Computer Does Not Boot to Microsoft Windows 7



Step 1. Verify the Computer Finishes Initial Power-Up (POST)
In many cases a computer will not attempt to hand off control to the operating system. If you power the computer on and you see a Dell logo screen with a bar at the bottom, and that bar fills up completely and disappears, then your computer has successfully completed POST.


Step 2. Check for Specific Error Messages
Capture the specific error code and search at Google, Microsoft or this website try searching for additional solutions on the Web.

Step 3. Run a Computer Diagnostic
To determine if your computer is experiencing a hardware problem, run the Diagnostics.
Everest Home Edition, complete system diagnostics software
Seagate Hard disk tools, hard disk diagnostics tools
Western Digital Hard disk tools, hard disk diagnostics tools


Step 4. Boot the Computer into Safe Mode
Try booting the system into Safe Mode to isolate the issue to be either Hardware   or Software related
  • Start the computer. 
  • Tap <F8> on the keyboard immediately after the manufacturer logo screen disappears until you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu on the screen.(If the Windows Advanced Options Menu does not appear, restart the system and try again.)
  • Select Safe mode and press <Enter>. 
  • Log on as the administrator or as a user with administrative access.



Step 5. Check for Recent Changes
If you are able to successfully boot to Safe Mode, check your computer to see if any new software or hardware was recently installed. If so, try uninstalling those programs or hardware from your computer.

Step 6. Unplug All External Devices
A piece of hardware may be interfering with the normal boot process of Windows. Try unplugging all devices from your computer, including: 
  • Printers
  • Scanners
  • Media Card Readers
  • Small Media cradles (iPod, PDA, MP3 player, etc.)
  • Digital Cameras and Video Recorders
  • USB storage devices
  • CDs or DVDs from all optical drives
The only devices you should leave attached to your computer are your monitor, mouse and keyboard, if the computer is a desktop

Step 7. Use Startup Repair to Restore Critical Windows Files
Startup Repair is a Windows 7 recovery tool that can fix certain problems, such as missing or damaged system files, that might prevent Windows from starting correctly. When you run Startup Repair, it scans your computer for the problem and then tries to fix it so your computer can start correctly. 

To learn more about using Startup Repair to restore critical Windows files, click the link below: 

Step 8. Use System Restore to Revert to a Previous State
Follow the link to Restore the system to last know good point

Step 9. Use Clean-Boot Troubleshooting to Isolate the Software Issue
A program or application may be interfering with the normal boot process of Windows. Microsoft has created a detailed process for isolating a startup program that is causing Windows to not boot correctly. Click the link below to being the troubleshooting process: 

Step 10. Reinstall the Operating System
If clean boot troubleshooting cannot identify the issue, it may be necessary to restore your computer to original settings (Operating System Reinstallation).

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