Startup Repair

How to Run a Startup Repair in Windows 7​

   Information

Startup Repair is a system recovery tool that automates common diagnostic and repair tasks of unbootable Windows 7 installations. If the computer fails over into Windows RE because of a detected boot failure, Startup Repair launches automatically. If automatic failover to an on-disk Windows RE is not available, Startup Repair can also be launched as a manual recovery tool from a Windows RE CD/DVD.

This tutorial will show you how to run Startup Repair to allow it to scan your Windows 7 computer for a startup problem and try to fix it so your computer can start correctly.

Startup Repair is located on the System Recovery Options menu, which is on the Windows 7 installation disc. If your computer manufacturer (OEM) has preinstalled recovery options, Startup Repair might also be installed on your hard disk. If your computer does not include Startup Repair, your computer manufacturer (OEM) might have customized or replaced the tool. Check the information that came with your computer or go to the manufacturer's website.

   Note

Startup Repair Process

Startup Repair will try to repair computers that are unbootable because of the following reasons:

• Registry corruption
• Missing or damaged system and driver files
• Disk metadata corruption (MBR, partition table, and boot sector)
• File system metadata corruption
• Installation of problematic or incompatible drivers
• Installation of incompatible Windows service packs and patches
• Corrupt boot configuration data
• Bad memory and hard disk hardware (detection only)

Startup Repair will not repair unbootable systems caused by the following issues:

• Malfunctioning firmware and other hardware components
• Problems with clean Windows installations or Windows upgrades (for example, from Windows XP to Windows Vista)
• Windows logon errors
• Viruses and malicious software

After Startup Repair has run, a text log with diagnostic information and repair results is generated. The log file is located at: C:\Windows\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt


For more information, see: How Windows RE Works

   Warning

Startup Repair cannot fix hardware failures, such as a failing hard disk or incompatible memory, nor does it protect against virus attacks. Startup Repair is not designed to fix Windows installation problems. Startup Repair is not a backup tool, so it cannot help you recover personal files, such as photos or documents. To help protect your computer, back up your system and files regularly.

:note: For the updated Windows 10 tutorial, please see - Startup Repair - Run in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Tutorials

Here's How:
1. Boot to the System Recovery Options screen using your retail Windows 7 installation disk or system repair disc.

2. Select the Startup Repair option. (See screenshot below)
3. Startup Repair will now scan your computer to attempt to find and fix any startup problems. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Startup Repair might prompt you to make choices as it tries to fix the problem, and if necessary, it might restart your computer as it makes repairs. If repairs are not successful, you'll see a summary of the problem and links to contact information for support. Your computer manufacturer might include additional assistance information.
4. If problems cannot be found, then click on Finish. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can click on the View diagnostic and repair details link to see a detailed summary of what Startup Repair has done.

A) Click on the Restart button to return to the Windows 7 log on screen. (See screenshot below step 2)

   Tip

Sometimes it may take running a startup repair (3) separate times with restarting the computer after each time before it fully fixes the startup issue.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7
• How to Boot to the Advanced Boot Options in Windows 7
• How to Boot to the System Recovery Options in Windows 7
• How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc
• How to See Windows 7 Reliability and Problem History with Reliability Monitor
• How to Run Disk Check in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Restore in Windows 7
• How to Repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker
• How to Create a System Recovery Shortcut in Windows 7
• Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times to Repair Boot Issues
• How to Recover from an Infinitely Looping Startup Repair Loop without Reinstalling Windows
• Bootmgr is missing - Fix
• How to Use the Bootrec.exe Tool in Windows Recovery Environment

 

[Brink]

Might be time to do a clean install on the drive. Be sure that you don't have any other drive connected than the one you want to install Windows on to help avoid having the boot partition on another drive by mistake.

If needed, format the drive on another computer first.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

What if I have another drive installed ? I dedicated one drive for Windows and all software, It shouldn't effect other drives. Clean install then restore my image, I hope that works considering the clean install of Windows should create all the right system files.

 

[Brink]

I would recommend to only have one drive connected during the installation. After the installation is finished, you could connect the other drives without issue.

Yeah, you should be able to restore your image after the clean install. If you had any issues when the image was created, restoring the image would add the issues back though.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

There was no problems before creating the image; I created the image before this mess began.

I can boot into Windows with the boot disc, this is what is strange, I can do my normal work, not without the USB boot key in the computer. I haven't done a fresh install, somehow I believe this is recoverable, the computer is using the USB key to get past the missing bootmgr, that error doesn't even exist anymore, instead a blank blue screen happens, from there it reads from the actual Windows7 drive. There is piece of the puzzle missing from the time the USB drive is needed to the end when the physical Windows7 drive is used to boot into my regular Windows where everything is perfect, my files, settings etc.

I've run chkdsk, there are no errors, the drive doesn't have any problems. I've made, a baby step, since the bootmgr is missing error is gone. The problem, is turning this blue screen that boots now which after a few seconds automatically reboots, into loading into my Windows7 without needing a USB key to boot.

Windows7 USB boot disc cannot solve this problem, start up & repair is useless in this situation. What other commands could be used to fix this ? Diskpart, was behind the minor baby step, which eliminated the "bootmgr is missing" error. If the boot manager is in existent, my theory is, it is unable to connect to the right drive, once the connection is made, everything will work, I hope !

What is horrible is the software developers of the partition software that caused this mess won't offer a solution, whether it be custom or a boot disc that I can download to repair this problem instantly. There software radically reworked my entire bootmgr, that even the so called "tech people" excluding you Brink, claim there solution solved problems such as these quickly, proves, there knowledge isn't top of the line, if it was, they would have a solution. The only other wishful thinking would be someone who was on the programming team for Windows would have to post some fix that could re-write everything with one command and everything is working, although as mentioned wishful thinking !

 

[Brink]

Since you are able to boot into Windows, you might consider doing a repair install from within Windows to fix this.

Just be sure to not have any other drive connected when doing the repair install to prevent the boot configuration getting put on the wrong drive.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

The installation won't work, I get an error there is no 836megs free on my boot drive, but there is 13 gigs free on the boot drive !

 

[Brink]

Are you able to free up more space to allow the repair install?

 

[JerometheGiraff]

There is gigs of free space, nothing for me to free !

I want to know what is happening when the computer boots into a blank blue screen, no windows logo appears, straight from BIOS to blank blue screen, the after a few seconds restarts.

 

[Brink]

Part of the 13 GB could be allocated space and not actually free. This is why it's worth to see if freeing up more space may allow the repair install to work. If able, temporarily move some files to another drive to free some. You must have at least 8.87 GB + what is currently being used of free space (more if you have a larger installation) on the hard drive/partition Windows 7 is installed on to do a repair install.

I'm not sure why it boots to the blank blue screen, but the repair install is an attempt to fix that as well.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

The problem is fixed !

 

[Brink]

Great news. Details please.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

EasyBCD solved the problem, I had to pay $40 for the Repair DVD. When I saw on screen BootMGR Repaired, I knew it was fixed.

Formatting the drive etc, was all not working, no matter what rescue DVD I had or USB drive I had, nothing worked, I was denied at every angle. Bootrec didn't solve the problem, it was a week I won't forget.

I need to find a valid, robust, partition software that won't cause this mess again.

 

[Brink]

I'm surprised that wiping the drive didn't let you clean install, but thank you for posting back with your results.

 

[JerometheGiraff]

I couldn't wipe the drive, it wouldn't allow me, from my own Windows7 discs, to the Digital Rivers ISO boot discs, all the way to any other software programs boot disc, I was plain out denied. You always want to go with free options first, which is what I did, I was skeptical about the BCD solution, but it does work.

I recommend trying all solutions from this thread, which are your cost free solutions. If those don't work, then you will have to pay $40 for BCD and let it fix it for you, once you are in that much of a bind, what is left !

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello Shawn have got an oldish (not too old) XP machine that has thousands of dollars worth of CAD software on it and it stalls at the welcome screen normal boot and the starting Windows in safe mode any guise. Have checked the machine for obvious hard ware failure and cannot find any.
So could your tutorial be used in some way on this problem please?

 

[Brink]

Hello John,

I'm sorry, but this tutorial wouldn't apply to XP.

You might see if you may be able to do a system restore at boot in XP to hopefully go back to before this happened.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084/

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ok thanks Shawn I didn't think it would work but it was a suggestion to me. I ma using the OS disk and the Recovery Console right now except the fellows have gone to lunch and I need the admin password

 

[Megabuff]

Reboot to CD or HD?

Hi and thanks for the great info.

When the system restarts should it go back to the repair CD or to the HD?

 

[Brink]

Hello Negabuff,

It should boot to Windows if successfully fixed.

 

[jraju]

Hi, Brink,
My explorer.exe failed and my system could not boot in normal mode. it could be started in safe mode. I tried to register the dll command. I went to elevated command prompt and issued the cmd. regsvr32 exploreframe.dll as a solution given to re register the dll. But it came with failure such as module could not be loaded errors.
Then i put my dvd and opted startup repairs, it done something and i could now boot to normal windows. My question is why cannot i register the dll, if it is working, explorer.exe, is working , in normal mode. What the startup repair done to repair . how to find the repair log. It says 0x0 error in all the startup repairs itemwise. Would you through some light on this aspect and also how to fix windows explorer from freezing. pl