Windows 7 not booting up. pls HELP

[mbonez]

My laptop ran out of battery power, i restarted it, but it gave me the information; "Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause". I was given the option to either 'Launch startup repair' or 'Start windows normally'...If I select 'Launch startup repair', it leads me to a blank screen with a cursor then stays there until forever, if i select 'Start windows normally', it leads me to the Microsoft logo/'Starting windows' and just stays there for a while until it restarts.

I pressed F8 to access the safe mode page, but all the options in that page just ends up with a black screen with a moving cursor. 'Safe mode' option itself loads all the drivers until it gets to Atipcie.sys, stays there for a while and just restarts....

I tried using the installation disk, pressed a key when i was prompted to do so, but it stops just after the Microsoft logo/'Starting windows' page , gets to a blank screen with cursor and just stay there until forever (meaning i cant access the 'Repair', 'Fresh install' or any other option on the disk whatsoever) . The same things happens if i use the repair disk aswell.

So now, i'm fully stuck, i dont mind loosing my files, i just want to get this computer back to work. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Homeuser66]

It sounds like your Disk might have gotten a Hic-up. If you have access to another computer, take your hard drive out of Laptop and put it in another computer and run this command: chkdsk [volume:][[Path] /f

So it would look like this: chkdsk E: /f or chkdsk d: /f
E is just an example, it could be D,E,F,G,H...ect...It depends on how many devices you have.

/f: Fixes errors on the disk. The disk must be locked. If chkdsk cannot lock the drive, a message appears that asks you if you want to check the drive the next time you restart the computer. But you won't be doing it this way.
/v: Displays the name of each file in every directory as the disk is checked.
/r: Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. The disk must be locked.
/x: Use with NTFS only. Forces the volume to dismount first, if necessary. All open handles to the drive are invalidated. /x also includes the functionality of /f.
/i: Use with NTFS only. Performs a less vigorous check of index entries, reducing the amount of time needed to run chkdsk.
/c: Use with NTFS only. Skips the checking of cycles within the folder structure, reducing the amount of time needed to run chkdsk

Most laptops are SATA drives, you should have an extra power chord in a desktop case or another laptop usually has another bay to attach it to.

You might be able to do this on the original Device, but I usually take them out of the problem machine and hood it to my other ones...

Hope this helps!

 

[DocBrown]

When trying to load & run repair from the win7 Install DVD, dis-connect any extra USB devices, printers, etc from the laptop.

 

[mbonez]

Ok, gonna try that now @HomeUser66, would give a feedback ASAP. Thanks

 

[mbonez]

Ohhh, i didnt attach anything to my laptop. @DocBrown

 

[mbonez]

I just inserted my hard disk into another laptop and exactly the same problem occurred, what does this suggest?? Should i still have some hope??

 

[DocBrown]

Unless the laptops were the same make & model, chance of a good boot-up is slim because of many different driver conflicts.

 

[mbonez]

Unless the laptops were the same make & model, chance of a good boot-up is slim because of many different driver conflicts.

its same HP but different version, but nevertheless, it acted EXACTLY asif i was running the old computer that had issues, and once i returned its original hard disk, it started working :/ (I'm referring to the second computer i tried the hard disk on by the way).

I'm soo confused right now, i still don't want to believe yet that the hard disk has crashed...JUST BECAUSE THE BATTERY DISCHARGED.... i just hope thats not the case.

HELP

 

[Homeuser66]

Yeah, my fault, I didn't mean for you to swap out another Drive, I should have told you attach that device to another machine, then boot up to the OS on the known working machine and run a CMD prompt and type CHKDSK Drive: /f

Or you can left twice click on COMPUTER , then Right Click on that drive and go to PROPERTIES then TOOLS then error checking and CHECK NOW. Check the box that says: Automatically fix system file errors AND Scan for and Attempt recovery of Bad Sectors. It should fix your problem.

If you do it Correctly you will have additional drives installed like the following:

 

[DocBrown]

Since you have had the bad laptop HD out of the computer what is the make & model of it. SATA or IDE HD ? Does your bad laptop have a DVD drive ? You might be able to make a HD Mfg's bootable utility disc to check the HD for errors.

Also I test a lot of HDs with Ext enclosure units

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...your-own-external-hard-drive.html#post1177933

 

[mbonez]

Thanks for your help, BUT, how do i attach an hard disk drive of a laptop to another laptop??...remember, its not like a portable hard disk that someone can just plug into another laptop with its USB. :/ ?? @ HomeUser66

 

[mbonez]

Since you have had the bad laptop HD out of the computer what is the make & model of it. SATA or IDE HD ? Does your bad laptop have a DVD drive ? You might be able to make a HD Mfg's bootable utility disc to check the HD for errors.

Also I test a lot of HDs with Ext enclosure units

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/hardware...your-own-external-hard-drive.html#post1177933

Name: Hitachi
HDD: 5H320-250
MODEL: HTS543225L9A300

AND YH, its got DVD drive....sooo how do i make a HD Mfg's bootable utility disc? adn how do i use it? i'm sure this is my first time of hearing about that :/. Thankssss

@Doc Brown

 

[DocBrown]

Hitachi Drive Fitness Test

:ar: Downloads

Drive Fitness Test
Version 4.16
The Drive Fitness Test (DFT) quickly and reliably tests SCSI, IDE and SATA drives. The DFT analyze function performs read tests without overwriting customer data. (Note: other DFT restoration utilities may overwrite data.)
NOTE: Currently the Drive Fitness Test does not support 3TB and greater internal drives.
Downloads
To run the DFT, you must download the appropriate creator or image and create a self-booting media.
You may create the media under Windows (using the Windows OS version) or Linux (using the binary image), for instructions on how to run the Drive Fitness Test utility download the User's Guide below.

 

[mbonez]

OKK, you copied and pasted that, but can you now PLEASE explain what i have to do with your own words? I'll probably understand that way, although i'm currently still reading the user guide. Thanks @Doc Brown

 

[DocBrown]

You download the .iso file to the HD of your working laptop computer.

:ar:
<LI class=exe_large>CD image (2,720 K)
Creates bootable CD for Linux, Windows and other operating systems ( requires CD-RW drive and software).

Use a burning program to burn the .iso to a blank CD or DVD ( it's small so it will fit on a CD)
I like ImgBurn (FreeWare Version) :ar: The Official ImgBurn Website



You then put the Bootable HD Utility disc in the bad laptop with the bad HD. Set the Bios to boot from CD/DVD. Then run the program to test the HD which does NOT effect your current data / files.

 

[mbonez]

OK, thanks, i'm on it...currently at the stage of writing the iso file into a disk using imgburn. Its still formatting the disk at the moment.

 

[Homeuser66]

I also use an Ultra USB 2.0 to IDE/SATA Cable Adapter, but for what he needs to do, I was trying to help him out the most inexpensive way possible.. Ultra USB 2.0 to IDE/SATA Cable for 2.5-Inch/ 3.5-Inch / 5.25-Inch Drive with Power Adapter at TigerDirect.com
Most people don't do this, but rather take it somewhere and pay money...Here is free advice...This is no dig towards anyone, but rather my explanition for why I told him to do it this way...

 

[mbonez]

thanks for the advice...i think i get what you mean. gonna try buying that possibly tomorrow, not just for this problem but incase something like this ever comes up again, but for now i'm following @DocBrown's instructions, i'm currently scanning the hard disk with that DFT thingy and it seems like it'll take ages but i'm sooo prepared to wait until whenever and see how that works out, but i'm definitely buying that cable tomorow just incase.

I'll give feedback of whatever happens next to you guys ASAP...wouldnt have even tried anything without your advices being my first question here aswell....Thanks a lot

 

[DocBrown]

Yes, I have used the Tri-Head adapters, also.

:ar: USB 2.0 TO SATA IDE Hard Drive Adapter Converter Cable | eBay

I'm not 100% sure it is a HD problem, still could be a computer hardware problem. But we just have to try one thing at a time. Yes, I have HD Mfg programs take a couple of hours to test a HD.

 

[mbonez]

test just finished, it says "One or more currupted sectors found"

i have two options, either to run sector repair (sector repair will cause data loss in the repaired file) OR to totally erase the disk.....

which should i do next....sector repair??