PC will not boot from HDD or Windows 7 disk

[cg360]

Hi,
Apologies for breaking rules by not posting BSOD files, but I can't get to them! Hoping you can still help to some extent.

My father's PC is quite new, with Intel i5200 chip, 4Gb RAM and ASUS motherboard with onboard graphics. About a month ago he experienced random BSODs, he is not aware of any particular program causing them, and the dump files I have seen are all different.

BSODs increased in frequency, so I said I'd take a look at it, reinstall Windows, whatever. Anyway, it took me hours to back up his photos between crashes, and then I found I couldn't boot from HDD or WIn 7 DVD (full retail disk). I get to the Windows did not start successfully, run Repair screen, but it doesn't run it. Likewise from the DVD, it loads the initial files, then crashes to the Repair screen, only to not run it.

Likely culprits? HDD? RAM or PSU?

It's in warranty, but I'd like a steer on possible causes before he sends it back, you can never know too much!

Thanks for any help you can offer,
Craig

 

[JMH]

You say the computer is under Warranty.

I strongly suggest that you should seek further advice asap.
Under Warranty terms a duty of care applies.

Be aware that attempting any hardware troubleshooting steps may, in some cases, void your warranty.

 

[karlsnooks]

You say the computer is under Warranty.

I strongly suggest that you should seek further advice asap.
Under Warranty terms a duty of care applies.

Be aware that attempting any hardware troubleshooting steps may, in some cases, void your warranty.

A strong second to that advice.
karl

 

[cg360]

Thanks for the advice. I've built and fixed my own PCs in the past, but I wouldn't open a warrantied box - that's why I haven't swapped out the memory etc. already.

Back to the manufacturer, I suppose!

 

[JMH]

Good luck.
Let us know the results please.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Are you very sure it boots (or at least try to boot) from DVD? So you get the "press any key to boot from DVD" and after pressing a key it boots immediately? So keypress is accepted.

So it crashes if booting from DVD. Is it in the boot phase or when you try to install windows?

 

[cg360]

It reads some files from DVD then will go no further, citing a missing file in WIndows32 folder, winexe or something close.

Managed to get it to boot again, still crashes regularly. Dump files finally attached, hooray!

 

[Kaktussoft]

It reads some files from DVD then will go no further, citing a missing file in WIndows32 folder, winexe or something close.

Exact error message please. Do you get that error when booting from dvd??? Very sure it boots from dvd?

FILE \windows\system32\winload.exe

Status: 0x?????

 

[cg360]

winload, that's right. It appears to boot from the DVD, the screen displays the white bar indicating it's loading files, and it looks quite different to when windows is loading. I'll get the exact code now.

 

[Kaktussoft]

User Account Control is disabled as seen in perfmonreport.html. Why not enable it??? This is not the cause of the problem btw.

In same file:
PropertyValueDescriptionLocal Fixed DiskFileSystemNTFSNameC:VolumeDirtyTrue

You C drive is damaged. Wait a second

 

[cg360]

The code is 0xc0000001

Damaged drive? It makes sense...

Thanks for your time, btw. Very much appreciated.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Do a

chkdsk/f/r c:

from within windows. Open an http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html and enter the command. It says something like "disk in use, perfom on next boot?" of course enter yes. and reboot.

chkdsk/f/r checks whole disk c. This takes hours!!! Please check for errors and if they are repaired
post results.

Do a memorycheck as well!

 

[cg360]

I don't know why UAC is disabled, and I can't understand my father doing it, he wouldn't know how.

 

[cg360]

I will do the test now and report back.
Thanks again.
Craig

 

[cg360]

Ran Chkdisk as advised, but had to go to bed as it was too late to wait. This morning, PC had booted into Windows, but apparently had not crashed as there was no error message on screen. This is definite progress!

However, I can see no report from Chkdisk to post up as requested. Can someone tell me where to find the report, please?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Ran Chkdisk as advised, but had to go to bed as it was too late to wait. This morning, PC had booted into Windows, but apparently had not crashed as there was no error message on screen. This is definite progress!

However, I can see no report from Chkdisk to post up as requested. Can someone tell me where to find the report, please?

Follow this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/96938-check-disk-chkdsk-read-event-viewer-log.html

Post the results using copy/post
did you ran chkdsk/f/r c:?
so included /f and /r?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Do
ckdsk/f/r d:
ckdsk/f/r e:

etc as well. check all harddrive partitions!! Again... it takes hours.
Please notice what it repaired, or tried to repair!
Eventually run it again after a few days to check if it's still fine.

These actions can be done later. Let us concentrate on C disk now. All OS related stuff is on C isn't it?

 

[cg360]

He only has C:, so that is good!

I ran the exact command you suggested, and watched it until it was 50% through stage 5 (empty space) - it was midnight, so I had to go to bed. When I got up, Windows had loaded and there was no error message. Normally it would have crashed within 15 minutes, so maybe we have made some progress. When I get home I will dig up the report and post it.
Thanks
Craig

 

[Kaktussoft]

So chkdsk/f/r c: solved the problem ... at least there's progress.
But what the heck has chkdsk C to do with a non booting DVD??? I think it booted succesfully from DVD but was in the phase of putting temp files on C. Didn't know that happens in the BOOT phase, and don't think so.

It could still be a memory problem that inferes with the dvd boot process and damages your disk.
Have you done a memory check already? It is in WINRE

 

[Kaktussoft]

In elevated command prompt:

sfc/scannow

This will check windows files and eventually repair them. Please post output when at his home. Run it a few times in case of errors.