# Startup Repair Loop and Safe Mode



## worksmartnow (Apr 12, 2011)

I am attempting to trouble shoot a Dell Inspiron laptop that runs windows 7 that will not boot up. Here are the symptons:

- Turn on laptop and get black screen for a minute or two
- Then gray text appears stating windows loading files with progress bar at the bottom (so far so good)
- Then the normal blueish/greenish background appears.
- At this point I am expecting the login prompt to appear but it doesn't. 
- Screen stays like this forever, and then a Startup Repair window appears with progress bar "Attempting repairs..."
- This takes several minutes, but just fails.
- I get a prompt finish / exit and accept it, and then the process starts all over again in a vicious cycle.

I've tried booting into safe mode (pressing F8 a zillion times) on startup but it just ignores it.

Any ideas on how to fix?


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## parttimetechie (Jun 19, 2009)

Slave your drive to some computer you can back up the data, then reinstall windows. If you don't have the disks, use the recovery partition.


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## OVERLORDCHAOS (Apr 8, 2011)

when tryng to boot to windows 7, press insanely fast F8, or when the bios screen dissapears press and hold it.
if it does not boot, after the repairs are done (if you can) press the X of the window instead of giving ok or whatever.
try to do a system restore if you can access the repair menu.
if you have a dvd setup, boot from it and try to do those steps.
if all fails, while the insane repairs are happening, press shift + F10. a cmd window will appear.
put this command:
chkdsk C: /F /R /X
(if the windows disk or partition its C: if it is D E F etc change it for that)
if you get to the window where you can choose the driver for your hard disk when its making the detection (does not look like that) but if you manage it to, (or better with other software delete the system reserved partition so it cannot find the boot path) choose to find the driver.
from the pop-up in my places bar choose my computer.
from there choose your disk.
(before boot remember to insert a usb drive, flash drive, pendrive etc) put this where the name of the file you want to open (the driver in this case) :
*.*
you will see all the folders and files.
just copy and paste your documents. if you have more documents and does not fit in the usb drive, fill it up, copy and paste on (if you have or have access a secure pc not public as a cyber coffe, etc) the other computer and redo this steps untill all your documents are saved.
if once you are TOTALLY sure, delete all the partitions and re install windows 7.
here some screenshots since may be difficult i know:
(since its a virtual pc and i dont have a virtual hard disk, i will use boot the disk that the setup creates as if it where a real hard disk and some files and folders where my documents to show you and the A: disk where your usb flash disk whould be located with other drive letter) :
















































hope this helps.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

worksmartnow said:


> I am attempting to trouble shoot a Dell Inspiron laptop that runs windows 7 that will not boot up. Here are the symptons:
> 
> - Turn on laptop and get black screen for a minute or two
> - Then gray text appears stating windows loading files with progress bar at the bottom (so far so good)
> ...


Try F11 at startup to see if you get anything.

If you want to recover files, you could boot up with a live CD and transfer files. (You can't "slave" a drive unless it is an older IDE drive since SATA does not have master/slave arrangements and drives do not share cables. In any case, it would make no difference if it were a master or slave for recovery.)


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