Windows 7 Problem Combo Pack

[Ratcatcher]

#1- Hi, really hope someone will be able to help.
#2- Wasnt quite sure where to put this so i guess here will do (for now).

Here are the problems.

I think im currently stuck in a Win7x64 repair loop. Had a BSOD three nights ago and upon reboot it gave me the option to Launch Repairs or Start Normally.

If i Launch Repairs i get a single loading files bar then it hangs.
If i Start Normally i get to Starting Windows and reboots back to the above choice.

Ive tried the various F8 options and either they give me the same results as above or a different BSOD each time.

The Win7 repair disk gets two loading bars then the screen goes to black and stays there.

Since its a relatively recent clean Win7x64 install i figured id just reinstall the thing and be done with it.

And nope, i get as far as loading files (one full bar) and thats it. I had the same issue when i installed it last time. But whatever BIOS combo tweak i did to get it to work then, doesnt seem to want to now.

I then tried to reinstall Vistax32, which ive had for over 4 years, without issues or a single BSOD and it does the same.

XPx32 Installs without a hiccup however, or it did 2 weeks ago when i had trouble installing Win7x64.
Right now, im posting this through Hirens Boot CDs miniXP emulation.

Ive done various hardware tests (HDD and memtest) and everything passes.

So the question is, what can i try now?

 

[helpifIcan]

Try defaulting the the BIOS for starters.
Reseat memory
If more than one mem strip try each independently
Remove all hardware except the HD, CD/DVD, memory.

 

[Ratcatcher]

I think ive loaded default BIOS a couple hundred times by now, after turning settings on and off alone, then in pairs, then by three and so on, trying to get it to work.

All 4 memory strips have been tested, retested, seated and reseated.
Theres really nothing more i can take out of the box at this point.

Ive ran every tool and diagnostics from both Hirens and UBCD and nothing comes up.

I can see and interact with the OS drive just fine from Hirens miniXP interface, it just wont complete its boot sequence -into- it.

Its mind boggling.

Thanks though

 

[Saltgrass]

Maybe we can consolidate know facts about your system...Let us know what is incorrect...

The computer will start and run normally if you do not boot into Windows...even safe mode.

When you boot into the Windows RE, the files seem to expand, but halt prior to completing.
Might be a memory problem where the files are not being expanded into the RAM Disk or
Maybe the hard drive will not allow access. (I don't suppose you have changed the drive controller)

It never gets to a normal Windows GUI without shutting down or rebooting...Possibly a video problem.

The one time I got into a repair loop was when I had loaded some Bluetooth drivers. I could not get out, but I could boot to the Windows RE and use the Command Prompt to remove the bad driver. I will give you a link that goes through several scenarios, but booting into the RE is pretty much required.

So, can you turn off any devices in the bios, such as an on board network adapter, or Bluetooth or sound?

Do you have another hard drive you can try? Disconnect the other one completely.
Along this same line, when the system boots initially, does it hang on the bios screen for a long period of time?

There is always a chance something on the Motherboard has failed. It might be something that only shows up in certain circumstances.

After you install a device or update a driver for a device, Windows Vista or Windows 7 may not start

 

[Ratcatcher]

The computer will start and run normally if you do not boot into Windows...even safe mode.

The computer runs fine untill it reaches the -Starting Windows- part, it reboots before the animated flag comes up.

When you boot into the Windows RE, the files seem to expand, but halt prior to completing.

Correct. Two full -loading files- bars then nothing. The same thing happens if i try to reinstall Vista-32 and Windows 7-64 for that matter. Tried it with DVD and USB.

Might be a memory problem where the files are not being expanded into the RAM Disk or
Maybe the hard drive will not allow access. (I don't suppose you have changed the drive controller)

No change to hardware, software or BIOS settings between the time it was running fine to, well, now.

It never gets to a normal Windows GUI without shutting down or rebooting...Possibly a video problem.

Rebooting only, unless i try to run repairs or safe mode, then it just hangs. Graphic card test out fine. Nvidia drivers were 285.xx. Hard to tell since i cant get into the drive and uninstall them.

So, can you turn off any devices in the bios, such as an on board network adapter, or Bluetooth or sound?

I can, and did. No changes.

Do you have another hard drive you can try? Disconnect the other one completely.

Main drive is WD1500adfd where OS is. Secondary drive is WD5000aaks, currently unplugged, with data that i cant get back so its not an option to format it.

Along this same line, when the system boots initially, does it hang on the bios screen for a long period of time?

I have about 3 seconds to press -del- to get into the BIOS after powering the computer on.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Saltgrass]

I suppose some of the things bothering me about your situation are it will not boot into Safe Mode. Since this is the basic form of Windows, it must be a basic component, including hardware, causing the problem, or possibly a virus.

It bothers me that you cannot load Vista. If it was the OS install, loading another OS should work without problems, unless the basic component was not related to Windows 7. Again pointing at a hardware or virus problem. Have you ever cleaned the install drive prior to starting a new install? If you were to have some type of boot virus, it might stay intact with just a reformatting.

Microsoft has a bootable version of MSE called System Sweeper, you might try that to see if it can find anything. It uses the Windows RE system, so that might also be another test.

If you can ever get into a command prompt, you might try running one of several commands. Chkdsk is recommended in case of file corruption, or bootrec /fixMBR or bootrec /fixboot and these may have been recommended on the link referenced earlier.

Edit: And I forgot to add, you could run a System File Check from the command prompt.

 

[Ratcatcher]

Id have to check, but it seems that when Safe Mode loads files, it usualy reaches disk.sys or classpnp.sys before rebooting.

At this point, ive run pretty much all the online AV scanners i can find. Ive also done low level formats of the drive and DBANed it a few times.

System Sweeper requires the gdiplus.dll to be able to work, which isnt present in Hirens miniXP interface.

But in other news, for some reason, it booted into the OS late last night. No changes to anything, it just loaded. It had just enough time to complete a sfc /scannow with no errors before BSODing. Of course it rebooted so fast i didnt get to see what the error code was.

Now if i look in the drive, theres still no minidump or logs, but a search of recent created/modified/accessed files show whole lot of CDF-MS files and not much else.

 

[Saltgrass]

System Sweeper is bootable. It doesn't need any other utilities. It may not boot for you the same way as the other Install DVD is not booting.

If it isn't leaving a dump file, you may need to set it up. I think classpnp.sys is normally the last one.

You say it reboots after loading the files when booting to the Windows 7 DVD. Have you tried removing the install media during the reboot? Be careful because the DVD tray can catch you if you are not careful. Possibly using the pause key would give you more time.

 

[Ratcatcher]

System Sweeper is bootable. It doesn't need any other utilities. It may not boot for you the same way as the other Install DVD is not booting.

The tool (mssstool64.exe) for System Sweeper, going by the intructions, needs to be run to create a bootable media. That requires the mentioned dll. Besides that, id need a x64, which im all out of atm.

If it isn't leaving a dump file, you may need to set it up. I think classpnp.sys is normally the last one.

Ill try if it ever lets me back in. Checked, rebooted at classpnp.sys.

You say it reboots after loading the files when booting to the Windows 7 DVD.

No, using the DVD or USB, it just hangs after the second -loading files- bar.

My guess is that its something specific to Vista/Windows 7 seeing that XP installs just fine.

 

[Ratcatcher]

Well, for some reason, after who knows how many tries, i managed to reinstall Windows 7-64 from USB.

The secondary drive was still unplugged.
BIOS= Floppy to disabled.
BIOS= Everything in Onboard Device to disabled.
BIOS= Memory Remap to disabled.

System Backup is done, 1rst thing i did this time around.

Now all thats left is getting updates and reinstalling software.
Any recommendations?

And thanks for taking the time to try and help.

 

[Saltgrass]

I would probably keep a close eye on it and run SFC every couple of days to start to check for corruption.

You might set Windows update so it will not install device updates without your approval and only install them one at a time. Then if it goes bad again, you have a good idea of what caused it.

When you turn devices back on, make sure and do a cold boot soon after to make sure you have the system cleaned up to check.

Make sure and use an anti-virus, and most of us here seem to think the Microsoft Security Essentials is safe to use with Windows 7. But there are others that might be fine.

 

[Ratcatcher]

Looks like i spoke too soon.

Im now getting some BSOD i hadnt seen so far. (Process1 Initialization Failed 0x6B & Bad Pool Header 0x19)
Still no minidumps, guess it crashes too fast for them to be written.

I reinstalled XP 32 (20 min from start to finish with no issues) and will keep on trying to find out what the heck is going on.

Edit:
Funny thing is, Win7x64 was looking good untill i tried to restore the system from the built in Backup.