Windows 7 hangs at "Starting Windows" - but not always
A client has have a Samsung NP-RV511 laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit).
After a recent Windows update the machine now hangs at "Starting Windows"...but not always. Very occasionally it boots up fine.
When it hangs there is initially a few minutes of disk activity and then it stops. The Windows logo pulsates and does so indefinitely. The only way out is to to do a hard reset via the power button.
It boots OK into Safe mode.
I have done chkdsk - nothing found
I have done sfc - it says some damaged files can't be corrected.
I have done many systematic configurations of selective start up in msconfig, covering start-up items and services (including microsoft services), to try and identify the culprit, but nothing makes any difference.
I have done system restore back to a number of restore points, but nothing changes.
When it does boot up correctly I have use the Samsung Update Plus tool to check all drivers and all are OK.
I am obtaining Samsung recovery media for this particular model and operating system.
In the meantime, can anyone shed any light on what's causing this issue, specifically the intermittent nature, and/or suggest a fix?
Thanks
After a recent Windows update the machine now hangs at "Starting Windows"...but not always. Very occasionally it boots up fine.
When it hangs there is initially a few minutes of disk activity and then it stops. The Windows logo pulsates and does so indefinitely. The only way out is to to do a hard reset via the power button.
It boots OK into Safe mode.
I have done chkdsk - nothing found
I have done sfc - it says some damaged files can't be corrected.
I have done many systematic configurations of selective start up in msconfig, covering start-up items and services (including microsoft services), to try and identify the culprit, but nothing makes any difference.
I have done system restore back to a number of restore points, but nothing changes.
When it does boot up correctly I have use the Samsung Update Plus tool to check all drivers and all are OK.
I am obtaining Samsung recovery media for this particular model and operating system.
In the meantime, can anyone shed any light on what's causing this issue, specifically the intermittent nature, and/or suggest a fix?
Thanks
Download this tool for Windows 7 and run it.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/947821/fix-windows-update-errors-by-using-the-dism-or-system-update-readiness-tool
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/947821/fix-windows-update-errors-by-using-the-dism-or-system-update-readiness-tool
I have done SFC - it says some damaged files can't be corrected.
Try two things:
1. Make a new, test Windows User Profile (Account). Log into the new Windows Account and test startup that way.
2. Do a Windows 7 Repair Install. You need the Windows 7 DVD or a working recovery partition.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html
Try two things:
1. Make a new, test Windows User Profile (Account). Log into the new Windows Account and test startup that way.
2. Do a Windows 7 Repair Install. You need the Windows 7 DVD or a working recovery partition.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html
ASKER
ASKER
Ramin,
The support tool cannot run in Safe Mode.
Thanks
The support tool cannot run in Safe Mode.
Thanks
ASKER
Hi John,
Re your suggestions:
1) Doesn't make any difference, I'm afraid.
2) You cannot do this in Safe Mode. I now have bootable USB stick with W7 (re-)installer, but if I boot from the USB and start the re-installation process it says to remove the media, reboot and re-insert it. But I can't re-boot, except into Safe Mode and you can't run the re-installation process in Safe Mode. Catch 22!
Re your suggestions:
1) Doesn't make any difference, I'm afraid.
2) You cannot do this in Safe Mode. I now have bootable USB stick with W7 (re-)installer, but if I boot from the USB and start the re-installation process it says to remove the media, reboot and re-insert it. But I can't re-boot, except into Safe Mode and you can't run the re-installation process in Safe Mode. Catch 22!
So then you need to do a Windows 7 Repair Install. For this you need the Windows 7 DVD or a working recovery partition.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html
ASKER
John,
But as it can't work from a bootable USB stick, will it work from a DVD?
Mike
But as it can't work from a bootable USB stick, will it work from a DVD?
Mike
Yes it should do. Boot from the DVD and select Repair
check the event viewer for disk events... probably a failing hard drive test using the hard drive manufacturers utility
it can be a slow disk - sometimes up to speed, sometimes not.
can you image that disk, and put the image on another drive to test?
can you image that disk, and put the image on another drive to test?
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ASKER
Uninstalled Antivirus and that seemed to fix it. Was then able to re-install Antivirus and still OK. Thanks for suggestions guys.
ASKER
John,
Just to complete the feedback on your suggestions, I was trying to do an in-place "upgrade" not a repair install (as the latter had already been tried and did not solve the problem). But in the same way as an "in-place" upgrade (preserving applications and files) did not work from a bootable USB stick, it did not work from a DVD either. You get the same catch 22 situation where it can only run from a booted windows machine (not in safe mode).
Just to complete the feedback on your suggestions, I was trying to do an in-place "upgrade" not a repair install (as the latter had already been tried and did not solve the problem). But in the same way as an "in-place" upgrade (preserving applications and files) did not work from a bootable USB stick, it did not work from a DVD either. You get the same catch 22 situation where it can only run from a booted windows machine (not in safe mode).
and post the system events
thanks