Reformat my hardisk?

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pkerr100

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Apr 24, 2013
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My Win 7 has gone bad. Starts up but then just hangs at the Win 7 start up screen. I've tried everything to get it to go... Safe mode, use original CD to reload files. Every method just hangs.

I figure I'll just reformat / reinstall. But I can't figure out how to reformat. There isn't any option to do that either through the original CD, the BIOs or anywhere else.

Suggestions?
Thanks
 
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random stalker

random stalker

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Feb 3, 2013
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Just run the install disk, when you chose to install your windows, it will ask you whether or not you wish to format the destination drive. Also, it should let you choose the format (older FAT vs newer NTFS).

Or you can run a recovery console from the install disk and format the drive manually using the format <drive letter>:\ command.

PS: I'd like to point out, that you can download any live OS CD /either linux or Hiren's Boot CD/, run it and backup everything you want to keep on a usb drive (or another hdd / partition) before the formatting :)
 
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pkerr100

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Apr 24, 2013
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That's my problem.

Upon using the original CD, it doesn't get that far to ask me. It boots from the CD, and then "Windows is loading files" progress bar, and then after a few minutes it goes to "Starting Windows" screen and just hangs.

I've done this before on other machines and knowwhat you guys are talking about. In this case we never get that far.
 
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random stalker

random stalker

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Ouch, that could be a little bit more serious... Bad RAM, fried HDD /or at least few bad sectors/, BIOS trouble /happens when you're forced to revert settings to default/...

I'd like to recommend running some test from Hirens disc... And/or det a minidump /or a bluescreen error code/, to see what caused the problems with your windows in the first place...
 
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pkerr100

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Apr 24, 2013
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Hirens disc?

Never got a BSD. It just hung and from then on I've had problems.

Know of any utilitiy that I could use to do a format and then attempt at loading Win?
 
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pkerr100

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Apr 24, 2013
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Nothing has worked. I ran diagnostics on the drive and memory and anything Hiren had. No reports of erros.
I erased the drive (didn't need the stuff on it) and then inserted the Win 7 reinstall disk and it just hung like before.
 
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random stalker

random stalker

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Well, something like that also happens, when your BIOS reverts to default settings /which sometimes happens when the BIOS is corrupted after a power surge and or sudden power outage/ and screws up the drive access mode. I'd check if the drive mode is set AHCI. <- this is especially needed for SSD, as AHCI supports many new features which are kinda necessary for the drive to perform correctly.

And while I'm at it, I'd check other BIOS settings for irregularities...

/also, if there is trouble accessing the hdd in AHCI mode, you can always thy to switch to IDE, install windows, set the msahci driver to start at the boot time and then restart and set the drive back to AHCI in BIOS/
 
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pkerr100

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Apr 24, 2013
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Not that I understand all that you wrote but I disconnected the drive and went through the startup process booting off the installation CD and "Windows is loading files..." message came up again and it eventually went to the "Starting Windows" words with just a hint of the Windows logo starting to appear and then... it hung.
Suggestions?


 
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random stalker

random stalker

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well, dunno really...
if it's not the HDD - since you formatted it from hiren's disc with "format /s" and also chkdsk showed no errors....
and the BIOS settings are checked and OK...

my last guess would be a bad memory stick...
so, could you please take out all of your RAM sticks, then put only one of them and try to boot again... if it works, save the one that worked and by trial/error try to find the one that is faulty...
/my guess would be, since windows preloads some files to the ram... when it starts to boot and starts to fill your memory... it comes to a bad sector, panics and shuts down..../
 
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pkerr100

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Apr 24, 2013
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Ha! Funny you should suggest that. Just finished doing that before your e-mail arrived. Didn't make any difference. I have 2 sticks and it didn't matter which one was in or which slot. Same issue.

And just an FYI... I just erased the HD.. no format. Couldn't find it on the Hiren CD. I told the BIOs to restore all the defaults. And as mentioned, same results.

So does that leave us with a motherboard issue?
Thanks

 
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random stalker

random stalker

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awww damn... I'd rather not even think about that...

my bet would be problems with boot sector - can screw up your drive during power spike/sudden outage and needs proper format to fix (some tools work too)...
then...
if you have another drive, could you plug it in the place of the old one?
or change the slot the drive is connected to the mobo?

btw, if you boot from hirens disc, you should be able to use the format command directly from the command prompt...
 
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pkerr100

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Apr 24, 2013
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Problems with the boot sector? It still hangs even when the drive is disconnected.

That being said... I'd like to try and reformat the drive (instead of just erasing it like I did) but can't find that on the Hiren's CD. I go to DOS program and work my way thru the menus but when I get to a place where I can do a format, the HD doesn't have a letter designation. Suggestions for giving it one so I can format it?
Thanks
 
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