Windows 8.1 Can't Boot Into Computer After Crash

Trainline240

Reputable
Jan 14, 2015
15
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4,520
Recently I built a new computer to replace my aging PC. I built it about 2 weeks ago and haven't really done any work with it. Mostly, I've just been playing video games (mainly just BF4 and Grid 2). So today I was playing BF4 with my friend and then the game froze. The entire computer locked up, I couldn't access Task Manager or exit out of BF4, so I manually shut the computer down by holding down the power button. Since then, I haven't been able to get back into my computer. When I reboot my computer, I get one of three things. I sometimes get the normal Windows logo, with the loading vortex under it. After it spins about twice, it stops, and the computer stays there. Sometimes, the text "Preparing Automatic Repair" shows, with the same vortex, but results in the same freezing. Finally, I'll get the blue screen with the big sad face saying that there's been a problem and Windows is trying to fix it. I can't get into the computer. I can't start in safe mode. I can't boot from the disk. I don't know what to do. I tried reseating my RAM, GPU, HDD, and SSD. Nothing works. I can't get past the Windows logo. What can I do and what is most likely the issue? I'm not so worried about the files on the computer, as nothing special is on the drives (nothing at all really, besides the games and drivers), I'm just worried something might really be broken. Thanks for your help.

Specs:
CPU: AMD Fx-8350 (cooled by Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo)
Mobo: AsRock 970 Extreme4
RAM: 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870
PSU: Corsair TX650
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB
SSD: Samsung 840 Evo (Windows 8.1 is installed on this drive)
 
Solution
from a windows 8.1 disk or image from microsoft. download the microssoft iso to usb tool.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool
downlaod and run the tool.
have an 8g usb stick that fat32 formated. it make the stick bootable and have the same iso image as the cd.
plug the usb stick into the pc you want to repair and wait for hit any key to boot from cd. if you dont see that check that secure boot and legacy boot is off.

Trainline240

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Jan 14, 2015
15
0
4,520

How exactly do I 'nuke windows and reload it' without being able to get into the computer?
 

Trainline240

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Jan 14, 2015
15
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4,520

When I put in the CD and set the motherboard to boot from the disc drive and not even look at the SSD, I get the same exact problem. Just a Windows logo that doesn't go anywhere.
 

Trainline240

Reputable
Jan 14, 2015
15
0
4,520


Yes, I took out the SSD in the bios and set it to only boot from the CD. I then even tried creating a recovery drive with another 8.1 laptop I had on hand (I didn't create a recovery drive with the new computer) and that didn't work either.
 
if you have a usb stick try using the windows iso to usb tool make a bootable usb stick to see if the system will boot from usb. if the system wont. unplug all the drives and see if it will boot. if one of the drives is bad it hang the pc from booting from another device.
 

Trainline240

Reputable
Jan 14, 2015
15
0
4,520


Well after doing a lot of research I know that I need to reinstall Windows. The trouble comes in about how. I can't get into my computer, and I tried the recovery disc on that laptop, as stated above. Putting in the Windows 8.1 disc and telling the BIOS to only boot from the disc doesn't help any, the same thing occurs with the freezing Windows logo screen. Is the bootable usb thing you mentioned another way of reinstalling Windows? and if so, and you go into detail about what I need to do to go about that method?
 
from a windows 8.1 disk or image from microsoft. download the microssoft iso to usb tool.
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool
downlaod and run the tool.
have an 8g usb stick that fat32 formated. it make the stick bootable and have the same iso image as the cd.
plug the usb stick into the pc you want to repair and wait for hit any key to boot from cd. if you dont see that check that secure boot and legacy boot is off.
 
Solution