Startup Repair Utility not helping me starting up my laptop

[djkiernan75]

Hello all,

I have a Samsung R580 laptop, bought it about 10 months ago. Hard drive is 500 GB, 4 GB of RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium came pre installed. Intel i3 processor.

Some times we use it to playback movies through HDMI connection to our TV. Last Thursday my wife came back from work and started it. It was connected to the TV via HDMI. When it started, only a grey screen was showing on the TV, therefore she unplugged the HDMI cable. Grey screen on the laptop followed, an no response to keyboard. She turned it off by pressing the power button for a few seconds and then started again.

She got a messagge stating the following:

'Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.
If Windows files have been damaged or configured incorrectly, Startup Repair can help diagnose and fix the problem. If power was interrupted during startup, choose Start Windows Normally'.

The recommended option was to start Windows Startur Repair utility and my wife selected it. Well, that run for almost 30 hours and the power went off in our house, so when the battery extinguised, the computer turned off.

Now when I try to turn it on, I get the same message recommending to execute Windows Startup Repair, but I'm affraid that will not take me anywhere.

I'm not able to start the computer normally nor in safe mode nor with Last Good configuration. When the computer starts up it gives me an option called "recovery" that activates Samsung Recovery Solution 4. I think is an application to recover files, but it is not starting as well.

At this point I think that the only solution is to format C drive and re install the Operative System. I think can start the computer using an autoexecutable Ubuntu operative system to rescue the files I want to save prior to wiping the computer out, but I do not have a Windows 7 installation CD (it came pre installed), I only have the corresponding serial number in the bottom of the computer. So I have 3 questions at this point:

1) Is anywhere out there in the web where I can dowload a W7 copy using my serial number?
2) Do you recommend performing a clean install or do you think I should retry Windows startup repair until it finishes to see what it tells me?
3) Can anyone tell me what might have happened that caused this issue?

Thanks in advance, looking forward for your help.

 

[DustSailor]

Mate, that is very sad. But welcome to Sevenforums to you nonetheless.

Try these tutorials to see if it solves the problem. Keep in mind, the problem may be hardware-related. Ensure that your computer is not running hot, and has lots of air (cool, preferably). Here are the tutorials, in order:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139576-startup-repair-infinite-loop-recovery.html - created by Dzomlija
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/139810-sfc-scannow-run-command-prompt-boot.html - created by Bare Foot Kid

 

[djkiernan75]

Hello DustSailor, thanks for answering quickly. However, I do not have good news:

First I tried to follow the instructions in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery - created by Dzomlija. I started the computer, pressed F8 and got to the screen where I select 'Repair my computer'. From there, Windows starts and I arrive to a screen where I see a desktop background (blue, with green leaves at the right side of the screen) and I can move the cursor pointer, but I never get anything else. The computer stays there like forever.

So I thought moving on directly to the second tutorial, SFC /SCANNOW : Run in Command Prompt at Boot - created by Bare Foot Kid. The thing with this one is that it requires a Windows full version installation DVD or a created repair CD... and I do not have any of those.

I tried booting in safe mode with command prompt but I reach to the point where \windows\system32\DRIVERS\CLASSPNP.SYS is loaded and then the computer reboots and starts the boting procedure all over again.

Any idea?

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Boot.

You must first confirm if there is infection lest Win7 likely won't repair. Then go about repairing System files, SysRestoring, repairing boot - everything possible to get the OS started is there.

If all possibilities are exhausted, the tutorial shows you how to rescue your files and run Factory Recover or get the superior Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

 

[djkiernan75]

Hello fellows, no luck so far... I'm downloading W7 .iso image now so today I'll try re installing... I can't believe how much time I'm wasting to do this!!!

 

[gregrocker]

Which of the troubleshooting steps have you completed? What were the results of disinfection?

 

[djkiernan75]

Here are the details:

1. First try booting into Safe Mode with Networking to install, update and run a full scan with Malwarebytes.

There was no way to do this, impossible to execute any Safe Mode startup.

2. If Safe Mode is not working, download, burn to CD or write to flash stick, boot and run a full scan with Windows Defender Offline. If it fails try one of these FREE Bootable AntiVirus Rescue CDs burned to CD using Windows Image Burner or ImgBurn.

Windows Defender Offline did not work, so I went with the second option. I ran AVG Rescue from a flash drive and it came back with 0 files infected.

3. If infection cleans up enough that Windows 7 will start then run SFC -SCANNOW Command to check for damaged System files.

If not post back the virus scan results in our Security forum for expert help.

Still can not start W7... and zero infected files...

4. Once the System is clean if it won't start boot into System Recovery Options via the F8 menu or disk as shown in tutorial, run Startup Repair repeatedly up to 3 separate times with reboots in between each - no matter what it reports.

Startup Repair has been running now for almost 36 hours without doing anything but run and run. I today when I return from the office it is still running, I will move on to step 5.

5. If you need an installer for your licensed version to boot to run Repairs or possible Clean Reinstall, download the latest official Win7 installer w/SP1 ISO, burn to DVD or write to flash stick using Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool.

I'm downloading the image as we speak.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[gregrocker]

Make sure your HD is detected in BIOS setup. Then test your hardware using steps in note at beginning of tutorial.

 

[djkiernan75]

Thank for the heads up, I did not read the part with the hardware checks.

HD is detected in BIOS setup.

Results for Memtest86+ v4.20 are the following (it took 5 hours 10 minutes to check 4 GBs):

Test: STD
Pass: 6
Errors: 0
ECC ERRS: -

I'm going to University now, when I return I'll work on the HD tests.

Will keep you posted.

 

[djkiernan75]

Hello Gregrocker.

Well, the problem seems to be the hard drive. I ran a tool from Seagate (SeaTools for DOS) and it detected bad sectors. The problem is that my computer has a Samsung HD, and the disk division of Samsung was acquired by Seagate; however, the problem tells me that the disk is not a Seagate, and does not give me the option to repair the defective sectors found during the test.

Does anyone know about an autoexecutable program that can be included in a flash drive that can correct the bad sectors in my disk?

Thanks!

 

[gregrocker]

What were the results of the Disk Check?

Hirens Boot Disk and Ultimate Boot CD both have freeware tools to diagnose and repair HD and can also be written to bootable flash stick: Hiren's BootCD From USB Flash Drive (Pen Drive) » www.hiren.info

But if Seatools continues showing bad sectors and Disk Check does not show a clean disk then I'd replace the HD. An SSD gives the best performance boost to be had today.

 

[djkiernan75]

The test results only says that bad sectors were detected and that the test result is failed... when I kicked off the test, I saw 61 bad sectors detected after 25 minutes of test... and then I went to sleep.

The log file of the test only says that the test failed. Nothing else. I'm not sure why, maybe it is because it detects that the disk is not Seagate.

I'll give it a try with Hirens Boot Disk and Ultimate Boot CD... I understand that maybe the best is to replace the drive but I'm located in Argentina and it might be really expensive.

I'll let you know once I have Hirens's results.

Thanks.

 

[djkiernan75]

Hi Gregrocker, I have a doubt and maybe you can help me:

I'm following the steps to create a USB Flash Drive with Hiren's BootCD. But I do not understand what I have to do in this step:

Step 4
Insert the BootCD (10.3 or newer) in the CD Drive and Copy everything from CD to USB Flash Drive


What is the BootCD that I have to insert in the CD drive?

 

[SIW2]

Have you downloaded a Hiren's .iso file?

If so, normally you would burn that .iso to cd as an image.

If ypou want ot put it on a flash drive instead, you can just use the .iso.

Ther are programs which will do it for you YUMI - Multiboot USB Creator (Windows) | USB Pen Drive Linux

Read that page - it tells you to defrag the .iso first.

 

[djkiernan75]

Hi,

I have not downloaded a Hiren's ISO file. Where can I find that? I'm not finding it in Hiren's website....

 

[gregrocker]

Hirens.BootCD.15.1.zip

http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd-on-usb-disk

 

[djkiernan75]

OK I'm still fighting this... and I need some help now with Hiren's Boot CD.

I've followed the steps to create a USB flash drive with Hiren's Boot but I can't get it to work, somehow I can not understand how files should be structured in the flash drive for it to start and offer me to load Hiren's Boot CD.

If I move files around the USB drive and create some folders, I manage to get to a screen where I can select "Hiren's BootCD" but when I select that option, I get the following error:

Booting Hiren's BootCD

find --set-root /HBCD/menu.lst

Error 15: File not found

Press any key to continue

but the file "menu.lst" is located inside /HBCD folder... can someone please tell me how do I have to structure the files in the USB drive? I'm starting to get crazy with this issue...

 

[gregrocker]

There is no need to move any files around or do anything else with the stick except insert it, format and write the Hiren's or UBCD ISO with Universal USB Installer.

Then reboot and tap one-time Boot Menu key to trigger USB, Removable or HD under which the stick model should be listed for choosing.

 

[djkiernan75]

Thanks! I managed to install Hiren's, the instructions that are included in Hiren's post are not accurate... they way you advised was much better.

Now, what tool should I chose from the list? I've tryied with Seagate DiscWizard but it does not work with my Samsung HDD... and if I go to Custom Menu > Partition Wizard 5 (Partition Tools) I get the following error message:

Booting Partition Wizard 5 (Partition Tools)
find --set-root /pwhe5.iso
Error 15: File not found

Any idea?

 

[gregrocker]

You don't want SeaGate Disk Wizard but instead SeaTools for DOS | Seagate
to test a Samsung HD. http://knowledge.seagate.com/articles/en_US/FAQ/201271en

Use UBCD to get the free version of SeaTools on a bootable flash stick: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/install-and-boot-ultimate-boot-cd-ubcd-from-a-usb-device/