Restart loop, system restore doesn't solve the issue

[blueberry2]

So about a day ago my desktop began displaying the blue screen upon login and then instant restart. I tried startup repair, memory diagnostics tool, system recovery, nothing worked. so i cleared everything on my drive (unforunately) only to find once i got to "set up is preparing your computer for first use" an error message saying something along the lines of "the installation has unexpectedly restarted, please restart to install windows". Everytime i restart, its the same thing. I really have no idea where to go from here and would seriously appreciate help!

 

[zigzag3143]

So about a day ago my desktop began displaying the blue screen upon login and then instant restart. I tried startup repair, memory diagnostics tool, system recovery, nothing worked. so i cleared everything on my drive (unforunately) only to find once i got to "set up is preparing your computer for first use" an error message saying something along the lines of "the installation has unexpectedly restarted, please restart to install windows". Everytime i restart, its the same thing. I really have no idea where to go from here and would seriously appreciate help!

Sounds like a hardware issue can you boot into safe mode (F8)?

If you can get into safe mode go to the system control panel and uncheck auto reboot.

Ken J

 

[blueberry2]

no safe mode, i haven't had actual access to anything besides boot up options since this started. I cannot run safe mode while windows is applying settings etc.

 

[raceb4us]

Not much to go on, but did you enter a product key when installing? If so try installing Windows without the product key.

Strange, but one poster elsewhere mentioned an issue doing a fresh install of Windows with an Upgrade disk with two optical drives. They removed the drive they weren't using and completed the install.

 

[blueberry2]

windows 7 came factory installed so no product key.

 

[sepholdem]

im tRying to fix a friends pc with exactly the same problem- last thing she done was download some music.
i suspected spyware so i booted with HIRENS 11.0 ran combo.fix - silentrunners malewarebytes ect . all came up clean. The BSOD error codes suggesten possible memory fault but tried other memory and same result WINDOWES IS INSTALLING FOR THE FIRST TIME (THEN A BSOD - THEN REBOOT AND THE PROCESS IS REPEATED.
Safe mode no joy - loads drivers and then trys to instal windows - as this is exactly the same problem - could this be maware/virus ??
what i have tried so far-
CHKDSK
cmd sfc/scannow
sytem restore
windows recovery disc
hirens boot disc - multiple rook kit /maleware scans
replaced both mem sicks
mem test 86
start up recovery
stress tested pc components ( all fine cpu-psu-mobo ect.

 

[raceb4us]

Are you doing an install from the recovery partition?

If using an install disc, did you delete the partitions from the previous install when selecting a drive to install Windows 7? I keep thinking I have dealt with this before but my recall is lacking at the moment.

 

[blueberry2]

yes, its from the recovery partition. my computer didn't come with an install disc.

 

[raceb4us]

Not supplying an install disk with a new computer is just sad and to create one, you have to be able to boot into Windows. Gateway will be more than happy to send you the needed disks if you are willing to pay for them. On a more positive note your PC may still be under warranty.

Since your system has onboard grahpics I wouldn't think there would be any additional video cards in your PC, but if there are please try removing prior to the OS recovery and use the onboard graphics. Also, please check your bios settings and make sure the hard drive is the first boot device rather than the DVD/CD drive.

Hope it works.

 

[sepholdem]

we are not tring to install windows - its already insalled and then this loop has occured out the blue - i think blueberry 2 has exactly the same problem as me and i am starting to suspect its some kind of new bootkit

This infection method allows the malicious program to be executed before the operating system boots. As soon as BIOS (Basic Input Output System) selects the appropriate boot device (it can be a hard disk or a flash drive), the bootkit that resides in the MBR starts executing its code. Once the bootkit receives the control, it usually starts preparing itself (reads and decrypts its auxiliary files in its own file system that it has created somewhere in the unallocated disk space) and returns the control to the legitimate boot loader overseeing all stages of the boot process.
The main feature of a bootkit is that it cannot be detected by standard means of an operating system because all its components reside outside of the standard file systems.
Some types of bootkits hide even the fact that the MBR has been compromised by returning the legitimate copy of the MBR when an attempt to read it has been made.
A system infected with a bootkit can be cured with the TDSSKiller utility. ( this info i just found from kaspersky labs

 

[blueberry2]

How might one be able to use the utility if there is no access to windows?

 

[sepholdem]

im working on it blueberry - i will get straight back to you if a fine a solution - maybe i can make a bootable usb or disk and install the program on there because we still can boot from usb or disk

 

[raceb4us]

we are not tring to install windows

My mistake than...

 

[blueberry2]

im working on it blueberry - i will get straight back to you if a fine a solution - maybe i can make a bootable usb or disk and install the program on there because we still can boot from usb or disk

It would be much appreciated if you could figure that out, i was thinking of that but i have no idea how it would work, thanks!

 

[sepholdem]

SOLVED BLUEBERRY
ok this is what i did ( and it was a nasty bookit - undetected by lots of programs )

i had a copy of hirens boot disk ( you can download free from their site) so hit f12 on boot and select boot from disk) i then selected one of the file manager programs and then deleated the boot section of the OS .( will be the small sector)
now windows cant boot so reboot select f8 select repair computer- at this point windows sees there is no boot sector and replaces it.
then reboot - good luck .

 

[blueberry2]

I'm very excited to try this - the boot disk is now downloading. Could you go a little more in depth in regards to which file manager was used and exactly how to delete the boot section of the OS? much appreciated.

 

[sepholdem]

ok no problem - im at work at moment but will get back to you - im sure this will work as we had exactly the same problem

 

[sepholdem]

ok here we go -
start pc hit F12 select boot from disk
then select - start hirens boot cd
then select PARTITION TOOLS
then select FDISK
OK NOW YOU CAN SEE ALL THE SECTIONS OF YOUR HARD DRIVE YOU NEED TO DELETE THE PARTITION WITH THE ACTINE BOOT - ITS USUALLY AROUND 15 MB (USE F5 TO DELETE THE PARTITION)

when you restat the pc windows sees that there is no boot manager and you get the option to repair the computer and it builds a new boot sector( i then did a full scan with microsoft security essensials and malwarebytes as well as running kasperskys TDSSkiller tool and all come up clean.
One thing to try first - when your press f12 to boot from cd - in advanced boot options select - BOOT FROM HARD DRIVE - WINDOWS 7 (BOOTMGR) AND THIS SHOULD TAKE YOU TO YOUR DESK TOP.

THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE IS THAT AFTER NORMAL BOOT THERE IS A MESSAGE SAYING - YOU HARD DISK COULD BE INFECTED - YOU JUST HIT THE SPACE BAR AND IT BOOTS ( I WOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT THIS AS THE SYSTEM THINKS IT STILL MIGHT BE INFECTED - .
GOOD LUCK !!!!

HIRENS BOOT CD

 

[gregrocker]

The "Preparing your computer for first start" loop is often solved by the registry edits given here: How To Fix A Windows 7 Infinite Reboot Loop

No need to do the additional steps as just the given registry edits will suffice in most cases.