Windows 8.1 Won't Boot after Avast Install

I did an Avast update, clicked the reboot button after it was finished and my system won’t boot. I can’t even get into safemode on Windows 8 because of the SSD’s and Windows 8 boot times. Please help troubleshoot.

See: “If you cannot Boot the computer”
Instructions: http://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=53253.0

thanks but that link is to “Topic: Logs to assist in cleaning malware” and I don’t have any malware, Avast has brought my machine down with an update.

Follow the instructions anyway.

Scan result of Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST.txt) (x64) Version: 02-05-2015
Ran by SYSTEM on MININT-A4GVA7A on 02-05-2015 06:50:22
Running from D:
Platform: WIN_81 (X64) OS Language: English (United States)
Boot Mode: Recovery
Attention: Could not load system hive.
Attention: System hive is missing.

Tutorial for Farbar Recovery Scan Tool: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/335081-frst-tutorial-how-to-use-farbar-recovery-scan-tool/

==================== Registry (Whitelisted) ==================

(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the registry item will be restored to default or removed. The file will not be moved.)

ATTENTION: Software hive is missing.

==================== Services (Whitelisted) =================

(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the service will be removed from the registry. The file will not be moved unless listed separately.)

==================== Drivers (Whitelisted) ====================

(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the service will be removed from the registry. The file will not be moved unless listed separately.)

==================== NetSvcs (Whitelisted) ===================

(If an item is included in the fixlist, it will be removed from the registry. Any associated file could be listed separately to be moved.)

==================== One Month Created Files and Folders ========

(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the file\folder will be moved.)

==================== One Month Modified Files and Folders =======

(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the file\folder will be moved.)

==================== Known DLLs (Whitelisted) ================

==================== Bamital & volsnap Check =================

(There is no automatic fix for files that do not pass verification.)

C:\Windows\System32\winlogon.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\wininit.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\explorer.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\explorer.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\svchost.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\services.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\User32.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\User32.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\userinit.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\userinit.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\rpcss.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\volsnap.sys IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\system32\codeintegrity\Bootcat.cache IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.
C:\Windows\System32\winsrv.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION!.

==================== Restore Points =========================

==================== Memory info ===========================

Percentage of memory in use: 11%
Total physical RAM: 6135.14 MB
Available physical RAM: 5418.38 MB
Total Pagefile: 6135.14 MB
Available Pagefile: 5439.79 MB
Total Virtual: 131072 MB
Available Virtual: 131071.88 MB

==================== Drives ================================

Drive d: (RECOVERY) (Removable) (Total:1.87 GB) (Free:1.57 GB) FAT32
Drive x: (Boot) (Fixed) (Total:0.5 GB) (Free:0.49 GB) NTFS
Drive y: (Buffalo) (Fixed) (Total:149.05 GB) (Free:18.67 GB) NTFS

==================== MBR & Partition Table ==================

========================================================
Disk: 0 (Size: 149.1 GB) (Disk ID: 3BE06568)
Partition 1: (Not Active) - (Size=149 GB) - (Type=07 NTFS)

========================================================
Disk: 1 (MBR Code: Windows 7 or 8) (Size: 1.9 GB) (Disk ID: 49AF96A1)
Partition 1: (Active) - (Size=1.9 GB) - (Type=0B)

==================== End Of Log ============================

OK, now you’ve to wait a bit…

Being unable to load the hives means that you have a disc corruption. Nine times out of ten a chkdsk /r will fix that

Reboot to the command prompt
At the prompt type :

chkdsk c: /r

Once it has completed try a normal boot

This is odd. I can’t boot to my Windows 8 disk. I tried in two different DVD drives and even tried loading the win8 dvd from a USB drive. Multiple times each, they start loading and just spin for hours. I don’t have another win8 disk to try a different disk.

When I boot to a windows recovery disk, my boot disk (raid disks) don’t get loaded. From an Acronis boot disk it gets loaded and I can backup and restore files.

Do you have an image that you can restore using acronis ?

I wish, but no. I just have documents backed up.

Do you have a second hard drive on the system ?

If so disconnect that and then try again

OK that worked… Do you know what caused this? Am I not able to use that drive now?

Yes you should be able to as it may have been a loose connection

Replug in the drive after running a chkdsk on the SSD