Windows won't start

[Mayfly]

I have a 6mth old HP ProBook 4740s 64bit W7 Professional i5. I've never been overly happy with it. It often takes a while to both start and shut down and recently I noticed that memory usage was high using the desktop gadget. When I checked the system config advanced boot it was only using 1 processor and 218 of RAM I was advised to change it to 4 and 4096 RAM.

Now I can't get windows to start. Is it because of what was changed? I did remove some programmes from the start up menu but nothing important

It's always been a bit backwards at starting whereas all other PCs I've had start windows then asks for the password this pc asks for the password and then boots windows.

It's run a auto repair but says it can't fix the problem the only error it comes up with is 0x490 it does give a few options system restore being one but as you see from my thread here I could never get it to do one http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/313297-system-restore-not-saving.html
another option is to use the backup disc I made but yes you've guessed it i can't find it!!

I googled error 0x490 and found this http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html but I can't get to the advance start window again.

Is there anything I can do or will I need a professional repair?

 

[bigmck]

First I would say try a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html You need to have a Windows 7 Install Disk. Windows 7 Direct Download Links Download the ISO and burn it to a DVD at no more than a 4X speed. Make sure it is the same as you have now. You specs say you have Win 7 Professional. You will need to go half way down the page. The first ones you see will say "Chinese". Keep going and you will get to English. Make sure you download what you have Professional and either 32 or 64 bit, whichever one you have. Let us know what happens.

 

[Mayfly]

Thanks so much for your help - the version I require I believe is the forth one Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 U remedia fresh. Tho' I'm not sure what the U remedia fresh is.

How does this download work? I assumed it would go into my download folder and from there I can burn it to disc however it seems to to be saving in google downloads can I burn it from that location as it's a new one on me?

 

[bigmck]

Thanks so much for your help - the version I require I believe is the forth one Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 U remedia fresh. Tho' I'm not sure what the U remedia fresh is.

How does this download work? I assumed it would go into my download folder and from there I can burn it to disc however it seems to to be saving in google downloads can I burn it from that location as it's a new one on me?

It will download as an .ISO file. Just burn that to a Disk and it will unpack the files automatically on the disk. Nothing else is needed.

 

[Mayfly]

Thanks - this what has happened so far....

The first thing that always happens under normal operation is it asks me for my password - then windows starts-

Now when I try to start after 30 seconds or so it's going back to the password screen, I type it in a second time hit enter and get a screen [black with writing] that says 'Windows failed to start' and asks if I want to try to start windows again normally or do an Auto fix. At the end of the auto fix there are 2 links one is the log of what it's checked and where I found the error 0x490, the other link asks what method I would like to try to fix the problem they are:

Start up repair [already tried]
System Restore [would never do one]
System image recovery [Can't find it - very puzzling]
Windows memory diagnostics
Command prompt

I can't get it to recognize the Iso disc or find any way to open the disc.

I think I'm stuck!!

 

[bigmck]

Let's recap. == You have burned a Windows 7 disk from the link in message #2. You have inserted the disk and then booted so that it boots from the disk and not your HD. What kind of message are you getting at this point?

 

[Mayfly]

OK

I press the start button it asks me to login -that's usual

It goes to the windows screen and after a few seconds asks me to log in again

The 2nd time I do I get a black screen telling me there is a boot problem and it runs the auto recovery.
the auto recovery tells me there is a problem and give me 2 links - 1 tells me what has been checked the other gives a list of options as in reply 5.

I downloaded the ISO file [almost 3GB] the copy utility wouldn't allow me to burn to disk it told me the file couldn't be found so I used the W7 utility.

When I put the disk in nothing happens with it, how do I make sure it tries to boot from that and not HDD? I don't get anything on screen other than what I have said above no prompts etc.

 

[bigmck]

OK

I press the start button it asks me to login -that's usual

It goes to the windows screen and after a few seconds asks me to log in again

The 2nd time I do I get a black screen telling me there is a boot problem and it runs the auto recovery.
the auto recovery tells me there is a problem and give me 2 links - 1 tells me what has been checked the other gives a list of options as in reply 5.

I downloaded the ISO file [almost 3GB] the copy utility wouldn't allow me to burn to disk it told me the file couldn't be found so I used the W7 utility.

When I put the disk in nothing happens with it, how do I make sure it tries to boot from that and not HDD? I don't get anything on screen other than what I have said above no prompts etc.

Don't use the copy utility. == You need to download the .ISO file and burn it to a DVD. This will give you a Windows 7 install disk. With your computer on, put the disk in your DVD drive and shut down.
Start the PC, with the DVD in the drive, and it will boot from the Windows DVD. One of your options will be the "Repair Install". Choose this and see if any files can be repaired.

 

[Mayfly]

I downloaded imgburn and burnt a 2nd dvd. My pc booted from it and I set the language time etc as asked I then clicked repair install.

It went through the motions and but came up with the same options I had before, basically 'Start up repair cannot detect a problem' [the original error 0x490 has gone] and gives me the option to finish [shut down] or cancel [that takes me back to the install repair screen].

 

[bigmck]

If your PC is only 6 months old, hopefully it is still under warranty. If it is I would go back to the retailer/manufacturer and tell them of the problems. If it is not under warranty, I would do a complete http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html Let us know how things are going.

 

[Mayfly]

Yes it is under warranty - Did I do the wrong thing by changing the number of cores the processor uses or it just some anomaly that caused the hic up? My OH had his changed at the same time and had no problems.

I will come back and let you know what happens. Thanks for your help I have learnt something even if it didn't solve the problem.

 

[bigmck]

Yes it is under warranty - Did I do the wrong thing by changing the number of cores the processor uses or it just some anomaly that caused the hic up? My OH had his changed at the same time and had no problems.

I will come back and let you know what happens. Thanks for your help I have learnt something even if it didn't solve the problem.

Don't tell the warranty people that you changed anything. They may not like that. Let us know how you make out.

 

[Mayfly]

Have spoken with the manufacturer and the laptop will be picked tomorrow to go back under warranty.

 

[bigmck]

Have spoken with the manufacturer and the laptop will be picked tomorrow to go back under warranty.

Good deal, glad to hear it.

 

[Mayfly]

A final update to this thread....

My pc was collected by the courier last Thursday at 5:00pm [2 days later than it normally would have been because of a technical delay with the aircraft] by Friday lunch time it was in Poland at the depot - by 07.57 Monday morning it was packed up ready for dispatch back to me. I received it at 10.30 this morning. Whilst I wasn't impressed that the HD failed after only 7 mths the way it has been dealt more than makes up for that, Excellent service from HP and UPS. Both kept me informed every step of the way.

They replaced the HD, identified an issue with the OS and replaced some minor hardware components.

The first thing I did was to make a back up disc!!!!!!! and I also note they made system restore point so hopefully that issue is sorted too. Topic http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/313297-system-restore-not-saving.html not sure if that was an OS problem or not.

Thanks Bigmck for your support and help.