"Windows failed to start"

[Ollie8000]

Hey,
I'd had some problem with my laptop the last few days, what I believed to have happened is my laptop (Dell inspiron n5110) which is windows 7, was doing a configuration, but because of my bad connection, my internet dropped. It was stuck at 15% for 3 hours so I turned it off as it was about to run out of battery. It had some problems loading and starting up but they went after a day. but 1 day later I am booting up and I get a black screen which read;
...................................
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart the computer
2. Choose your language settings and then click "next"
3. Click "repair your computer"

File:/boot/BCD
status: 0xc000014c
Info: An unexpected error has occured while attempting to read the boot configuartion data.
......................
If I click on Enter it just repeats.
I dont have the disk either
Any help would be great!
(F8 doesnt do anything)

 

[gregrocker]

Work through these steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

They work up to if necessary rescuiing your files to run Dell Windows 7 PC Restore
or get the superior Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 with everything needed in the link.

 

[Ollie8000]

Work through these steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

They work up to if necessary rescuiing your files to run Dell Windows 7 PC Restore
or get the superior Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 with everything needed in the link.

Unforunately F8 doesnt do anything. When i start up it goes to a Dell spiration loading screen, with only the option to press f2 (Setup) or f12 (boot options)
I have checked both of them, non of them help. (the link tells me to press F8)
Also its not an infection

 

[Debbie B]

Hi,

Kindly confirm if Hard Drive is recognized in BIOS. If yes, follow next step. If NO, load BIOS defaults. After that follow the STEP 3 from the URL mentioned: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?&docid=DSN_362066&isLegacy=true

If the issue still persists, then try running the Hardware Diagnostics. If you get any error code, make a note of the error code.

If nothing works out then send me the Service Tag, your full name and your contact number in the Private Message only and will check what best I can do for you. Kindly do not post those details in the open forum.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hey,
I'd had some problem with my laptop the last few days, what I believed to have happened is my laptop (Dell inspiron n5110) which is windows 7, was doing a configuration, but because of my bad connection, my internet dropped. It was stuck at 15% for 3 hours so I turned it off as it was about to run out of battery. It had some problems loading and starting up but they went after a day. but 1 day later I am booting up and I get a black screen which read;
...................................
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart the computer
2. Choose your language settings and then click "next"
3. Click "repair your computer"

File:/boot/BCD
status: 0xc000014c
Info: An unexpected error has occured while attempting to read the boot configuartion data.
......................
If I click on Enter it just repeats.
I dont have the disk either
Any help would be great!
(F8 doesnt do anything)

pc can find active partition and loads bootmgr. Bootmgr finds a corrupt bootmenu.

Boot into recovery environment http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html OPTION TWO
enter command prompt there. Then

diskpart
list  vol
exit

what are the volume letters? (don't count the dvd stuff!)
assume C and D and E
then do:

chkdsk/f  c:
chkdsk/f  d:
chkdsk/f  e:

all volumes have no error?

attrib  c:\boot\bcd
attrib  d:\boot\bcd
attrib  e:\boot\bcd

Where is that file, so on C or D (or both)? or even on E?

 

[Ollie8000]

Hi,

Kindly confirm if Hard Drive is recognized in BIOS. If yes, follow next step. If NO, load BIOS defaults. After that follow the STEP 3 from the URL mentioned: http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kcs/document?&docid=DSN_362066&isLegacy=true

If the issue still persists, then try running the Hardware Diagnostics. If you get any error code, make a note of the error code.

If nothing works out then send me the Service Tag, your full name and your contact number in the Private Message only and will check what best I can do for you. Kindly do not post those details in the open forum.

Thanks for replying, I am not sure what you mean by checking bios working, i've put a usb in and it has lighten up if thats what you mean. I have done all diagnostic tests but all have passed. i even tried advanced hard drive 0 but still nothing.

 

[Ollie8000]

Hey,
I'd had some problem with my laptop the last few days, what I believed to have happened is my laptop (Dell inspiron n5110) which is windows 7, was doing a configuration, but because of my bad connection, my internet dropped. It was stuck at 15% for 3 hours so I turned it off as it was about to run out of battery. It had some problems loading and starting up but they went after a day. but 1 day later I am booting up and I get a black screen which read;
...................................
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart the computer
2. Choose your language settings and then click "next"
3. Click "repair your computer"

File:/boot/BCD
status: 0xc000014c
Info: An unexpected error has occured while attempting to read the boot configuartion data.
......................
If I click on Enter it just repeats.
I dont have the disk either
Any help would be great!
(F8 doesnt do anything)

pc can find active partition and loads bootmgr. Bootmgr finds a corrupt bootmenu.

Boot into recovery environment http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html OPTION TWO
enter command prompt there. Then

diskpart
list  vol
exit

what are the volume letters? (don't count the dvd stuff!)
assume C and D and E
then do:

chkdsk/f  c:
chkdsk/f  d:
chkdsk/f  e:

all volumes have no error?

attrib  c:\boot\bcd
attrib  d:\boot\bcd
attrib  e:\boot\bcd

Where is that file, so on C or D (or both)? or even on E?

I dont have the disk to do that im affraid

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hey,
I'd had some problem with my laptop the last few days, what I believed to have happened is my laptop (Dell inspiron n5110) which is windows 7, was doing a configuration, but because of my bad connection, my internet dropped. It was stuck at 15% for 3 hours so I turned it off as it was about to run out of battery. It had some problems loading and starting up but they went after a day. but 1 day later I am booting up and I get a black screen which read;
...................................
Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause. To fix the problem:

1. Insert your Windows installation disc and restart the computer
2. Choose your language settings and then click "next"
3. Click "repair your computer"

File:/boot/BCD
status: 0xc000014c
Info: An unexpected error has occured while attempting to read the boot configuartion data.
......................
If I click on Enter it just repeats.
I dont have the disk either
Any help would be great!
(F8 doesnt do anything)

pc can find active partition and loads bootmgr. Bootmgr finds a corrupt bootmenu.

Boot into recovery environment http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html OPTION TWO
enter command prompt there. Then

diskpart
list  vol
exit

what are the volume letters? (don't count the dvd stuff!)
assume C and D and E
then do:

chkdsk/f  c:
chkdsk/f  d:
chkdsk/f  e:

all volumes have no error?

attrib  c:\boot\bcd
attrib  d:\boot\bcd
attrib  e:\boot\bcd

Where is that file, so on C or D (or both)? or even on E?

I dont have the disk to do that im affraid

That is not smart of you!! Any other working win7 machine there?

 

[Ollie8000]

pc can find active partition and loads bootmgr. Bootmgr finds a corrupt bootmenu.

Boot into recovery environment http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html OPTION TWO
enter command prompt there. Then

diskpart
list  vol
exit

what are the volume letters? (don't count the dvd stuff!)
assume C and D and E
then do:

chkdsk/f  c:
chkdsk/f  d:
chkdsk/f  e:

all volumes have no error?

attrib  c:\boot\bcd
attrib  d:\boot\bcd
attrib  e:\boot\bcd

Where is that file, so on C or D (or both)? or even on E?

I dont have the disk to do that im affraid

That is not smart of you!! Any other working win7 machine there?

Yes the laptop I am currently using is the upgraded version of mine. has windows 7 too!

 

[Kaktussoft]

Create a repair disk on that laptop http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html
Can be done on cd or dvd. Boot the sick computer with that dvd

 

[Ollie8000]

Create a repair disk on that laptop http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html
Can be done on cd or dvd. Boot the sick computer with that dvd

I did that but i got a message after trying to system recivery finnished say it was not completed successfully.
"an unspecified error occurred during system restore. (0x8000ffff)

 

[Ollie8000]

Thanks for all the help guys! You guys were 10x more helpful than the dell support team!
It took 3 attempts at system recovery but its back up now. Hopeful I wont have the same problem after restarting.
Thanks again guys, all comments where really appreciated, I couldn't have done it without you!

 

[Kaktussoft]

Thanks for all the help guys! You guys were 10x more helpful than the dell support team!
It took 3 attempts at system recovery but its back up now. Hopeful I wont have the same problem after restarting.
Thanks again guys, all comments where really appreciated, I couldn't have done it without you!

Did we tell you to do a system restore? Anyway.. it's fixed

 

[gregrocker]

What exactly did you do? Did you run Dell Windows 7 PC Restore?

Startup Repair? System Restore ?

Did you make any effort to work through the steps for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start?