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Computer freezes during startup - suspect hardware fault

Tim

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Posted December 10, 2012 at 10:17PM

I have a problem with my WIndows 7 PC.

It freezes during startup after the Windows logo but before it gets to the logon screen. I have tried running the Windows repair process using the original Windows 7 disk and also from pressing F8 during startup. In both the cases the programs freeze before they had fully loaded. I wondered if I had a hard disk fault so I tried running my Acronis Recovery disk. This program too freezes before it has fully loaded (The disk has been checked on another PC and it works OK.

I therefore suspect a hardware fault - possibly with the motherboard, processor or memory. Are there any checks or programs I could try and run that might help me locate the problem?

I don't know if it connected, but I have had a funny when starting the computer for the last few weeks. When I powered on the computer I got a disk activity light and a fan noise for about a second. The computer then went totally dead for about 5-7 seconds and then it would start booting up as normal.

I have Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3R motherboard with 8GB of memory.

Any ideas of what to try.

Thanks, Timothy

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Fruit Bat /\0/\

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Posted December 10, 2012 at 10:37PM

Will it start in safemode from the F8 prompt?

Freezing at the point you describe is usually a driver problem.

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Tim

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Posted December 10, 2012 at 11:06PM

No - It freezes during safe mode startup as well.

I doubt that it is the drivers, because I have also tried booting from my original Windows 7 DVD in an attempt to run its repair program and it freezes as well.

Timothy

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Fruit Bat /\0/\

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Posted December 10, 2012 at 11:16PM

With your other problems during start it could be PSU starting to fail.

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Jock1e

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Posted December 11, 2012 at 8:28AM

You could try reseating the memory but you usually just get a black screen with that.

Not to old a computer by the looks of it so not likely to be the cmos battery.

So looking like the PSU like Fruit Bat /\0/\ says.

Maybe disconnect anything that you have plugged into the usb ports,printer anything like that and try again and see if it gets any further.

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Zak

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Posted December 11, 2012 at 4:11PM

Possibly a failing graphics card? I had these symptoms when mine failed.

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Tim

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Posted December 11, 2012 at 7:33PM

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I wil do some more checks and see what happens.

Thanks, Timothy

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