Windows 7 suddenly stops booting and freezes at the first logo page

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by Trickster, Nov 22, 2009.

  1. Trickster

    Trickster MDL Novice

    Nov 2, 2009
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    #1 Trickster, Nov 22, 2009
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2009
    OK
    My kids computer suddenly started having a boot problem.

    Computer has been working perfectly fine since I installed Win 7 a few weeks ago. Suddenly the other day it started to NOT boot. I asked my kids if they had been trying to install anything and they said no.

    I have it set to boot to the SATA HD first, then the cd/dvd. Unplugged all the USB devices.
    The HD is a SATA 350gb maxtor, and its recognized in setup and the BIOS, and its plugged in to SATA-0 connector.
    When you start the computer it gets to the first Win 7 start page and the logo just sits there forever. tried safe mode and it gets to one point and sits there forever.
    Tried the install cd and it FINALLY after a long time got me to the page where you can repair your cd. no luck there.
    Was going to reformat, but when I got to the page where it says which drive do you want to install windows 7 on, no drive showed up!! It didn't see my HD. Nothing I could do could get it to show up. All the buttons underneath (reformat etc....) were all grey and unusable. Checked all the connections and they seemed fine.
    I don't think my HD suddenly crashed, however that may be a possibility.
    It's a Dell Dimension 2150 with a large HD and 4gb memory, and the latest BIOS upgrade.
    Its a new one to me. Did some reading, and it could be the CMOS battery. Am going to replace and see what happens then.
    Some suggestions i found said to take the battery out, reboot, put the battery in etc however tried it all and no change.
    Could I suddenly need drivers for the HD??

    What it is doing makes sense if it cant see the HD, that's why it just sits there at the first logo page, but why suddenly cant it see or recognize it when its been doing just fine for weeks???
    Anyway that's where I am at with it.
    Any suggestions!?? Thanks
     
  2. pjsat

    pjsat MDL Novice

    Aug 26, 2007
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    Are you running AHCI mode?

    There have been some issues with SATA drives in AHCI mode, I've been having boot issues as well in AHCI mode with drive not being seen and/or blue screen errors.

    See this thread (not allowed to post link)

    I loaded latest intel chipset drivers and Intel Matrix Storage and so far so good.
     
  3. StanHere

    StanHere MDL Novice

    Aug 13, 2009
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    #3 StanHere, Nov 22, 2009
    Last edited: Nov 22, 2009
    1) Get into your bios to verify for the presence & proper boot priority of your OS's HD vis-a-vis other hard, floppy & DVD drives. Double check that your bios still properly reflects an IDE or AHCI drive setting for your SATA Win7 OS ................... just as you installed it weeks ago. [Ensure 'little' hands ... remain out of the bios menu's !!!]

    If 1) passes muster, then 2) test your memory ......Google MeMTest86 .....a D/L freeware test utility to quickly verify your memory IS or IS NOT OK. (Defective memory will make a good computer a sudden schizophrenic monster.)

    3) If your memory looks good, then I'd suggest a bootable utility CD like Hiren's CD to run a disk or hard drive utility to verify for the presence, function & structure of your boot sector / HD .......including checking for data corruption and/or physical platter surface damage.


    Advise Results! :)
     
  4. ViditM14

    ViditM14 MDL Junior Member

    Oct 28, 2012
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    Well, I don't think your HDD has crashed, 'coz if it did, the Windows wouldn't have booted at all!
     
  5. parapher

    parapher MDL Senior Member

    Nov 6, 2012
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    You could try some easy things first, like checking your SATA cable connections. I've had several systems where for some reason or other the SATA cables were not seated properly, so before you do anything unplug and plug back in your sata cable connectors (both to the motherboard and the drive) and see if that helps any. (Also you might try to use a spare SATA cable if you have one, or steal one from a another system momentarily.) If that doesn't help with your boot problem, get into BIOS and check if indeed any HDD is showing up. If not, it is a possibility the drive has died. I haven't run into the ACHI problem the others described so I can't advise there.
     
  6. anarchist9027

    anarchist9027 MDL Expert

    Oct 30, 2010
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    It sounds like your Master Boot Record got deleted off your hard drive, thus Windows setup not being able to see it.
     
  7. PhaseDoubt

    PhaseDoubt MDL Expert

    Dec 24, 2011
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    Well, I've got kids and grand kids and friends with kids and grand kids and my experience is they mean well and they were just playing but they are also the source of many "sudden and unexplainable" happenings. Of course, YMMV. :D
     
  8. urie

    urie Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 21, 2007
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    @ Trickster, sounds more to me like hard drive failure coming on do as a member suggested check cables e.c.t. but if you have the cash just buy new drive and image it :)
     
  9. parapher

    parapher MDL Senior Member

    Nov 6, 2012
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    Trickster, btw, did you do a 'startup repair' from the Windows 7 disc? Perhaps this is something you may want to do as well (after checking cables, etc.).
     
  10. anarchist9027

    anarchist9027 MDL Expert

    Oct 30, 2010
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    Im with urie with this one. Internal hard drives are very inexpensive these days. Just your time and just buy a new one :biggrin:
     
  11. lasab

    lasab MDL Novice

    Feb 21, 2010
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    #12 lasab, Nov 18, 2012
    Last edited: Nov 18, 2012
    I am having the same problem

    Booting gets to the pulsing Windows 7 logo Ok, but when the three keyboard LEDs flash the booting pauses and the logo stops pulsing.
    The computer finally boots after variable times of up to 3 minutes.
    I have tracked it down to a Windows update Kxxxxx possibly in combination with a loader.
    Have been doing clean installs and doing Windows updates in stages to find the culprit.

    Will update when I find it.
     
  12. Linktopower

    Linktopower MDL Member

    Sep 5, 2012
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    Sounds like happened to me when I was using Windows 7 :| It done the same thing.

    The keyboard LEDs would flash once then the logo just froze.
    Maybe you can find out the issue. I hope you do. I would love to know what caused this.
     
  13. lasab

    lasab MDL Novice

    Feb 21, 2010
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    Found a workaround

    Install ALL updates before you activate.

    Up till now I had always used Open 7 Activator v1.2.7 with no problems.

    My normal procedure was to install W7 sp1 and Symantec. Then activate with O7A and do all the updates.
    This worked fine until last week when I did a large windows update after being away for two weeks. This is when the the long startups started.
    It happenned on my two unrelated computers at the same time.

    Today after about 10 fresh installs with the same long startups found this workaround.

    Install W7 SP1
    Install Symantec
    Turned off Automatic Updates.
    Checked for updates and installed them.
    Restart
    Checked for updates and installed them.
    Restart
    Checked for updates and installed them.
    Restart
    Etc etc until no more updates were required.
    Installed all the optional updates.
    Restart
    At this point I found that Open 7 Activator would not active Windows.
    I then acivated with Windows_Loader v1.2.7
    Restarts now take the normal time without the 2 minute pause.

    I suspect that the culprit was Open 7 Activator when I activated immediately after installing SP1.
    I may have damaging some boot file that a windows update (perhaps KB971033) was checking on.

    Hope this helps