Win 7 64 bit, with a version of Avast, not sure which version was on the computer since I cannot access it. However, it was updated within the last week.
It no longer boots into windows. It gives me options to start in safe mode, and that does not function either. Initially I thought it was a problem with the RAM, as there were also BIOS errors indicating boot failure due to RAM. I think I have that hashed out. I could boot to recovery, and I ran the windows RAM test from there. Safemode with command prompt also does not load.
The boot failure is always the same going into windows, as the machine boots, it blanks the screen between the booting animation, and loading the video drivers. I get to a blank screen with only a mouse, and that is the end of the boot process.
Booting into safemode, the loading files hangs on aswrvrt.sys for a long time, but then it continues on to loading the video drivers and hangs.
This seems nearly identical to the problem that cuttleman had in the thread https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=120531.0, and it would seem that essexboy was able to get him some assistance.
I was hoping that there might be a way to recover this machine. If not, I guess I will be reloading it.
Insert the USB into the sick computer and start the computer. First ensuring that the system is set to boot from USB
Note: If you are not sure how to do that follow the instructions Here
Windows 7 and Vista screenshots
When you reboot you will see this. Click repair my computer
notepad and press Enter.
The notepad opens. Under File menu select Open.
Select “Computer” and find your flash drive letter and close the notepad.
In the command window type e:\frst64.exe or e:\frst.exe dependant on system
and press Enter Note: Replace letter e with the drive letter of your flash drive.
The tool will start to run.
When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
From your second set of instructions (the alternate plan) I do not understand which recovery console you want. Start up the sick machine in recovery, or start from the recovery USB drive?
I didn’t even make it to the “fix”. I went to boot off the recovery drive to run the test and apply the fix, and now the machine never finishes booting off the recovery. It goes through the part where the screen says loading with the green progress bar, blanks the screen, and never starts up. It just sits there flashing the hard drive light. The HDD light does have a pattern though, on for 3 seconds, and off for .5 seconds. It will continue this behavior until I am bored of watching it.
OTPLEN is based on XP, does XP even support operating on an UEFI computer.
There are SMART errors on the drive, but I have not been able to do chkdisk yet. I am still trying to get the machine to boot. It seems to boot off the original windows 7 disk, as long as the hdd sata cable is unplugged. Sort of a happy accident, I had the install disk and the recovery USB in at the same time, and that booted to the recovery console, but as the hdd sata was unplugged, that was all the further I got.
To answer your question, I cannot get any form of windows to load with the hdd plugged in.
Ubuntu LiveUSB 13.04 boots, and I can read the smart errors and perform a self test of the drive. Drive fails self test. I.D. 184 End to End Error. Apparently this means that:
After transferring through the cache RAM data buffer, the parity data between the host and the hard drive did not match. This is a critical parameter. Degradation of this parameter may indicate imminent drive failure. Urgent data backup and hardware replacement is recommended.
I have no idea why the PE disk will not boot, but with the HDD unplugged, Win7 install, boots fine. I think the HDD is toast, and I will have to grab another drive and install windows all over again. Luckily I think I have a 750GB collecting dust around here somewhere, and 2TB drives are cheap on the egg. Even if this is not the true solution, it looks like the drive needs to be replaced anyway.
New cable, same symptoms. I think the drive is done. Still not booting PE, I wonder if that might be a bad burn or a corrupted DL. My son and I now need to figure out what we want to do about the drive. thanks.
Not sure what you had on the HDD but if there is data you need perhaps get this and hook up to other PC as slave.
Hopefully, the HDD is not corrupt enough that you can’t get to the files versus it being a boot, O/S HDD. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232002
If you don’t have this adapter…it is one to have in your desk drawer anyway…handy.