Win 7 Stopped Loading Programs

[BreakAes]

I came home yesterday and my Windows 7 installation had stopped loading programs. I was able to boot into the OS and run Explorer, but nothing else would run, even from the Program Files folders. I'd click on program icons and the hourglass would appear, then disappear after a few seconds, and nothing would happen. Also I could get to a certain point in the Control Panel, but when I tried to initiate a System Image Backup for example I couldn't do that either.

I tried repairing and then restoring the OS and now I just get a black screen after I log in to Windows. After trying to restore the OS, I got a message saying that the restore function was unable to restore the drive and the OS files remained unchanged.

I think it might be the drive so I'm going to buy a new drive (OS drive recommendations most welcome!). I'm curious as to what the problem is though. I booted into a Windows XP installation in a different drive, and it looks like I can browse the drive Windows 7's installed in fine, but somehow something happened to the OS installation.

If you have any ideas as to what the problem is and how to fix it, let me know what your thoughts are, thanks!

 

[Maguscreed]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html
scroll down to exe and use the registry fix found there.

The most common cause of this problem is viral.
boot http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/69585-safe-mode.html with networking
then download install and update the free version of malwarebytes.
Malwarebytes : Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a free download that removes viruses and malware from your computer
and let it run a FULL scan.

 

[BreakAes]

Thanks for that. I'd definitely like to try the file type associations restore. I did try safe mode I just got a black screen. I haven't tried safe mode with networking yet, and I'll try that, but I'm guessing the same problem will come up.

It could be the drive at this point although it appears I can still browse the drive fine from a separate XP installation. That drive I got in 2006 I think and I pulled it out of an enclosure that failed.

Any suggestions for fixing this black screen after logging in issue?

 

[Maguscreed]

You may be in a repair install situation it will require you to be able to boot, but it will fix windows without deleting any of your files or programs.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

 

[BreakAes]

Thanks, but don't you have to be able to log in to Windows to do that? After I input my password the screen goes black, except for maybe the mouse pointer.

 

[Maguscreed]

Well you can try these options and see if any of them will give you some joy on booting again.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html

 

[MilesAhead]

Thanks, but don't you have to be able to log in to Windows to do that? After I input my password the screen goes black, except for maybe the mouse pointer.

Do you have any image backups? If you have to install a new drive it might be better if you have an image from before the drive got flaky. If not you still may be able to boot a CD to make an image backup. You can find a bunch of free imaging programs on thefreecountry.com: Free Programmers' Resources, Free Webmasters' Resources, Free Security Resources