Windows 7 Windows 7 32-bit Fails To Boot Up, If Not, Freezes In Use

[WKFO]

Windows 7 Professional 32-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 CPU 6320 @ 1.86 GHz x2
4GB RAM

My Win7 started to freeze while I'm using the computer about a week ago. It accepts no input (no cursor movement, cannot type etc.).
After a while it began to freeze up on boot up, at the same certain point (when 4 colored lights began to fly around when it says "Starting Windows").
I've tried to run diagnostics, ended up in a freeze.
I've tried safe mode, booted up (yay!), followed by a freeze.
In F8 menu, there was some repair options, they failed to start.
Startup repair also failed to start.
But sometimes when I'm lucky, Win7 decides to boot up normally. (So I can have a little chance of recovery.)

I don't think the problem is hardware related because Linux (which I'm using right now(64-bit)) runs pretty well! I have found and modified a boot loader to use it as a "BIOS booting test" and it also works pretty well.

As my last chance, I'm thinking of reverting the system back to a previous date or a fresh Windows install, but I don't want to lose my data. Backup will need a lot of effort in my PC.

Is there any other data-destruction-less solution?

 

[BIGBEARJEDI]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Wow! you sure ask a lot of questions!
Seriously, is your PC a self-built rig or is it an OEM computer (Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Gateway, Toshiba, etc.)??

First of all, your computer is 5-6 years old, and the #1 cause of failures in computers that old is the hard drive. Hard drives only last 3 years in desktop PCs and 2 years in laptops. If you've never replaced your hard drive since you've owned that computer, it is HIGHLY LIKELY to have failed or in a failing state! It sounds to me like that could be the problem. Just because Linux will run (what version do you have; e.g.: Ubuntu/Mint/Fedora etc.; there are now 600 versions of Linux) on a hard drive doesn't mean windows will. Also, you are getting W7 freezes, but no BSODs or Black Screens, right?

Did you test the rest of your hardware?? Did you test all your RAM sticks? Faulty RAM on older computers is also a common culprit of weird freeze and hang crashes in older computers. I'll give you a link to a document I wrote which will help you test both RAM and your HARD DRIVE.
Here's that link: Windows 10 - Unclickable Task Bar
Start with my POST #6. RAM testing & HARD DRIVE testing links are there. There is also another embedded link to another post I wrote for further troubleshooting once you determine your hardware passes the tests or fails and you've replaced the failed components with new ones.

So you know, following any software repair or even troubleshooting attempts we provide here can cause inadvertent and irretrievable data loss (if you were in my shop; I'd have you sign a Waiver!). There is a very easy way to back up that drive. You can download the free MACRIUM REFLECT image backup software from Macrium.com and create an image backup. That is the image backup software we recommend the most here. Here's a video tutorial:

Of course, this will only work if your computer will stay running for an hour or so. If it won't you'll need to explore other options such as AOEMI BACKUPPER (free via google search). Since you state that you have a version of Linux running, you can also use your Linux file manager to grab all your W7 library folders, plug in an external usb drive and copy all those folders over to the external drive. Once you fix your problem with your computer or even have to replace it; all your data files are there. Most people are aware of how this works. You may be concerned with restoring all your apps; and that's a different deal altogher as a W7 reinstall will wipe your drive and erase all those programs. You'd have to reinstall all of them from source media. That can be daunting. I had one customer a couple of years ago that had over 400 programs crammed onto his 10 year old dell tower! We never did find all of them to reinstall on his new laptop he bought. If this is your real concern, you might consider paying a local Computer Pro to do your backup for you.

The issue you will have with an image backup is that if your Hard Drive has failed, your image backup when you buy a new replacement hard drive into your computer and try to restore back the image backup file will be that if there were bad sectors on your drive, and that affected apps and data file locations that were corrupted, the image file will contain those corrupt files and put them back onto the new drive with the same corruption problems they had before; and stuff will fail and won't open or read/write correctly. That's why you need to do a manual backup of some kind (using Windows Explorer and an external hard drive or the AOEMI program).

With that being said and you've read through all this, answering your original question, you can try a Windows7 in-place upgrade, which may be able to repair your existing W7 setup without trashing all the programs and data files. However, no software tool on the planet can fix broken hardware!! If you have a bad RAM stick or a failed hard drive, your search for a non-destructive software repair is a waste of time!!

Take a look at my links and let us know how it goes with the testing and such. If you do find a solution, please post back to this thread so we can share your final result with our other forum users and also get this thread marked as SOLVED so people will know we were able to resolve your problem.

Best of luck to you,
<<<BIGBEARJEDI>>>

 

[WKFO]

I'm writing from Windows! Now let's get back to the problem.

My PC isn't a self build rig. In fact, it is really colorful in means of hardware. Almost every component comes from a different company. (And they were running very well until this week.)
...
... and holy **** (sorry). I think I've been using this HDD for more than 5 years. System Recovery has just warned me about that it can't properly read drive D or sth along these lines... It insists about this and I can't revert my system back to a previous date. That was one of my final solutions though... Not anymore.

But before blaming hardware, I would blame CLASSPNP.SYS. I researched very deeply about boot up problems and my PC shows very similar behaviour with the "corrupted CLASSPNP.SYS" problem which causes pain during boot up. (I'm really insisting about software problems before doing sth about hardware, sorry about that too).

I've run the "sfc /scannow" command (which searches Windows for corrupted or missing system files) but it didn't find anything. I'm still thinking of replacing it though.

You asked me about Linux. I'm using Linux Mint Mate, system tools doesn't tell me anything wrong with any of the hardware components. But I'm really considering a hard drive problem.

I will keep you informed about the problem.

PS. I can't find a proper Windows 7 32bit classpnp.sys anywhere. Odds are even bigger...
Edit: Nevermind, found one.

New edit: I kept Windows from updating itself for a while. I will install those updates now.

LATEST EDIT: The classpnp I found is 328 KB, while the one I have is 137 KB. In 32bit Win7, which is the right size of classpnp? Can someone check from a working Windows please?
(C:\windows\system32\drivers\classpnp.sys)

 

[WKFO]

Sorry for garbage post in the forum, but I think this problem was completely "ME".

The problem was nVidia, after installing some updates, some installation stuff(?) happened and currently I've been working in my Windows for quite a few hours, without problems. I've even tried to reboot and it did properly!

I believe it was failing to load the drivers or sth.

Again, sorry for garbage post. I solved it myself, somehow.