Windows 7 Not Booting Past Logo

Discussion in 'Software' started by Hyphen, Sep 18, 2010.

  1. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    I'm running a 64-bit version of Windows 7 on my laptop.

    Recently, I found a program called SlimDrivers on Lifehacker which basically automates the process of scanning for and downloading driver updates. Last night as I was running it, an error occured in a driver installation and required a reboot. I went through the reboot and my computer was just hanging at the shutdown screen for about 30 mins, so I decided to hard boot it by shutting it off by the power button.

    Now, whenever I try to boot my computer, it sits at the "Starting Windows" screen with the Windows logo. I've left it there for up to 6 hours, absolutely nothing happens. I do not have the Windows 7 disc because this was an OEM install. How can I fix this?
     
  2. avair

    avair Private E-2

    Try booting in safe mode by pressing f8 at boot up then do a system restore
     
  3. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Download your version of this> Vista and Win7 Recovery disc. You will need to do this from a different computer. Then you need to get into the bios of the dead machine and change the boot order to cd-rom as first boot device.

    1. Put the Windows 7 Recovery disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.
    2. Press a key when you are prompted.
    3. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next.
    4. Click Repair your computer.
    5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.
    6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.
    7. Type Bootrec.exe /fixmbr, and then press ENTER.

    You may need to run fixboot which you will find the method at http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Recovering+the+Vista+Bootloader+from+the+DVD
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2010
  4. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Where do I press F8? I've tried pressing F8 all the way up to that screen and nothing really happens, I think the "Starting Windows" screen is actually where safe mode is initialized?
     
  5. avair

    avair Private E-2

    Press f8 just as you start up the PC keep pressing till you get a black screen with writing on
     
  6. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Okay, I've managed to boot a recovery disk via USB. I see tons of recovery points, yet when I try to restore I'm being told that "System Protection" must be enabled for the device? Why are recovery points being made if "System Protection" isn't enabled, how can I enable this through the command line or anything? I found what driver is broken by the way, is there some way I can roll that back? I can't boot into safe mode.
     
  7. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Basically, I know what driver is causing the inability to boot. Is there any way I can disable it or roll it back from the recovery command line?
     
  8. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    What is the driver file?
     
  9. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    I can get the exact driver name after this memory scan, it's not a critical driver, it was a third-party USB port driver I think. Would you like me to get it for you?
     
  10. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Yes, we would need the file and where it is located to replace it. Do you have it on a usb stick?
     
  11. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Yes I do.
    The file is: \Windows\system32\DRIVERS\AtiPcie.sys

    Googling that, I see lots of people with a similar issue.
     
  12. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    So, yes you do have it saved to a usb stick?

    Then in the recovery console you should be able to do this:

    copy x\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\AtiPcie.sys c\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\AtiPcie.sys

    replace x with the actual drive letter of your usb stick.
     
  13. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Yes. Are you saying my USB stick should already have that file on it? My USB doesn't have a Window install or anything, or do you mean I should hunt online for an older version of that driver and then replace it?
     
  14. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Yes, you will need to download that driver to your usb stick. Then tell me the file path. It will be something like:
    x\AtiPcie.sys so you would use the RC to type:
    copy x\AtiPcie.sys C\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\AtiPcie.sys
     
  15. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Tim, doing some pretty crafty Google searching, I'm not seeing a direct download to the file anywhere. I know where to do for OCX files and etc., but this one isn't showing for me.

    Would it be beneficial or worth a test to rename the driver to AtiPcie.sys.old and then try to boot, or is replacing the driver the only way? (If renaming would work, I have no idea what the command would be for that.)
     
  16. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    I don't know if you can do that, but it would possibly be this ( I do not use Win7 so it is a shot in the dark for me ):

    In the RC, type:
    rename C\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\AtiPcie.sys C\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\AtiPcie.sys.old

    Hit enter and try to reboot.
     
  17. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Just tried to rename and I'm getting "The system cannot find the file specified." - Also, the prompt shows "X:\Windows\system32" instead of "C:\Windows\system32" for whatever reason. I tried CHKDSK /R earlier and I was told that can't be completed because I don't have write access.

    Am I just screwed here?
     
  18. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Using a different computer, download and create this disc> Vista and Win7 Recovery disc

    Then boot to that disc. One of the options will be to repair windows. See if that will help.
     
  19. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Well, I have a RECOVERY drive on this computer and I can actually boot into a "Repair computer" mode from the F8 menu which goes through the startup repair, recovery management, memory diagnostics, etc. Is this the same thing?
     
  20. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    Yes it is. I was just wondering about that. ;)
     
  21. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Yeah, I've went through those steps. :( I don't understand why the files can't be found? I have some incredibly important files on here so I don't want to have to reformat, and I was under the impression that system restore was running (since my restore points are being created) and had no idea "System Protection" also needed enabled...

    Any hope for me at this point?
     
  22. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

  23. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    Got it!
    [​IMG]

    I was doing something stupid when trying to rename the file, I was calling from the C:\ drive instead of the D:\ drive, not realizing that my considering my recovery partition swaps files with the C:\ during repair? I'm not sure, but renaming the driver in the D:\ and then booting from the last successful configuration worked.

    Do not make the same mistake I did. Don't trust any 3rd party software that makes changes to drivers and/or your registry. These are 2 key components of the Windows system and only Windows should decide when they need changed.

    Thank you very much for your assistance, Tim.
     
  24. Hyphen

    Hyphen Private First Class

    My only remaining concern is, I'm now operating without an ATI driver that may or may not be essential towards the health of my system. How am I supposed to get that old ATI driver back now that the bad one is dead?

    Actually, as that screenshot shows, there's already an AtiPcie.sys file in that folder. No idea how that got there but, I should be good?
     
  25. TimW

    TimW MajorGeeks Administrator - Jedi Malware Expert Staff Member

    You can always check the manufacturers web site for the driver downloads. But unless you are having specific issues, I would say you are good.
     
  26. marktreut

    marktreut Private E-2

    Here is a solution which worked for me.

    My computer crashed during a Windows Update and the fact that I made it reboot may have caused it problems.

    I also believe that the graphic card drivers from ATI were a factor since a friend of mine had similar problems and the computer had only started to work properly when he had uninstalled ATI and let Windows install the minimum drivers needed to work the graphics card.

    My own computer started to repeatedly crash both in normal and in Safe Mode and sometimes would not start Windows 7 at all. I was advised to move the memory card to another slot. This made the computer work properly for a short while before it started crashing again.

    In order to solve the problem I did the following:

    1. I opened the computer and moved the memory card to another slot. (Always remember to switch off the computer and disconnect it from the mains before opening it up!).

    2. I booted successfully into Safe Mode .

    3. I went into "C:\Program Files" and renamed the ATI directories: "ATI" and "ATI manager" to "ATI.old" and "ATI manager.old".

    4. I then rebooted into normal Windows 7 and the computer ran nicely. I went into Windows Update and undid the last updates. Windows then performed another update and these were installed without any trouble.

    5. I renamed the ATI folders to their normal names and then used Program Uninstall in order to remove ATI from the PC.

    The computer has worked normally since.
     
  27. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    @marktreut - this thread has been inactive for three years.
     
  28. marktreut

    marktreut Private E-2

    But it is the first thread to come up when searching for "ATIpcie.sys" in Google so I expect that others with the same problem will come to it as well. Since my solution worked I would like to share it.
     

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