# Solved: "startup repair has tried several times"



## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Hello,

My desktop computer, that I built about 4 years ago, is having a major problem where it will not successfully start up. It flashes a blue screen with "process_initialization_failed"

Then brings me to a black screen that says Windows Error Recovery. There I have the options to boot windows regularly (which leads back to the blue screen,) or try to "Launch Startup Repair".

If I do that it fails and says "Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically."

At the Startup Repair screen I can "View diagnostic and repair details." If I do and scroll down to the bottom it says:


> Root cause found:
> -----------------
> Startup Repair has tried serveral times but sill cannot determine the cause of the problem.


I don't know what to do to be honest! It just started having this problem this week. I suspect it's possibly an issue with the C drive that has the OS on it. It's a SSD that cost around 120 or bucks at the time. Earlier this year changed the OS from Windows 7 32-bit to 64-bit.

Any ideas on how I can fix this? I'm ok with wiping the C drive and re-installing everything (though not happy about it) since the important data is on the other hard drives.

EDIT: I should also note that last month I was having an issue with the video card's fan making a loud sound, but was able to fix it. OR at least it stopped making the sound after a while.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

1. Welcome to Tech Support Guy

2.


> I should also note that last month I was having an issue with the video card's fan making a loud sound, but was able to fix it


How please and what did you determine as the cause - overheating card due to overclock - dirty fan blades etc.

3. F8 on post - repair your computer - is command prompt then offered


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

> How please and what did you determine as the cause - overheating card due to overclock - dirty fan blades etc.


Cleaned the fan and it just sort of stopped making the sound. The card is very clearly at the end of it's life though. It's a 4 year old card that I've been meaning to replace once I had the money.



> 3. F8 on post - repair your computer - is command prompt then offered


What do you mean?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

After the computer boots immediately on the post screen keep tapping the F8 key


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Ok. Doing that lets me pick which drive to boot from (including booting from a CD), but if I choose the drive with OS on it, the same thing happens.

EDIT: and it appeared to freeze at that screen and isn't responding to any input from the keyboard.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

F8 key does not normally take you to boot options
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/...tup-options-including-safe-mode#1TC=windows-7

On the post screen there is normally a 
to enter setup press - and that is BIOS
then there is also - for boot options press and that is as you say you got on F8

The error code you have process initialization failure is usually faulty hardware or a driver
It can also be hard drive errors

If the computer motherboard has integrated graphics, which as you built the system - you will know the answer - please try connecting to the integrated graphics rather than the card

If there is now a failure on the keyboard - this tends to suggest that there is an underlying issue which started with the graphics card problem and then progressed to the posted error and now to this

What checks have you made please before you posted - eg PSU - chkdsk - temps etc

See if you can get a boot from the 7 installation dvd


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Try this

When you get boot options press escape key immediately and then immediately F8
Is it by chance an Asus motherboard

if so as explained here
http://www.overclock.net/t/1399395/asus-f8-key-over-windows-8-safe-mode


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## DonDodge (Dec 31, 2007)

I had a similar thing going on with my now ex-computer It started the Friday before last and I thought it was completely dead last Sunday. I reseated the 8 year old CPU in the 6 year old mother board and brought it back to life with no problems for a day or two. Next thing I did was lay the tower on it's side when it started with the BSOD again. It seems the weight of the cpu cooler combined with the vibration of the old fan was not good. That's how I got through the week and no more errors after that. 

My new parts arrived Friday and I did the rebuild last night,

Have you looked at the Event Viewer logs to see if that offers any insight?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

> Have you looked at the Event Viewer logs to see if that offers any insight?


Good suggestion but at the moment D-W cannot get past the blue screen and startup repair

So we cannot even get a cmd prompt in Windows RE


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## DonDodge (Dec 31, 2007)

No start in Safe Mode?


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

What version of Windows is in the computer you are contacting us with?


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

JSntgRvr said:


> What version of Windows is in the computer you are contacting us with?


Windows 7 64-bit. I'm using my laptop for all my computer needs now.



Macboatmaster said:


> Try this
> 
> When you get boot options press escape key immediately and then immediately F8
> Is it by chance an Asus motherboard
> ...


I do have an Asus Motherboard. Specifically it's a P7P55D-E. I do not believe it has an integrated graphics card.

The issue with keyboard that I had earlier has not occurred again.

At first Pressing esc brings me to the Windows Startup Repair screen where I could choose to run windows startup repair or run windows normally. I remember having to press esc years ago when something was busted. Then it brought me to a very different screen.

However repeatedly mashing esc brought me to a different screen, Windows Boot Manager. There I could press F8 and go to Advanced Boot Options. Booting in Safe Mode resulted in the same thing as booting regularly. Blue Screen then to Startup Repair.

Is there anything else I could do at that screen?

I tired running the startup repair and found an option that brought me to this screen: http://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...finite-loop-recovery-image08_clickcommand.jpg

On a haunch I clicked on Windows Memory Diagnostic. It didn't seem find anything wrong.

How can I boot from the CD?

(Seriously thank you for all the help so far as well.)


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## JSntgRvr (Jul 1, 2003)

*Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc on the working computer*

*Note:* the below can only be done if your machine has a a type of CD/R or DVD/R optical drive installed. Also depending on the exact type of OEM your machine has you may be unable to actually create a SRD.


Click on *Start(Windows 7 Orb)* >> *Run...*(or the Windows key and R together) to bring up the *Run* box, then copy/paste the following command into the box and click on *OK*:



> recdisc.exe



Allow the* UAC(User Account Control)* prompt via selecting *Yes*.
You should now see a menu like the below:-











Put a blank rewritable CD/DVD in your optical(CD/DVD) drive and then click on *Create disc*.
*Note:* If a *AutoPlay *window pops up, just close it.
When the SRD has been created you will see the below:-











Now click on *Close* >>* OK.* Leave the disc in the drive as we will be using it shortly.
You now have a *Windows 7 System Repair Disc*.

Insert this CD to the ailing computer and attempt to boot from it. Attempt to reach the command prompt and let us know the outcome.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Boot to the cmd prompt please as I said please and as shown on the link in your last post



> F8 on post - repair your computer - is command prompt then offered


when you get to the cmd prompt it will be on a X drive which is a ramdrive created for the purposes of repair in windows 7 So on the advanced option select repair your computer then select cmd prompt

so the prompt will be
X:\ Sources

see screenshot please
change that to a C prompt by typing
C:
then type
chkdsk /r

You are correct the motherboard does not have integrated graphics

agree the warning and run chdksk /r


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Ok. I ran chkdsk/r. 

There's a big list of numbers. Below it says "Failed to transfer logged message to the event log with status 50."


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

never mind that for the time being - will it now boot to windows


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

No unfortunately.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

When you issued the cmd chkdsk /r - and keyed enter - what was the message that first appeared please


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

PLEASE answer the last from me and return to the X sources cmd prompt
and at that prompt - not changing to C prompt
copy and paste this

*bcdedit | find "osdevice"*

press enter

please post what the response is

 I HAVE TO GO offline for about an hour
The response to that cmd should tell you which lettered drive windows is on
It does not always in the Recovery environment stay the same letter
SO it may NOT be C

If it is NOT C re run chkdsk /r on whatever letter the cmd reports

If after that the system will still not boot windows see if the drive is accessible using notepad.exe

From the recovery cmd prompt type 
notepad.exe

this then should open notepad for you
using the letter found in the cmd bcdedit | osdevice cmd
follow this procedure

you do NOT need to connect a flash drive we are simply seeing if the disk is accessible
Once you have booted into the Recovery Environment connect a flash drive or external USB drive to your system. Now, access the Command Prompt window and type notepad.exe on the command line. Once you have Notepad up and running, just press [Ctrl]+O to access the Open dialog box. Leave the File name box blank, select All Files (*.*) in the Files of type list, and just leave the Encoding setting as it is.
Now, use the Computer icon to locate your Windows installation drive. (Refer to using the bcdedit | find "osdevice" command as described above.) To continue, navigate to your user profile folder. Then, right click on the folder or folders containing the files that you want to backup and then select the Send to command. When you do, you can select your flash drive or external USB drive. When you do, your files will be safely copied.


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Macboatmaster said:


> When you issued the cmd chkdsk /r - and keyed enter - what was the message that first appeared please


This is what it says:


> The type of the file system is NTFS.
> Cannot lock current drive.
> 
> Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Chkdsk may run if this volume is dismounted firs. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (y/n)


if I hit y then it says this:



> Volume dismounted. All opened handles to this volume are now invalid.
> Volume label is OS SSD.





Macboatmaster said:


> *bcdedit | find "osdevice"*
> 
> press enter
> 
> please post what the response is


It's C:



Macboatmaster said:


> you do NOT need to connect a flash drive we are simply seeing if the disk is accessible
> Once you have booted into the Recovery Environment connect a flash drive or external USB drive to your system. Now, access the Command Prompt window and type notepad.exe on the command line. Once you have Notepad up and running, just press [Ctrl]+O to access the Open dialog box. Leave the File name box blank, select All Files (*.*) in the Files of type list, and just leave the Encoding setting as it is.
> Now, use the Computer icon to locate your Windows installation drive. (Refer to using the bcdedit | find "osdevice" command as described above.) To continue, navigate to your user profile folder. Then, right click on the folder or folders containing the files that you want to backup and then select the Send to command. When you do, you can select your flash drive or external USB drive. When you do, your files will be safely copied.


Yes. I can see them and can appear to be able to access all my drives this way.

What I would need to copy is too large for that my flash drive. But in theory my other 2 hard drives should be fine, right?

God I should have explained this sooner. My computer has 3 hard drives. 1 is an SSD that holds mostly the OS and whatever happens to get dumped on there (occasionally this is game saves much to my annoyance). The other two are HDD. I've never had a problem with them.

EDIT: Also sorry for disappearing from this thread at times. I've been kind of busy running other errands and other stuff, working on fixing my computer when I can. I'm probably going to go to sleep for a bit as I've been up for about 24 hours now *sigh*


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

No problem quite appreciate the need to do other jobs etc
Let me read you last and then I will come back


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

When you agreed to dismount the vol -did chkdsk then run
I know you said there were lots of numbers but did you notice any indication of errors repaired

Go back please to cmd prompt on X:\Sources and copy and paste this

*sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\windows*


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

In case you are going for the sleep
after that sfc - if it runs


go back to the X:\ prompt


and try
chkdsk C: /f




see what the response is please and also please include if the SFC ran


I know you tried Safe Mode from F8
Did you try System Restore from F8 - sorry only asking that to save me re-reading the posts again - in case you are waiting to go


Also try disable driver signature enforcement - although I doubt that will get you far


Goodnight


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I have another possible fix but it is a little of - the sort that may be called - any port in a storm 
so I would not like to try it until you have tried my previous and have backups of whatever you value

In anticipation of trying this = last chance saloon can you before you are ready to try and AFTER the possibilities in my last post - boot as normal but BE READY to read that blue screen message
IS IT IN FACT THIS

*PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED*
the 1 on process is important 
If you cannot read it in time then on F8
disable restart on failure

If the flash pen is not large enough - copy to flash and then to another computer and then go back to flash and back to the other computer again

I did ask you before but do you have the windows installation dvd


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Macboatmaster said:


> When you agreed to dismount the vol -did chkdsk then run
> I know you said there were lots of numbers but did you notice any indication of errors repaired


I ran CHKDSK/r again to make sure. 
Here's the final message:


> Free space verification is complete.
> Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.
> 
> 124930047 KB total dick space.
> ...





Macboatmaster said:


> Go back please to cmd prompt on X:\Sources and copy and paste this
> *sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\windows*


Ok here are the results:


> Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
> Details are included in the CBS.Log windir\Logs\CBS\CBS.log.
> For example C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log


I tried to access the file but it said "access is denied"



Macboatmaster said:


> In case you are going for the sleep
> after that sfc - if it runs
> 
> go back to the X:\ prompt
> ...


Running that has given what appears to be the exact results posted above.



Macboatmaster said:


> I know you tried Safe Mode from F8
> Did you try System Restore from F8 - sorry only asking that to save me re-reading the posts again - in case you are waiting to go


I could try a system restore but I don't allow room for one usually and have no idea what it would roll back to if I did that.



Macboatmaster said:


> Also try disable driver signature enforcement - although I doubt that will get you far


I don't know how to do that.



Macboatmaster said:


> I have another possible fix but it is a little of - the sort that may be called - any port in a storm
> so I would not like to try it until you have tried my previous and have backups of whatever you value
> 
> In anticipation of trying this = last chance saloon can you before you are ready to try and AFTER the possibilities in my last post - boot as normal but BE READY to read that blue screen message
> ...


Yes it says "PROCESS1"

Yes, I have my windows installation dvd. Could I move the files I want to save to one of my other hard drives instead? I did that when I went from Windows 7 32-bit to 64-bit earlier this year without losing them. (EDIT: I tried copying and pasting files by opening notepad and it seemed to work, but it took forever.)

I assume you're suggesting a re-install of windows which is fine, but annoying. I've got a lot of stuff going on in my life right now so of course I'd have to do that. haha. But if that's what has to be done then I'm prepared to do it.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

No I am not suggesting a reinstall of the OS 
I was GOING to suggest a possible fix involving the bootcache file

HOWEVER I am most concerned that the chkdsk reports bad sectors on the C drive
I thought that was the SSD drive
There are 56KB of bad sectors
A sector is the same as an allocation unit
and each unit is 4KB
therefore there are 14 bad allocation units

This could account for all of your problems

If you wish to try the possible fix using notepad go to C drive Windows System32
Code Integrity open that folder and delete the bootcat.cache file

Please do ensure you are deleting the right file there will be only two one will be that and the other will be titled 
driver

Come out of notepad and try and boot again
If by chance it works and you get into windows then run the 
sfc /scannow from the admin cmd prompt in windows and check if you have any warnings in device manager

BEFORE doing this I take it you have tried Last Known Good on the F8 menu if NOT I apologise for not covering this before

LKG disable driver signature enforcement are both on the F8 menu

The easiest way of course to get your data off is to take put the SSD connect it external to another computer and copy and paste from the external to the other computers hard drive


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Macboatmaster said:


> BEFORE doing this I take it you have tried Last Known Good on the F8 menu if NOT I apologise for not covering this before
> 
> LKG disable driver signature enforcement are both on the F8 menu
> 
> The easiest way of course to get your data off is to take put the SSD connect it external to another computer and copy and paste from the external to the other computers hard drive


Tried both, neither did anything new.



Macboatmaster said:


> No I am not suggesting a reinstall of the OS
> I was GOING to suggest a possible fix involving the bootcache file
> 
> HOWEVER I am most concerned that the chkdsk reports bad sectors on the C drive
> ...


Unfortunately deleting the bootcat.cache file didn't seem to change anything either.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Well I am sorry but I am out of ideas - the corruption of the bootcat.cache is sometimes the cause of this error
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981833/

I wish you the best of luck with it


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Well thanks at least for attempting to help. It's very appreciated.

Searching around I found some more information about this issue. Apparently it could be caused by virus scanners doing wonky things. Example Which wouldn't surprise me since the whole thing started when AVG started acting weird. I was literally in the process of uninstalling it and installing Avast (what I use on my Laptop)
Apparently another culprit could be Itunes but I do not use that so I'm wondering if it's some other program or game that I had downloaded within the last month.

I'm going to try what was suggested in that thread I found and will get back to you. If that doesn't work then it seems like my only option is a full reinstall. Which is fine, but annoying.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

As I said good luck with it please do let me know how it goes


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Well. I was able to get it to boot to the desktop by transplanting the bootcat.cache file from my laptop. 

However, it was not running stable at all. If I opened a browser I would get a message like "adobe flash has stopped working" (a message I was getting when this all happened in the first place) 

When I tried to access the control panel I got a "windows explorer has stopped working." message and the screen went black but I could still see and move the mouse. I crtl+alt+del'ed and could access the task manager, but there was nothing running that looked super suspicious to me. I tried restarting it, sat at "Shutting down..." for about 5 minutes until restarting and stopping at the same blue screen but doesn't respond to any input and seemed to freeze. 

Restarting again is taking me to the Startup Repair screen only this time instead of completely failing it's asking if I want to do a system restore. I declined as I have never set a restore point. Then after a long while it failed and I was right back where I was before. I tired deleting bootcat.cache again and pasting the file there. It booted again, but it greeted me with messages a of a bunch of my start programs "has stopped working". Checking the control panel and Rinse repeat. BAH. 

Clearly there is something more wrong with my PC than just that Process1 error.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I am not surprised about the unstable running etc as of course the bootcat cache is not the correct one for your computer
You should insert your disc - providing that it has SP1 on it - if not it will not work and proceed immediately to a repair install which is in fact an upgrade install - even although you are not of course upgrading it can only be carried out from within windows
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

If the disc does not have SP1 you can try the download of 7 on the link shown on that link above.


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

I should note. It's running as stable as it was right before it was in its current state. This is not how it was running even a day before the problem started. 

I will try that. Earlier when I put my windows disc in, it seemed like it wanted to install another copy of windows instead of repair it, but I'll try again.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

It will not repair install on an OEM disc
Please see the details in the link


> •You can only do a repair install with the same edition Windows 7 installation disc for the same edition of Windows 7 that you have installed.
> •You cannot use a OEM Windows 7 "Factory" Restore/Recovery type of installation disc that came with or created from a store bought computer to do a repair install with. These can only be used do a clean install instead.


and as I said you must do it from within Windows not by booting from the disc


You can only do a repair install from *within Windows 7*.

A system file check will do no harm


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## D_W_ (Nov 2, 2014)

Sorry that I haven't responded in a couple days. It turns out that none of the solutions could fix the issue and I decided to do a fresh install of windows. It'll take me a couple of days to get things back in order, hopefully the problem won't persist.

Thank you all for your help. I'll be sure to be back to this forum if/when I have future computer problems.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Cheers
Sorry it did not work out for you
Good luck with it


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