- Dec 24, 2013
- 415
- 10
- 18,815
To start with, I need to provide some background information. My computer is custom built, and has been running well for a few years now. Occasionally issues have happened, and I've needed to reinstall Windows. No biggie.
A week ago however, I got a blue screen of death. When I attempted to restart the computer, Windows 8.1 said that Windows could not start, and gave me options to advanced recovery options. I attempted to run a CHDSK on the primary SSD. It told me there was several errors (5 or 6). I attempted to have it repair the errors, but the drive claimed it was write locked. I tried restart a few times, tweaking a few things to see if I could get it to load.
Finally, I took the SSD out and booted it up. Instead of being the generic message indicated there's no OS, Windows popped up a message saying that my computer needed to be repaired, so I had to insert the install media. I had a digital copy. I attempted to download a Windows 8 ISO from Microsoft, but it required a product key. Being unable to access any of the data on the corrupt SSD, I could not obtain that. Microsoft was unable to assist me in finding my product key via transaction history on my account, and the customer service rep said I needed to buy another copy of Windows.
Since Windows must have mysteriously put some of it's files on one of my other HDDs (for 'reasons' presumably), I disconnected my two 1TB storage HDDs. That popped up the standard "insert installation media into boot drive and press any key" or whatever the message is.
Curiously, I inserted the SSD back to try to get the product key. Unfortunately, I guess the OS was too corrupt now, and all I could get was that error.
Finally, I decided I needed some more storage space anyway. I got a 3TB HDD from a local computer shop and put it in my wife's computer. I formatted it, and set aside a small primary partition for the OS.
I then took the HDD out, and stuck it inside my own computer. I don't have an internal optical drive, so I got an external one that I had laying around. My MoBo supports booting from USB.
I attempted to boot with a spare Windows 7 install disk we had laying around, and it couldn't read it. So, the next day at work, I got a hold of a Windows 7 ISO, and then burned it onto my flash drive to see if I could get better results. Surprisingly, I did. It began to boot into the installation. It went through the loading windows files part, and then "Starting Windows" appeared on the screen, in the manner it does when booting Windows 7. (You know, where the lights swirl?)
At this point, it simply stayed there. No swirly lights. Just "Starting Windows". I tried a few solutions on Google, but to no avail. Even waiting two hours yielded no results. I'm swiftly running out of options, and I cannot get a copy of Windows installed. Nothing appears to be working.
The only thing I haven't tried is to swap out the PSU, which people claim works, but I'm having trouble comprehending how that could be the culprit. Also, I do not have a spare PSU laying around.
Is there any solution anyone can give me? I would really like to have my computer back.
My computer is more or less what I call home, and I use it for everything.
Thanks in advance!
A week ago however, I got a blue screen of death. When I attempted to restart the computer, Windows 8.1 said that Windows could not start, and gave me options to advanced recovery options. I attempted to run a CHDSK on the primary SSD. It told me there was several errors (5 or 6). I attempted to have it repair the errors, but the drive claimed it was write locked. I tried restart a few times, tweaking a few things to see if I could get it to load.
Finally, I took the SSD out and booted it up. Instead of being the generic message indicated there's no OS, Windows popped up a message saying that my computer needed to be repaired, so I had to insert the install media. I had a digital copy. I attempted to download a Windows 8 ISO from Microsoft, but it required a product key. Being unable to access any of the data on the corrupt SSD, I could not obtain that. Microsoft was unable to assist me in finding my product key via transaction history on my account, and the customer service rep said I needed to buy another copy of Windows.
Since Windows must have mysteriously put some of it's files on one of my other HDDs (for 'reasons' presumably), I disconnected my two 1TB storage HDDs. That popped up the standard "insert installation media into boot drive and press any key" or whatever the message is.
Curiously, I inserted the SSD back to try to get the product key. Unfortunately, I guess the OS was too corrupt now, and all I could get was that error.
Finally, I decided I needed some more storage space anyway. I got a 3TB HDD from a local computer shop and put it in my wife's computer. I formatted it, and set aside a small primary partition for the OS.
I then took the HDD out, and stuck it inside my own computer. I don't have an internal optical drive, so I got an external one that I had laying around. My MoBo supports booting from USB.
I attempted to boot with a spare Windows 7 install disk we had laying around, and it couldn't read it. So, the next day at work, I got a hold of a Windows 7 ISO, and then burned it onto my flash drive to see if I could get better results. Surprisingly, I did. It began to boot into the installation. It went through the loading windows files part, and then "Starting Windows" appeared on the screen, in the manner it does when booting Windows 7. (You know, where the lights swirl?)
At this point, it simply stayed there. No swirly lights. Just "Starting Windows". I tried a few solutions on Google, but to no avail. Even waiting two hours yielded no results. I'm swiftly running out of options, and I cannot get a copy of Windows installed. Nothing appears to be working.
The only thing I haven't tried is to swap out the PSU, which people claim works, but I'm having trouble comprehending how that could be the culprit. Also, I do not have a spare PSU laying around.
Is there any solution anyone can give me? I would really like to have my computer back.
My computer is more or less what I call home, and I use it for everything.
Thanks in advance!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram