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Random BSOD, Now Can't Startup Windows


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#1
Exgvt

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Slightly past midnight yesterday (well... today), July 12, I was randomly browsing YouTube when I got a blue screen. Unusual, because my laptop has virtually zero problems the two years I've had it. I've eliminated the possibilities that it may have overheated or reacted to something bad I may have downloaded; I only had a YouTube video playing in Google Chrome with a Minecraft window minimized (not exactly anything I'd call "intensive" activity), and I haven't downloaded or installed anything recently. Following the instructions the blue screen gave me, I restarted my laptop, only to have it get stuck at the beginning of booting up (forgot which step, but probably something to do with the cache). Despite it telling me not to interrupt the process, I restarted after nothing more had happened after ten minutes... not the best idea.

 

My guess is that by interrupting that process, I've screwed something up badly. Trying to boot up my laptop, I get told this.

 

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 11.0.0.1339

Copyright© 2003-11 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

The operating system did not shutdown cleanly.

Reconstructing Cache Metadata.

Please do not interrupt this process.

 

Reading Packed Metadata into memory...

Failed to read packed metadata!

Press <ESC> to continue.

 

There was an error initializing cache. Proceeding without it.

Press <ESC> to continue.

Intel® Rapid Storage Technology - Option ROM - 11.0.0.1339

Copyright© 2003-11 Intel Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

 

Raid Volumes: * = Accelerated Disk/Volume

ID Name Level Strip Size Status Bootable

1 Volume_0000 RAID0(Cache) 128KB 59.6GB Disabled No

 

Physical Devices:

ID Device Model Serial # Size Type/Status (Vol ID)

*1 ST750LX003-1AC15 W2001MYK 698.6GB Disabled

4 M4-CT064M4SSD3 000012200347C 59.6GB Cache Disk(1)

Press <CTRL-I> to enter Configuration Utility...........

 

My laptop now gives me the following error, appearing before I can even get to the "Starting Windows" screen (I'm currently on "Windows 7 Professional")...

 

Intel UNDI, PXE-2.1 (build 083)

Copyright © 1997-2000 Intel Corporation

 

This Product is covered by one or more of the following patents:

US5,307,459, US5,434,872, US5,732,094, US6,570,884, US6,115,776 and

US6,327,625

 

Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller Series v2.47 (04/20/12)

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable

 

PXE-M0F: Exiting PXE ROM.

 

Reboot and Select proper Boot device

or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

 

At this point I find that there's nothing I can do, and so I have no choice but to turn off and back on my laptop. I've found that I can get past this by going into the "F2 Setup" after the first error screen and change the "SATA Mode" to "AHCI Mode" instead of "RAID Mode", which is what it's always been set on, as far as I'm aware. Restarting my computer on this new setting, neither of the two above error messages appears, and I get sent to the "Windows Error Recovery" screen.

 

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the

cause.

 

If Windows files have been damaged or configured incorrectly, Startup Repair

can help diagnose and fix the problem. If the power was interrupted during

startup, choose Start Windows Normally.

(Use the arrows keys to highlight your choice.)

 

Launch Startup Repair (recommended)

Start Windows Normally

 

Even after trying both, I've been unable to solve anything. "Startup Repair" says it "cannot repair this computer automatically", and starting Windows normally only gets me three seconds into the "Starting Windows" screen before freezing, giving me another blue screen, and promptly restarting. After disabling this automatic restarting, I've been able to view the blue screen for long enough to see that this is what it says.

 

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage

to your computer.

 

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen,

restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow

these steps:

 

Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed

hard drives or hard drive controllers. Check your hard drive

to make sure it is properly configured and terminated.

Run CHKDSK /F to check for hard drive corruption, and then

restart your computer.

 

Technical information:

 

*** STOP: 0x0000007B (0xFFFFF880009A97E8, 0xFFFFFFFFC0000034, 0x0000000000000000,0

x0000000000000000)

 

Running Windows in Safe Mode gets me to the same blue screen, but only after failing when "Loading Windows Files". It goes through all of them before stopping at "\Windows\system32\drivers\CLASSPNP.SYS". Among the other "Advanced Boot Options", I've tried "Last Known Good Configuration (advanced)" as well, as it was somewhat successful when I had a problem on my old computer. However, it again freezes when "Starting Windows" and automatically resets. Lastly, I've tried the "Repair Your Computer" option. As stated, "Startup Repair" couldn't fix my problems, "System Restore" says it's unable to restore itself to the point right before I got my first blue screen, and in the "Command Prompt", I haven't gotten many results from using "chkdsk" or "bootrec.exe", as I've read about online. There are a few other fixes I've attempted, but none have worked.

 

Anyone know what to do? If any other information is needed to further assess my situation, I'll gladly post it here. All help would be greatly appreciated; thanks in advance.


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#2
phillpower2

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:welcome:   Exgvt

 

Do you have a Windows 7 Pro disk or alternative media such as on a USB thumb drive etc, if yes or no please see the steps below provided courtesy of GTG Tech Ztruker;

 

Run chkdsk and System File Checker (SFC) from the Recovery Console

  • Boot your Vista or Windows 7 installation DVD
  • When you see "Press any key to boot from CD or DVD", press Enter
  • At the "Install Windows" screen, click on Repair your computer at lower left
  • At the System Recovery Options screen, make note of the drive letter assigned to your boot drive (normally C:) and click Next
  • At the Chose a Recovery Tool window, click on Command Prompt. You will be sitting at X:\Sources directory
  • Run chkdsk or SFC
    • If you did not note the drive letter of your boot disk, you can enter bcdedit and look at the osdevice line to see what it is.
    • For chkdsk, type chkdsk c: /r and press Enter (use the letter from above if not C:).
    • For sfc, type sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=c:\windows and press Enter (use the letter from above)

Let either run to completion undisturbed.

Vista or Windows 7: If you do not have a Windows Vista installation DVD, you can download a legal copy with SP1 integrated from here:


Download Official Windows Vista RTM with SP1 Setup Files (32-bit and 64-bit).

 

Please note that you may need to run SFC 3 or 4 times for any/all errors to be successfully repaired.


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#3
Exgvt

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Haha, thanks. Looked like a promising community with lots of active people that know what they're doing, so I figured, why not.

I believe I've already tried something like that, but I'll try once more later, going along with those steps, to make sure. Thing is, my disk isn't an "official" copy, as far as I can tell. It is merely labeled a "Recovery DVD-ROM for Windows 7 Professional", presumably because the guys who built my laptop installed the OS themselves before shipping it. Regardless, I'll see what the error message says, if it's worth anything.

Also, that link leads to a page with downloads for Windows Vista files, will that work with my computer? Or should I use the page linked there for the Windows 7 downloads? And what will I do with the setup files? (Sorry, it's nearly 4 AM, I'm far from being able to think right now. I'm usually good with these sorts of things, honestly...)
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#4
phillpower2

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The recovery disk that you have may be a generic one that only has the bare essentials on it for a fresh installation, I am only surmising this and would suggest in any event that you at some point before you try running SFC download the Windows 7 ISO from the link provided, the disk is yours to keep for any future emergency such as this, please confirm for yourself that you have your Windows 7 product key available for the present installation, this should then be kept somewhere safe along with your disk.

 

Yes use the Windows 7 link at the Vista page please.

 

No rush on my behalf so post back when you can  :thumbsup:


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#5
Exgvt

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Okay, I've downloaded the appropriate ISO, burned it onto a disk, and started up my laptop from it. Thankfully, unlike before, I was able to get to the "System Recovery Options" window. I've run both "chkdsk" and then "sfc" using the steps you provided, but neither said there were any violations. Restarting my computer, I see that it is still unable to boot up. What should I do now?


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#6
donetao

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Hello ! Phill is from the UK. Will be awhile before he wakes up. I'm thinking your OS has been corrupted.Here's a program that may help you save your data before reinstalling your OS. It's a good program to have even if you don't use it now. There are two parts. First page explains how to down load it. Second page tells you how to use it. It's a live CD like the one you just used.

Please wait for Phill to reply before going further!

http://www.winhelp.u...uppy-linux.html


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#7
Exgvt

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Hmm, is that so... I'll keep that in mind, but as you suggested as well, I'll wait a little bit longer for Phill to see what he has to say.


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#8
phillpower2

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Apologies for the delay but I have been landed with a mountain of health & safety work that I must deal with and pronto  :(

 

How many times did you run SFC, 3 or 4 as I suggested.

 

If SFC reports no violations then I am both surprised and puzzled, I was and still am suspecting the OS or HDD as the cause and if the HDD is bad then so will the OS on it be.

 

Run the HDDs diagnostics tool;

Make sure you select the tool that is appropriate for the brand of your hard drive http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
Depending on the program it'll create a bootable floppy or a bootable DVD/CD.

If the downloaded file is the .iso type use ImgBurn: http://www.imgburn.com/ to burn the .iso file to a DVD/CD disk depending on your OS (select "Write image file to disc" option) and make the disk bootable.

RE ImgBurn: please use the custom install and uncheck the attached foistware such as "Install Entrusted Toolbar etc


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#9
Exgvt

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Sorry for not responding sooner, I must've forgotten. A friend helped backup all my data, then re-installed Windows, from what I've heard; simple enough. Thanks anyway for your time, I appreciate it.


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#10
phillpower2

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Not a problem and thank you for the follow up  :thumbsup:

 

You are most welcome btw  :)


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