Author Topic: Windows still will not load  (Read 20416 times)

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Offline JMcB

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Windows still will not load
« on: February 18, 2015, 07:38:17 am »
Hello, Windows will still not load after log in. Blank screen w/ mouse arrow is all. If I go from there to to Task Manager and run ComboFix...the desktop comes up and windows will load. Will not load w/ out running combofix.

Any assistance will be appreciated.

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2015, 08:28:17 am »
You haven't said which version of Windows you are using, but if you can boot up into the advanced boot options you can select Last Known Good Configuration or select Repair your Computer and navigate to the Recovery Environment where you will have a number of options.

The first is Startup Repair which you can run up to three times if at first is unsuccessful, rebooting after each and there is the option of restoring using your restore points to prior this occurring.

If you have an install disk you can repair the MBR - this is for Vista or Win 7 http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/32523/how-to-manually-repair-windows-7-boot-loader-problems/

What are you using to post ?
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 09:01:13 am by Boggin »

Offline JMcB

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2015, 08:54:12 am »
Sorry Boggin, Running Windows 7...System Restore fails w/ "no file changed". I did a reset to "Last Known Good Configuration" with no success. This was pre installed windows so I don't have repair disks.

To post.... when the blue screen comes up, I start task manager and run ComboFix (malware cleaner) and Windows loads and goes to desk top. Each time I restart, I have to run Combofix to get windows to load.....Thanks

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2015, 09:12:47 am »
Did you try the Startup Repair option ?

In the advanced boot options there is an option to stop the computer rebooting after a fail which will retain the BSOD with a Stop error code - that will tell Shane what to go on, but if the machine will boot into Safe Mode with Networking you can download Blue Screen View which will give more specific info. http://nirsoft.net/utils/blue_screen_view.html

If you have access to another computer with a DVD drive you can create a Paragon Rescue Disk, but if it boots okay in Safe Mode with Networking, that could point to your video drivers which aren't loaded in that mode.  http://www.paragon-software.com/home/rk-free/download.html

One other thing - when you open Task Manager have you tried File - New Task (Run..) type explorer.exe and press enter.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 09:17:12 am by Boggin »

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2015, 09:24:13 am »
Just re-reading your post, are you saying the computer works normally after running Combofix ?

Offline JMcB

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2015, 01:01:50 pm »
Yes, it does run normally, but I have to load Combofix from tack manager every time I restart.

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2015, 01:28:05 pm »
I wonder if Combofix is loading C: so that it can scan it ?

That Paragon Rescue Disk has a bootloader repair if you want to try it but download and run Blue Screen View as previously linked.

Did you stop the BSOD auto reboot to check the Stop Error Code and will it boot okay into Safe Mode with Networking without running Combofix ?

At one time it was easy enough to download a Win 7 ISO and create bootable USB or DVD but now you have to enter a valid product key and it doesn't always accept it.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 01:29:56 pm by Boggin »

Offline JMcB

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2015, 01:33:52 pm »
Will do as you suggested and check back w/ results. May take a while so don't forget me..:) Thanks for your help.

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2015, 01:50:06 pm »
That's okay - I'll tell you when I'm stumped  :smiley: but Shane tends to drop in his pm (day job permitting) so any more info will be of great help, although the Paragon disk may fix it for you.

Edit - after you've logged in have you tried creating another admin account to see if that will boot ?
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 01:52:51 pm by Boggin »

Offline JMcB

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2015, 03:14:06 pm »
Well, couldn't get the paragon software to work.
Ran Blue Screen and no info came up...said "0 Crashes"
Yes it will boot in Safe Mode w/ Networking w/out running combofix

I do have another lap top running Windows 7 if I could possibly copy a boot file or some other file

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2015, 03:39:53 pm »
Did you try creating another admin account ?

It's possible the BSOD happened too fast for a memory dump file to be created but to check if your system is creating them, follow this tutorial http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174459-dump-files-configure-windows-create-bsod.html

I don't know why Combofix is able to get Windows to load when a normal boot doesn't - as far as I know, this would point to the Master Boot Record (MBR) but you need an install disk to perform the bootrec repair, but as it boots up into Safe Mode etc. okay, it could just as easily be the Chipset or the Video drivers - so let's try those first.

Go to your computer vendor support site and look for Driver download support then download the Chipset drivers first and then the Video drivers.

If you are using an AMD CPU then the Video drivers are the chipset drivers, so just download those if it will let you.

Go Start - type msinfo32 - press enter and the Summary page will show what you are using.

Being in the UK and 8 hours ahead of the post time stamp, I'll be shooting off to bed in about an hour's time.

I've found that Paragon disk will work on one of my Win 7 laptops but not the other and have never found the reason why.

« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 04:40:25 pm by Boggin »

Offline JMcB

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2015, 03:52:38 pm »
Installing Intel drivers now

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #12 on: February 18, 2015, 04:34:54 pm »
Shane will know which file to copy over from your other computer if need be but if the drivers don't do it, you could try to see if MS will accept your product key to download the ISO.

You can try with the sticker key but also with the vendor's generic key if that doesn't take.

Belarc Advisor will list that for you. http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Enter either key into http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-recovery and that will determine the version it will download if it accepts the key after selecting the language and you select Save.

The download is 3.09GB so can take some time to download depending upon your bandwidth.

The article also includes a link for the Windows USB/DVD burner tool to create the bootable media of your choice to match what you computer can boot with before the HDD.

You may find an alternative vendor key among this lot if they don't but you could have a look at that video to see if that will help - I've never viewed it yet so don't know how useful it will be. http://itstrickszone.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/windows-7-all-product-keys.html

If you manage to download and create the SP1 ISO install disk, these are the steps to perform the MBR repair. http://www.7tutorials.com/command-prompt-fix-issues-your-boot-records

You will need to change the Boot order by tapping F12 (usually) as you switch on, select and insert the media and then press enter.

You'll be prompted to press any key to boot from the media and when it has loaded, you may be presented with a black screen with options to press F8.

After you've pressed F8 select Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

You should eventually be presented with a blue splash screen where you select Repair your Computer to navigate to the Recovery Environment where you select Command Prompt and then you can follow the steps in the article.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2015, 04:36:30 pm by Boggin »

Offline JMcB

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #13 on: February 18, 2015, 05:02:52 pm »
Thank you for taking time w/ this. The Intel chip set install continually failed to install. I will keep at this and post any results. Thanks again and will appreciate any help from other members if available.

Offline Rick

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2015, 09:12:54 pm »
Hello, Windows will still not load after log in. Blank screen w/ mouse arrow is all. If I go from there to to Task Manager and run ComboFix...the desktop comes up and windows will load. Will not load w/ out running combofix.

Any assistance will be appreciated.

from your description and reading this thread, the only solution is a new install; create users, copy files, folders to the new install

Offline Shane

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2015, 09:45:31 pm »
Have you ran my windows repair tool yet? Also a couple more things.

Have you tried safe mode and see if the desktop shows?
Have you done a clean boot where all the startup items are disabled?

How Windows works, when you startup the userinit.exe is called, this processes the startup items and then it calls explorer.exe. When you run combofix one of the commands is to kill and then start explorer.exe. You should be able to just start explorer from the task manager.

I had a customer bring a system to be yesterday that was doing the same thing. I was able to boot into safe mode fine and when i checked the add/remove programs I found some crap programs had gotten installed because the user download crap malware. Once I removed those and rebooted it started working fine again. So it is possible it is a 3rd party program doing it. :wink:

Shane

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #16 on: February 19, 2015, 12:56:47 am »
Would a 3rd party program stop the Intel Chipset from installing ?

Offline Rick

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #17 on: February 19, 2015, 05:23:36 am »
Would a 3rd party program stop the Intel Chipset from installing ?

I am not aware of the combofix version being your solution to fix your problem;
 
Are you sure the intel chipset is the right one?

are you able to boot into safe mode?
do you know how to run explorer from the task menu?
Have you checked the MBR?
Have you tried to run combofix, let it run till it stops? without interferance and running any programs?

Shane, I think; create a program to run these steps from a CD bootable disk and add, capture a list of recently installed programs and have the option to uninstall them; how about?

I think I used kaspersky rescue disk for this type of issue too, can you search kaspersky rescue disk and have a try?
« Last Edit: February 19, 2015, 05:48:10 am by Rick »

Offline JMcB

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #18 on: February 19, 2015, 07:54:42 am »
Thanks guys. I broke down and subscribed to Microsoft Tech Support. Tech guy deleted a run.exe file and system now boots. Thanks again to everyone.

Offline Boggin

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #19 on: February 19, 2015, 09:15:44 am »
Glad MS were able to help you out, but wonder which run.exe file was causing the conflict.

Offline Shane

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #20 on: February 19, 2015, 01:22:37 pm »
So it was a 3rd party program that was doing it. Glad they where able to find it and remove it :wink:

Shane

Offline Rick

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Re: Windows still will not load
« Reply #21 on: February 21, 2015, 12:27:10 am »
So it was a 3rd party program that was doing it. Glad they where able to find it and remove it :wink:

Shane
tech support probably used sth like eusing utilities. the startup feature is the only program i know that truly captures all startup commands