OS won't load

[Bob338]

I had never had a computer crash until 3 days ago after some 30 years of computer use starting with the old Osborne's.

I've gone through many efforts to get it going and now I'm totally stuck.

The computer is in my sig, only difference is an additional WD HD I use for safe storage (thank God!) It is a dual boot primary drive with both Windows 7 and XP.

Problem occurred while trying to load some music into an iPod. Computer quit recognizing the connected iPod indicating driver was out of date. Went to Apple for updated driver and it said I had the latest version. In the effort to update anyway, the system crashed. It wouldn't boot at all. Finally with the boot disk I was able to get it to boot in Safe mode. When the system loads and gets past the Windows 7 logo it continues to load for a short while, then freezes on the Windows 7 blue screen. Mouse works but it just stops loading.

I've tried several ways to get past that screen, including a System Restore which obviously uses the installed system. In one of the screens in the Restore mode I got a message that the "Partition Table does not have a valid System Partition." Repaired that but then it goes to that blue screen again half way through loading the OS. On another screen it requires identifing which OS to load but no way to input and the list is blank.

Also, at one of the screens there is another option, one of which requests a driver for the HD. I have no clue on how to identify that driver though a list of drivers appears.

I'm stuck. Does anyone have a suggestion for getting the loading of the OS continuing without freezing at that same point?

While running the dual boot system there was a choice right after booting for using either 7 or XP. I had XP as a safety net when I built the machine and had just realized I had only needed and loaded it a couple of times, so fortunately was was beginning to move files and data to the storage HD so I could nuke and pave and do away with XP, and get rid of the dual boot. I still need to get addresses, emails, correspondence and one old data program off there if I can and it will sure be easier if I can just load an OS once so I can copy and move those files. The only other alternative I see is to pull the HD, connect to another machine, move the files I need, then nuke and pave. Don't like that idea at all! Help!!

[nickgr5]

From what I've understood, you didn't try to repair your Windows installation using the Windows 7 DVD, right? Boot using the Windows 7 DVD, and select to repair (and not delete or whatever) the installation.

[Bob338]

I've tried both the Windows DVD and the boot disk I made when I built it. Not once, but several times.

Some of the results, I don't remember which, led me to a repair of the partition table, but the results were identical in all instances, whether in Safe Mode or otherwise. I'm still stuck!

[jdeb]

From a different computer, download and burn a live linux distribution. Mint or Ubuntu should be fine. You could also go to a local barnes and noble and buy a linux magazine that has one. The idea behind this is to check your hardware and also you can pull your files you need off the hard drive and onto a thumb drive. If the live cd boots and loads fine then you know it is an installation or malware issue that affected the MBR of the Windows drive.

After you grab the files you need you can zero fill or format the hard drive in linux and start the fresh Windows install.

Open a terminal
The command is simple:

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda bs=1M

that will fill /dev/hda with zeroes. BE CAREFUL!! If you select the wrong drive, all your data will be lost!!!

[glc]

I think I'd start by running hard drive and memory diagnostics from a boot CD. The UBCD has all you need.

Ultimate Boot CD - Overview

[Bob338]

Sounds like a plan, but I have several questions.

What is a Linux 'distribution?' Is that just an OS system. I know nothing about Linux.

The other two machines I have don't have a burner. The only one is on the dead machine; will that download and is it useable with a thumb drive?

My other alternative is to try to find the magazine you mention but I live in the sticks, literally, and about 50 miles away from any book stores.

An only a partly related question, one of the programs I have running under the 32 bit Windows 7 OS, is a Windows 3.1 program (and yes it works with Windows 7!) I'm thinking of loading the 64 bit OS just to stay up with the times. Will the difference between 32 bit and 64 bit affect the useability? Guess I'll find out but just like your guess. I had been told it wouldn't work with 7, and it did.

[Bob338]

Originally Posted by glc I think I'd start by running hard drive and memory diagnostics from a boot CD. The UBCD has all you need. Ultimate Boot CD - Overview

I was able to run a diagnostic off the installation CD and all was good. Just before all this took place I had run virus scans and Malwarebytes and all was good. I'm pretty sure my hardware is OK, just as I'm pretty sure that the partition for the dual boot was somehow corrupted. If that dual boot hadn't been on there, no problem I don't believe. I had posted to the dual boot problem back in April, 2010 when I was trying to resolve the issue of having installed the Windows 7 first and trying to resolve the boot order. That all worked out, even the minor 'scuffle' which took place in that thread. Somehow the partition was corrupted in the iPod/Apple thing and a notice I would get enabling me to choose the OS system since then, disappeared or was corrupted. If I could get that screen from the bios all I'd have to do would be boot to one or the other OS's, and resolve my problems.

I'm hampered by my inability to download and burn a CD as both the other working machines, a laptop and an old Dell, neither have burners. Don't suppose this one would work off a thumb drive would it?

[jdeb]

per glc's recommendation. I was going to steer you that way but I thought the live linux cd may be easier for you but maybe not.

You can load the Ultimate Boot Cd on a stick
Easily Boot Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) from a USB flash drive | USB Pen Drive Linux

[Bob338]

I've spent the last day doing and redoing the boot stick and I've had absolutely no luck. I redid the stick several times on two different ones. In spite of changing the bios to boot from 'removable' disk, only one close as there was no USB possibility,the other options were CD-ROM and hard drive, and disable of course. No luck. Even tried a direct download of the disk without using 7Zip.

I've hooked up that hardrive to an XP machine and I'm taking the critical stuff off of it and will wipe and reinstall shortly. I've run into one problem. Can anyone tell me the name of the file where I can find my email archives? I've got everything else either on the XP machine I'm using or on flash drives to install once I clean the drive.

[glc]

What e-mail software do you use?

[Bob338]

Window Live Mail, and I hate it!

[glc]

If you've installed Windows Live Mail in Vista or Windows 7, chances are your email is stored in subfolders of C:\Users\ logon \AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail, where logon is, of course, the name you use to log onto Windows.

[Bob338]

I'm up and running with 64 bit OS! Thanks to both of you for all the help.

What I finally opted to do was to install the new OS and formatting that partition at installation. Worked like a champ. Once I got it booted up I removed what I could from the XP partition, which had very little on it, and I also had a 3rd partition I was using for all my backups. I figured to load the OS, import or copy what I had on the backup partition and the burn and EBCD disk for use later. I'll nuke and pave later and for the time being I'll be up and running. No hardware or residual software problems. I'm sure the cause was some glitch from Apple.

By chance I found I could download IE9 from Microsoft and decided to try that instead of the old IE8 I had, and Opera which I started using a few months ago. Had trouble with both. So far IE9 is very 'Opera' like and I like it.

I'm going to build another machine shortly. I don't like not having a spare for burning CD's for situations just like this. Over time I've bought a PSU and a Lian Li case on sale so I'll be making a list for vetting here shortly.

Thanks again!

[Bob338]

Originally Posted by jdeb After you grab the files you need you can zero fill or format the hard drive in linux and start the fresh Windows install.

Not many looking at this but I thought I'd add a bit for a future 'search' for someone, and FYI.

After loading the OS on the primary partition and getting things going, I downloaded something called EASUS Partition Master. With that I wiped and zero filled the D partition which had the XP OS in the dual boot setup. Then with that same utility I merged what had been the D drive with a third partition I had used for backups.

Only problems I've faced was to get my miscellaneous stuff back on the machine, and the biggest, finding a driver for an old Canon scanner for which there isn't one provided by Canon, and to get the old 16 bit data base program to work, neither of which may ever happen.

That partition management program is a real winner. Thanks again to all.

[glc]

If your scanner and database program works in XP, upgrade your Win 7 to Professional using the Anytime Upgrade - and use XP Mode, which is real XP running in a virtual machine.

[Bob338]

I'll try that! Thanks!

[glc]

Assuming you have Home Premium:

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Anytime Upgrade: Windows 7 Home Premium to Professional

[Bob338]

Just ordered! Thanks again!