Solved windows 7 reinstall freezing at "Setup is starting services"

[jimliz2]

I ran Spybot Seek and Destroy on my Gateway laptop running Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium. My startup time had gone to a crawl as had the time to load pages in explorer. After Spybot was done it reccomended to "quarentine" certain files which I did and saved the registry of those files. When I rebooted to finish the process Windows would not retart.

I tried several restore points including one I created before running Spybot, but Windows still wouldn't start.

When nothing else in the recovery options worked I opted to reinstall Windows from factory default settings. Part way through the installation process I got the error "Windows cannot complete installation on this hard drive. Windows will restart installation after restarting."

Since that point, it is freezing at the Setup is starting service screen (or it is moving at such a slow pace I can't tell. It's been about 2hrs).

Any ideas?

 

[gregrocker]

Spybot lost favor about ten years ago when it bloated up and got buggy and has never been recommended here where we favor newer tools like Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware.

What should have been a simple restore operation might have been complicated by having a Factory install which is the worst possible install of Win7 one can have, larded with bloatware and duplicate utilties which interfere with better versions built into Win7. Most tech enthusiasts will not run such an install but instead http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164.

Everything needed is in the blue link to get and keep a perfect install, including the tools and methods which work best with Win7.

 

[jimliz2]

Thanks, Rocker. I read the Clean Reinstall link you provided and have two questions. Since this laptop won't even boot up, can I use my other laptop (runs the same version of Windows 7) to create the thumbdrive for the Clean Reinstall? If so, do I use the Windows 7 product key from that laptop?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, you can use another PC to create the installer.

No, you would use the key from the PC you're reinstalling.

 

[jimliz2]

Thanks, I was able to run the Clean Reinstall. I really appreciate the help. I hit one snag I'm concerened about. When I was prompted to enter my Windows Product Key it paused for a second and then continued on before I could enter it. Is it possible that the Product Key was saved on the laptop and it picked this up on its own.

I don't know if this has led to problems in the setup. It didn't install drivers for my both my Ethernet and Network Controllers as well as the PCI Simple Communications Controller. The problem with the first two is that they are preventing me from connecting to the internet to get the drivers I need.

This may be a terribly ignorant question, but if I use a different model laptop can I go to the Gateway site, look up the drivers I need and save them to a thumdrive or disk? I was afraid of trying and downloading drivers to the other laptop that might cause conflicts on it if they installed directly from the download.

Thank you for your help. You've been a lifesaver at a very difficult time.

 

[Shimshom]

You can download the drivers on any other computer and transfer it to the one you install it on. Make sure when starting the download if you're given the choice of Run or Save to choose Save, save it to the USB stick then copy and paste to your desktop and run it from there

 

[gregrocker]

This may be a terribly ignorant question, but if I use a different model laptop can I go to the Gateway site, look up the drivers I need and save them to a thumdrive or disk? I was afraid of trying and downloading drivers to the other laptop that might cause conflicts on it if they installed directly from the download. .

It's not ignorant at all although it is clearly stated in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 that you should go to the PC model's Support Downloads webpage to download your network LAN driver to your backup so that if it's not provided during install you can install it quickly to get online and do all Updates.

I could have just found it for you in 5 minutes now if the model had been mentioned.

 

[jimliz2]

You can download the drivers on any other computer and transfer it to the one you install it on. Make sure when starting the download if you're given the choice of Run or Save to choose Save, save it to the USB stick then copy and paste to your desktop and run it from there

Thanks!

I went to Gateway's driver page. Entered my model number and OS, but in the list of drivers I could download nothing was labeled as Network Adapter or Ethernet Controller. Should I be looking for it under another title?

 

[jimliz2]

This may be a terribly ignorant question, but if I use a different model laptop can I go to the Gateway site, look up the drivers I need and save them to a thumdrive or disk? I was afraid of trying and downloading drivers to the other laptop that might cause conflicts on it if they installed directly from the download. .

It's not ignorant at all although it is clearly stated in http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html#post1839164 that you should go to the PC model's Support Downloads webpage to download your network LAN driver to your backup so that if it's not provided during install you can install it quickly to get online and do all Updates.

I could have just found it for you in 5 minutes now if the model had been mentioned.

Sorry I missed your post when replying above. I should mention I'm in excruciating nerve pain - 5 back surgerys and bone has grown around a nerve again compressing. thanks for the patience.

I saw what you mentioned in Clean Reinstall but misread it. I thought I needed to do a back up on my laptop which I couldn't boot at the time....just goofed.

My model is Gateway 5v55c.

Thanks for your patience I'll learn to provide better information and follow yours. Not quite myself right now.

 

[gregrocker]

That's not a Gateway model number, so look again on the Gateway sticker on PC closely for one that you can put in here to get the wireless LAN driver: Drivers & Downloads

 

[jimliz2]

It was a typo. The correct model is NV55C. That is the model number that came up when I entered my SNID number at Gateways site.

 

[gregrocker]

When I browse to 64 bit Win7 drivers for your model at Drivers & Downloads it gives me 3 Wireless drivers. You'll need to try all 3 or trace the http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73420-hardware-identification.html on the missing driver (probably Network controller) in Device Manager.

Another method now would be to install the LAN driver which only has one choice, plug in by wire, enable Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3) to Check for Updates, see if Wireless driver comes in with the other drivers which will be installed when you choose all Important and Optional Updates offered. If not you'll be connected to install it from Gateway site.



Let us know how it goes.

 

[jimliz2]

The model number was a typo. The correct one is NV55C. Thanks for the continued help and patience.

I went to the Gateway site, selected the model and OS (64-bit) and thanks to your last reply downloaded the the Lan Driver and copied the file to the desktop of the Clean Reinstall laptop.

I unzipped the file and ran the setup program and now have the correct driver for the Ethernet Controller. I rebooted to let the system update. Connected an ethernet cable to my Windstream DSL modem/router and have internet an connection.

The Gateway site lists three Wireless LAN Drivers. I downloaded them all. But from some earlier reading believed installing the Wireless LAN by Atheros was correct. That worked!!! Now have wireless internet.

I have one last item in my device list that is showing it doesn't have a driver. The PCI Simple Communications Controller.

I don't know what this is or what driver to download for it. Any ideas?

 

[jimliz2]

From what I can find this seems to mean the Intel Management Engine driver did not install. Could this be the Intel iAMT Driver listed at the Gateway driver site?

 

[gregrocker]

What drivers did Windows Update provide?

Did you trace the missing drivers's http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73420-hardware-identification.html

Another method is to click on the missing drive in Dev Mgr, then Details tab, dropdown menu to Hardware ID, highlight to Copy the top result, paste it into Google.

Often times the last missing driver is a Card Reader.

 

[jimliz2]

What drivers did Windows Update provide?

Did you trace the missing drivers's http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73420-hardware-identification.html

Another method is to click on the missing drive in Dev Mgr, then Details tab, dropdown menu to Hardware ID, highlight to Copy the top result, paste it into Google.

Often times the last missing driver is a Card Reader.

You did it, my good man!! The driver was related to an Intel Management Engine.

The final solution was a bit ironic. I opened my Dev Man and followed your instructions to get the Hardware ID line so I could use it at the Hardware Identification site you recommended. Before I could input the data at that website another Windows install prompt came up so I opened it. This time I made certain to install all the updates not just the one marked Important. There was a total of 4. One of those provided the driver I was missing, because when I went back to my Dev Man to proceed at the website the issue was already resolved. I rebooted and then came on here to post an update and express my thanks.

I couldn't have begun to address this problem without your assistance and getting my laptop functioning again could not have come at a more crucial time.

I've followed the remaining steps from your Clean Reinstall listing, which will be a big help in keeping my laptop protected and running well in the future. Thank you!