Windows 7 Re: Win 7 doesn't start

[terazbox]

Good evening!
Sorry if I posted this under an incorrect topic area, but I'm at a loss and not sure where to start. So, I shall give you all a brief explanation as to what is up and, hopefully, you can direct me in the right direction?

My husband's cousin had been complaining about her laptop being slow and finally, after months of me suggesting she bring it over, she begged for us to take a look at it. She said it took a long time to start up and sometimes didn't start. She said that it has crashed multiple times, but I have no details to share as to the circumstances.

So, I sat down yesterday with it and it kept trying to start but would come up to a black screen with the option to either start Windows normally or in a repair mode. I tried normal, but it would keep going back to the same screen so then I tried the repair mode. After several hours, finally gave up and shut it down.

Came back to it and double checked her BIOS...hard drive was visible. Went through the same process of trying to start it again and the normal start would not go, so I left it in repair mode and after about 10 minutes, it began the normal Win 7 load.

After about 20 minutes, it actually completed the process and we were in.

When I questioned her, she said she had no idea where her backup set of recovery discs were or if she had even made any when she first bought the computer. Alas, she has no idea if she has any other discs to load any of the other software on it or if she purchased stuff from the internet and downloaded.

She says she uses for it college but, can I say this politely, she has some real-world lacking experience and just leave it at that. She's physically challenged, in a wheel-chair, and her biggest concern is 1 - needing the laptop for connecting to friends and for college and 2 - NOT losing any of her Itunes.

I can tell you that the laptop shows VERY visible signs of wear & tear and it isn't any older than the one my husband and I have. Sadly, hers seems to have been very neglected.

I don't know where to start with it. We would love to get it in good working order for her since she says she has no money to purchase a new one until Jan, 2014.

The 1st thing that I did was make a recovery disc. Now, her system is differnt than our Acer's - which made multiple discs. Hers made 1.

At the moment, I have it defragging but I can tell you that it did take over 10 minutes to load tonite and that it does seem to be running very slowly but at least it isn't crashing.

I'd love to just wipe the whole thing clean and just do a clean factory reinstall but...since I'm not sure what programs she has..yet... and where she got them... or even if the systems is really stable enough to keep, I'm looking for advice.

This is what I know, right now.
It is a Sony Vaio - VGN-NW250F. I know it is running Win 7, I believe Home Premium. 64 bit? not sure.
I am thinking that once the defrag is done, do the Belarc advisor thing and see what it pulls up and then go from there?

Anyone have other suggestions or ideas - would LOVE them!!!! Would APPRECIATE them - GREATLY!!!!!

I'll post more details as I go along and see what happens but in advance - I would thank anyone willing to take me up on this challenge - I'll even share migraine meds, LOL!!!!

Thanks again!!!!

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Hi

Run Malwarebytes, SuperAntiSpyware and CCleaner.
In CCleaner run both the clearer and the registry check.

In the run Windows type...

SFC /scannow

Let it check system files, it should repair them if anything is corrupted.

Boot into safe mode and see if the problem goes away.

Most likely this is caused by some program that won't shut down.

While newer Windows versions will usually ask you if you want to shut down anyway, Windows XP tends to just sit there forever waiting.

Use CCleaner and look in the tools tab, at Startup.
See if there are things starting that don't need to.

And lastly you can open MSConfig by typing that in the run Windows.
It will give you options to do a minimal, or diagnostic startup, try that and if the problems go away then you will have to figure out what it is starting that is causing the problem.

As a last resort, or as the first thing you do if you want to, do a repair install of Windows XP...

How to perform a Repair Install of Windows XP - PC Self Help Articles and Guides - Malwarebytes Forum

If none of this works come back and maybe someone else has some ideas.

Mike

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

at the moment, Dad is running the maware bytes scan. I'm running one on my own laptop as well, just so that I can walk him through the steps as we go along since he is in PA and I'm in TX. Will let you know if we find anything wacky and need more help. Thanks so much!!!

And I've got our other problem child currently running the factory reinstall at the moment. My table looks like some kind of computer zone command center or something, LOL.

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Yep, Dad's malware bytes said it detected stuff. He's sending me the log report so that I can share it here.

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

This is what Dad's computer came up with Malware bytes....




Time elapsed: 2 hour(s), 31 minute(s), 57 second(s)
Memory Processes Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Memory Modules Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Registry Keys Detected: 1
HKCU\SOFTWARE\CROSSRIDER (Adware.GamePlayLab) -> No action taken.
Registry Values Detected: 1
HKCU\Software\Crossrider|215AppVerifier (Adware.GamePlayLab) -> Data: b1f7dae809038d3bdeb8b72f99c41e05 -> No action taken.
Registry Data Items Detected: 0
(No malicious items detected)
Folders Detected: 1
C:\Documents and Settings\Glenn\Application Data\Best Antivirus Software (Rogue.BestAntivirusSoftware) -> No action taken.
Files Detected: 6
C:\Documents and Settings\Glenn\Desktop\fwrc.exe (Rogue.ErrorRepairProfessional) -> No action taken.
C:\Documents and Settings\Glenn\Application Data\Best Antivirus Software\cookies.sqlite (Rogue.BestAntivirusSoftware) -> No action taken.
C:\Documents and Settings\Glenn\Application Data\Best Antivirus Software\Instructions.ini (Rogue.BestAntivirusSoftware) -> No action taken.
C:\Documents and Settings\Glenn\Templates\6o4v7yr6ikfw18072u (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> No action taken.
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\6o4v7yr6ikfw18072u (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> No action taken.
C:\Documents and Settings\Glenn\Local Settings\Application Data\6o4v7yr6ikfw18072u (Trojan.FakeAlert) -> No action taken.
(end)

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

YIKES!

cousin's laptop seemed to be doing well and then tonite, YIKES!

The reinstall had gone well and yesterday, had started doing Windows updates. All seemed well. This afternoon, when I turned it on, started fine. Went in to updates and chose a few more to install.

They seemed to be doing well. System said it needed to restart. Did that and it started going through that process it does, where it goes through one thing and then another and then says it will restart.

Thought it was ok, but when it restarted, all it did was go to the black screen with the Vaio logo and then, instead of completing start up, it brought up a black screen with a cursor that just sat there forever.

Finally, tried to restart - did the same thing a few times.

Tried starting it in recovery mode with the f10 and figured what the heck, just do another factory reinstall. That seemed to be going well until it went to restart.

Got the same black screen with cursor after the Vaio logo appeared.

Went back in and did the diagnostic screen instead of any of the recovery options. The quick check came out ok - no errors. I currently have it trying the individual test on the hard disk. Says it has like 548 minutes left. I'm going to let it run over nite while I go to bed, guess that would be safe enough to do.

So far, Drive 0 has linear seek test - ok. Random seek test - ok, guess it is doing a funnel seek test now - whatever that is since there are no results displayed as of yet. Says that it is currently 66% finished.

Anyhow, that's where she is at.

And dummy me thought I'd have everything updated and all of her photos and music reinstalled in time to give it back to her for the weekend.

Any suggestions or ideas?

Thanks so much!!!!!!

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

update on cousin's laptop

I put in the repair disc that we had made and on the 2nd attempt, it booted from that. the options that I have are use recovery tools or restore with system image - which don't have. So, attempting to use the 1st option. It does have win 7 listed for operating system -

ok - next - obviously there were no go back to earlier point in time

moving on

start up repari did not detect a problem


so, the screen I currently have is system recovery options, with startup repair, system restore, system image recovery, windows memory diagonostics and a command prompt choice.

any suggestions as to where to go from here?

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Hi

The black screen sound like it's not loading the video drivers, probably something went wrong when it was updating them.
That shouldn't stop it from booting in Safe Mode.

If you can get it to boot into safe mode try and download and install the latest drivers for the laptop manually.

Once you get it running again make sure that you create a recovery point that you can go back to, as you continue to do the updates.

If you have one that was created during the update process, try loading that and see if you can get it back to when it was working.

If it won't boot into safe mode then you will probable have to do the install all over again.

You said that your dad's computer took over 2 hrs to run Malwarebytes, that is a really long time, my computer has a huge amount or stuff on it and it only takes about 10 minutes.

Anyway good luck with your cousins computer, let us know what's happening.

Mike

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

as far as I can do, I have not been able to get her computer to start up in safe mode

but I do have the system recovery option screen as just listed in previous post.

Yeah, Dad's computer took longer than mine to run malware bytes but his is an older computer and I dont know the specs on it or what all he has on it and so on. Keep telling him to get a new one but he's not sure if he'd like win 8 or not or if he should look for a win 7 model. LOL, poor Dad - he tries to keep up with technology but at this point, win 8 kinda freaks him out though he says the commercials make it look nifty. my husband hates it...we tried it on our laptop, had some issues and hubby DEMANDED that I never, NEVER put it back on. He says that when we get a new computer, he is keeping this one and I can have the windows 8. I just have to keep this one runnng for the rest of his life, LOL

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

aha!!!

I got the safe mode screen, though not sure how to proceed from here. It has
safe mode
safe mode with networkings
safe mode with command prompt
enable boot logging
enable low reslution video
last known good configuration
direcctory servies restor mode
debugging mode
disable automatic restart on system failure
diesable drive signature enforcement

start windows normally

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

i chose the 1st option and it goes back into that same system recovery option screen that I told you about a post or so ago.

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

and at this point, I am headed off to bed

will come back tomorrow afternoon, after work and see what tips or advice there are to work with and go from there.

thanks for trying to understand all of my assorted posts tonite, when it gets late...I can't type/spell worth a darn. Thanks again!

 

[Saltgrass]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Just a couple of thoughts. First, the "Last Known Good" option might help if it is a driver being downloaded and installed. It will reset the registry, if it can, to a point to where you got your last good boot. You can set Windows Update to not install any updates until you allow. You could then check what is being installed and if you see a hardware update, not allow it for testing, and possibly even hide it from future requests.

If the system boots to Safe Mode then it might be a video driver. Using the "enable low resolution video" option might help you get back into the full Windows. But knowing (or suspecting) which driver might be causing the problem helps since Safe Mode will allow you to change it, as Mike mentions.

Also, if a Startup Repair could help, it might take several runs (3) to do the job. Also if you get a message about rebooting to make repairs, just bypass that and go to the full Startup Repair option.

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Okay,
there is no previous version found. probably because I tried to do a system recover when the thing 1st screwed up?

I have now moved on to the start up repair and this time, instead of telling me there were no problems detected, it came up with the message to click finish to complete repairs.

(Oh, my apologies for typing everything here as I go, but I figured this was as good a place as any to keep a log for what I'm doing as well as for you all to see what is going on)


And now, to click Finish.

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

ok,
this time, started again with the recovery disc..went to command prompts....typed in bootrec.exe /FixMbr

then exit and enter and it restarted.

Now, it has restarted for the 2nd time and it is saying that is completing setting and preparing computer for first use

will come back and let you know what happens.......


(Yeah, I was just experimenting with something I found online for how to start windows from command prompt - figured what the heck, right?)

and it is now installing custom programs and zipping right along..hmmmmmm

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

ok,
it launched successfully into the reinstall and is happily going along doing that.

Now, once that is finished...please remind me where to go to make sure that I have set a restore point as I go along with the updates as I do NOT want to go through this again.

And next, something that this computer did that my own has not done. It has something called a Vaio updater which began installing updates for different things in the laptop.

When I get to that, should I allow it to do that 1st or should I do the Windows updates first? Anyone with any experience on that?

Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Dad's computer has thing called PC Cleaner Pro installed. We want it gone and like yesterday! I have found nothing but bad things about through online research. It isn't listed under control panel, programs. How do we make it go away?

Thanks so much!

 

[Saltgrass]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Mike may know of a way to remove the software, but I have no experience with it. It may have its own uninstall option on the start menu, or a utility in its folder.

You may need to check the website to see if they have any special uninstallers.

Glad you got it running.

The Vaio updater is probably OK, if it is a Sony computer. You might want to watch what it is updating, just to be sure.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Hi again.

If PC Cleaner Pro is what I think it is, it's actually malware.
Have him download and install "SuperAntiSpyware" and run it, I think that it will detect and remove it.

I got my first malware in years a few days ago, some search thing that took over all of my browsers.
SuperAntiSpyware detected and removed it after messing around for an hour trying to get rid of it by other means.

SUPERAntiSpyware | Remove Malware | Remove Spyware - AntiMalware, AntiSpyware, AntiAdware!

Look at the lower part of the screen where is says Popular Links for a line that says download the free version.

If that doesn't do it here is some info on how to remove it manually.

Remove PC Cleaner Pro 2012, removal instructions

As to making sure that you have a restore point, I use a little app called Restore Point Creator, to make a new restore point whenever I'm changing anything.

It's free and easy to use.
There are a number of apps that do this but this is the one I use...

The Restore Point Creator Free Download

Mike

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

Yes Mike, everything that I could find research wise for that PC Cleaner was bad news. People saying that when they did try to use the uninstall feature, that it prompted them to call the customer support number. From there it was requests for various amounts of money, $300 and then some and the folks asking the users if they could have remote access to their computer and all kinds of scary things.

And then, folks were saying that suddenly their computers began behaving erractically and these folks were being told that there now like thousands of things wrong with their computers and guess what - more requests for more money.

Dad can't even find it listed under Control Panel programs but I believe he said there was an icon on the bottom right of his computer screen as well as occaisional pop up windows warning him to allow things to be fixed.

And, as of last night, he still can't get the computer to power off on its own. He was going to try backing up his photos but the external hard drive just hung up and he ended up pulling the plug out of the wall to shut the whole thing down. I've asked my nephew who is going to visit in the next few days to connect the external hard drive to his laptop to make sure that it is still functioning but only if he had good virus stuff on it. Hoping he'll get back to me this evening after work to let me know what he has before we even think of allowing him to do that.

As for Tim's cousin's laptop - this go around seems to be doing nicely. All of the windows updates as to this point, have been installed and a few things through her Vaio updater have gone in. I'm in the process now of dropping her photos back onto the hard drive but Lord have mercy, her DVD/CD drive sounds so loud in comparison to ours.

The process seems to be going well though. We still haven't been able to get the USB drives on the right hand side to function but, pretty sure since that is where there is a crack in the casing below the keyboard, they may have had physical damage or become loose? If that is possible. I don't even want to know if there is a way to take the laptop apart and check to see if connections aren't good because #1 - have no idea how a USB drive can be fixed or adjusted and at this point, I just want to give the thing back to her. I guess that sounds kinda mean but, man...this has been a long running project and since she said she's going to get one at the start of the new year, I think she can get by.

I'll give Dad the info you gave me and see if it can get rid of that pesky thing and let you know how that works. Thanks for all of your help!!!!! You guys here rock!!!!

 

[terazbox]

Re: Win 7 doesn't start

I'm running a scan on my laptop at the same time Dad is doing his for the superantispyware. Ours is coming up with a lot of adware tracking cookies. What exactly are these and should I be worried about them? dad is going to call me back when his computer is finished scanning and we shall go from there.
Thanks much!!