Windows 7 fails to start in any mode. What to do?

A few days ago my copy of windows 7 stopped booting up. I've tried accessing it normally, in safe mode, in safe mode with command prompt, as well as running the start up recovery tools. None have worked. In all cases, the computer goes to a black screen and stays there indefinitely. I believe this is being caused by a corruption in some windows files but have no direct way of accessing them. Any help would be appreciated!!

EDIT : I do not have an emergency repair disk. I would load a backup but, I can't get the computer to start far enough. I was able to run chkdsk by connecting the hard drive to another computer which seems to have had an effect although still not fixed the issue. Instead, the computer either now shuts down at the windows logo screen or when loading classpnp.sys for any of the safe modes. I've also tried attaching the hard drive to another computer and booting from it which results in a "disk boot failure" instead.

giroy

Posted 2011-07-29T15:58:14.773

Reputation: 123

Use a live Linux CD like Puppy Linux to access the files. – Kevin – 2011-07-29T16:11:55.667

Do you have a emergency repair disc? – wizlog – 2011-07-29T16:13:48.113

1Load your backup. You do keep backups, right? – Shinrai – 2011-07-29T16:16:23.717

If you have a W7 disc, boot into recovery mode, and select the command prompt. Then try running chkdsk /F c: and see if it finds & repairs any problems. – Joe Internet – 2011-07-29T16:22:43.093

No, you didn't... – Joe Internet – 2011-07-29T17:11:30.620

Answers

My recommendation would be to back up and reinstall. This is a last resort, but a quicker fix than troubleshooting if you need the machine.

Yitzchak

Posted 2011-07-29T15:58:14.773

Reputation: 4 084

I can't say that this is the best solution, but after spending nearly 3 days trying to solve this, things only seemed to get worse. If someone does find a better solution, I'd love to know about it. – giroy – 2011-08-02T01:32:44.967

I wouldn't say so either, but as I said, you may need to if you need the machine. – Yitzchak – 2011-08-02T02:09:09.550

NOTE: Although this article makes several references to Windows Vista, it still applies to Windows 7

Startup Repair. Startup Repair is a Windows recovery tool that can fix certain problems, such as missing or damaged system files, that might prevent Windows from starting. Startup Repair is located on the System Recovery Options menu, which is on the Windows Vista installation disc. If your computer has preinstalled recovery options, it might also be stored on your computer's hard disk. For more information, see Startup Repair: frequently asked questions and What are the system recovery options in Windows Vista? If your computer does not include Startup Repair, your computer manufacturer might have customized or replaced the tool. Check the information that came with your computer or go to the manufacturer's website.

Change restart settings in safe mode. If your computer is stuck in a loop where Windows fails, attempts to restart, and then fails again repeatedly, restart your computer in safe mode and select the Disable automatic restart on system failure checkbox. For more information, see Advanced startup options (including safe mode).

Reinstall. If no other options have solved the problem, and you are sure that your computer's hardware is functioning normally, you might need to reinstall Windows. A custom (clean) installation of Windows will permanently delete all of the files on your computer and reinstall Windows, so only use this option if all other recovery options have been unsuccessful. After the installation, you will need to reinstall your programs and restore your files from backup copies. For more information, see Installing and reinstalling Windows‌‌.

Also check this out

wizlog

Posted 2011-07-29T15:58:14.773

Reputation: 12 320

I know this is an old thread but I managed to resolve this error on my laptop by doing the below changes in the BIOS,after spending a whole day trying different options.

1) Start up the BIOS on your PC, by pressing F2 or Del key at the start of your PC. (The method may vary with different PC) 2) Change the SATA Mode from AHCI to IDE. Then Press F10 to save the configuration and exit.

That's it. When the machine restarted,it booted normally into Windows 7. Hope it helps someone.

cajetan dsouza

Posted 2011-07-29T15:58:14.773

Reputation: 1