Advanced SystemCare trying to speed up a slow computer. For whatever reason, this program, which is usually fine, slowed down to a crawl while installing some security updates. After the security updates were completed, I no longer had any sound so I tried a System Restore - which did not work. System Restore still shows multiple restore points, but none of them work. All my important data and files are thankfully unaffected - but I just can't boot to 7.

What I've tried thus far in general terms (none of which has been successful):

1. Reboot
2. System diagnostics (hard drive and memory are shown as passed)
3. Startup repair (which fails and shows an 'An unspecified error occurred..' 0x8800700b7 and 0x880070002)
4. Windows RE System Restore (which states that it's restoring files and eventually also shows an 'An unspecified error occurred...)
5. At Windows RE Command Prompt, chkdsk f/r (which just stopped at Stage 3 security descriptors) and on subsequent attempts has not worked - just stating that the disk is locked and then when I unmount the disk it still doesn't work.
6. At Windows RE Command Prompt, sfc /scannow (which reported that it could not work due to pending repair task)
7. Booted from DVD with a Windows Ultimate 64 Upgrade disk (which is all I have), try a repair install (using Upgrade option) where I get a compatibility report that I can't upgrade because I booted from the Upgrade DVD).

I never had any significant issues with this computer before. I don't have a disk image (which was stupid on my part) because I just assumed that restore points always worked (which they had for me before this incident). Anybody have a solution that might fix Windows 7? I can think of only 2 options left - neither of which I really want to do - getting a full version of 7 or upgrading to 10. I'm trying not to completely reinstall Windows if at all possible. I've been using Windows since 3.1 and I've never had an issue like this.

 

[GMX]

Some other ideas I've tried (which also did not work) since my initial post:

8. Hitting F8 and using the Last Known Good Configuration option (I've also tried booting to Safe mode).
9. Overwriting the current registry with a prior (backup) registry (from a suggestion for stopping a Windows 7 boot loop).

Still no luck.

 

[Ranger4]

Hi GMX, welcome to the Forum.

Your problem may well have been caused by IOBIT's ASC which has caused a lot of problems. Windows 7 does not need programs that "Tune up" or otherwise & they should not be used.

You may have a failing HDD.

 

[torchwood]

Hi GMX,

from the repair consul please run the following

del c:\windows\winsxs\pending.xml
del x:\windows\winsxs\pending.xml
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ offwindir=c:\Windows

Roy

 

[GMX]

Ranger4 thanks for the advice. it might be a hard drive issue. I don't hear any clicking though and I've never had any issue with this drive. I mainly use ASC to clear the registry as it's the only program I've ever found where I could actually see speed improvements. I've tried CCleaner and other registry cleaners but ASC is the only one I've found that seemed to work. I could reformat the drive and then reinstall 7 to speed up my computer, but it's such a pain.

torchwood thanks for the help. I ran the two delete commands, but the sfc command but I get the error message 'Windows Resource Protection could not start the repair service'. I tried sfc /scannow just to test the command and received a message that no integrity violations were found (or something like that). Also should I boot Windows 7 from my hard drive (C) or from my Windows 7 Upgrade disk? I tried both methods and received the Windows Resource Protection error in both cases.

If I don't respond immediately to any post I'm busy with something (such as eating or something like that). Otherwise I'm focused on trying to fix this Windows 7 mess.

 

[torchwood]

Hi GMX,

Not exactly sure whats now available to you.
The commands you used should have cleared the way for a normal boot

What message do you now get....
and can you now access your system restore


the results from sfc - no integrety violations found confirms the pending repair has been cleared.


Roy

 

[torchwood]

Hi GMX,
for further backup
this is a link for W7 SP1 Ultimate X64 English, (full not upgrade)
https://software-download.microsoft.com/pr/Win7_Ult_SP1_English_COEM_x64.iso?t=21c9825b-f649-4cf0-9a1c-474c844ecdd7&e=1511367177&h=d3d1bbb8dc72bcd36ac18dd4a8a4de2b

either burn it to a DVD or use this tool to create a bootable USB
Windows USB/DVD Download Tool - Microsoft Store

Roy

 

[torchwood]

Hi GMX,

IF you have to go the clean install route
BEWARE it has to be done slightly differently

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version - Windows 7 Help Forums

Hopefully once you have created the DVD/USB tool you can try the Repair install option

Roy

 

[GMX]

Thanks for all the assistance Roy. I was out and just got back. I'm going to review the /sfc method in a little more as it should work. I did come across a few options that I'll try to get rid of the Windows Resource Protection error so that sfc will work. I've always been able to access the various Restore Points - it's just that none of them ever work.

 

[Layback Bear]

IOBIT's Advanced SystemCare has cause many members to do a Clean Install.

What ASC does, know body is really sure. Anything from IObits is highly questionable.

Jack

 

[GMX]

Some good news but mainly more troubles. Sorry if this post is long. Maybe it's due to spending so many hours now trying to fix Windows 7 that I've lost track of how long I've been at these efforts.

Last night I finally got a CHKDSK /F/R to complete (it always stopped at stage 3 previously) though it took several hours to complete. CHKDSK usually took about 10 minutes to complete when Windows 7 was working properly in the past. Maybe CHKDSK was repairing a lot of corrupted files?

With that slight success, I thought I'd try to see if any Restore Points would work. However, when I tried another System Restore that still didn't work and once again I got an "Unspecified error message...". I also tried a SFC /SCANNOW which reported no system integrity issues (though I still couldn't get the /OFFBOOTDIR and /OFFBOOTWIN options to work).

So I was going to try to Repair Install as a last resort but first I decided to see what the BSOD error message actually was. The message literally flashed so fast I couldn't even read it. So I got a phone and made a video of the BSOD. The message is:

C0000135 This program can't start because %hs is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix the problem.

That's the good news - now I have a slightly better idea of what's happening - though I still don't know the specific cause of the error message. Now for the bad news. According to this site (http://mikemstech.blogspot.com/2012/01/troubleshooting-0xc0000135.html) I have to get Windows Debugging Tools to try to find the cause. I'm lost about using WinDbg and I don't have a spare computer right now. I've seen some other suggestions too aout fixing this '%hs missing error' (mainly concerning AVG causing this error) but I'm not exactly sure how to proceed.

So barring figuring about the BSOD error using WinDbg, I felt I was just left with the Repair Install option (or doing a complete reinstall of Windows 7 or moving to Windows 10 - neither of which I really want to do). So I burned a Windows 7 Installation iso (thanks again for the link and help here) to a USB stick and booted up. I thought this method would work and install without any issues since I was booting from a full version of Windows 7 instead of the Upgrade DVD I tried initially. However, I received the following error message

The computer started using a Windows Installation disc. Remove the Installation disc and reboot your computer so that Windows starts normally. Then insert the installation disc and restart the upgrade.

This error message is essentially the one I received when I tried booting from my Upgrade DVD. I can't start Windows normally. If I could I wouldn't need a Repair Install (Windows Upgrade). Aggravating.

So, barring the two aforementioned options I really don't want (a full install of either Windows 7 or 10), hopefully someone can help me either (1) overcome the boot issue and get the Window 7 Repair Install to work or (2) get Windows Debugging Tools installed and running so I can find and replace whatever files are corrupted or missing (such as *.dll files for example). However, I read that using WinDbg requires another computer to act as a host.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TechnoMage2016]

IOBIT's Advanced SystemCare has cause many members to do a Clean Install.

What ASC does, know body is really sure. Anything from IObits is highly questionable.

Jack

Plus ONE! That means that I strongly agree with the above comment.

Some folks will start yelling, "the sky is falling" every time their PC burps or fahrts.

I just pulled a desktop PC out of storage this evening, that's not been ON for several months.
It refused to boot up at all. I checked the PSU with a digital Power Supply Checker and it showed several voltages to be out of spec. So I stuck in a new PSU....NO JOY! Then I realized that I had totally missed the most obvious and easiest thing to change.....the CMOS Battery. I took it out and left it out for about a half hour, then replaced the old battery with a brand new one. VOILA! The PC now boots up and runs GREAT. When checked with a Digital Multi-Meter a CMOS battery (CR-2032) should check out at 3.0vdc or better, to work properly in every PC.
I've seen some PC's boot up with a failing CMOS battery, but do the darnedest things!

I guess it's too late to say, "keep your PC backed up on a regular basis", Eh?

Happy Holidays!
TechnoMage

 

[SIW2]

Can't figure out how to do a Repair (Upgrade) install - Windows 7 Help Forums