What to do when your PC will not start/boot Windows, and steps to take now to protect your valuable software and data from a Windows system crash.
It's happened to all of us, we're working merrily along on our computers when all of a sudden everything freezes up. Now what? A virus? Malware? A damaged Windows System file? A power surge? A driver conflict? The computer ran out of memory?
At this point it is impossible to figure out what caused your computer to lock up as it is not functioning. What you have to do is get Windows working again. (Note: One of the first things you should do when you get Windows working again is to run a full featured antivirus program like Panda AntiVirus Pro to ensure there is no malware on your computer causing your booting problems.)
1. The first step you should take when Windows crashes/freezes is to reboot your computer.
The rebooting methods from least harmful to most harmful to your system follow.
A. The soft boot method. Press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time; keep holding these keys and press them down a second time. After you wait a second or two the computer should reboot --- if it is still responding to the keyboard.
This is the best method for restarting a computer because it allows Windows to perform an orderly shutdown and restart and usually does not damage your Windows Registry or other software. You may still lose unsaved data, such as Word files depending on what locked up your computer in the first place.
(Before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below.)
B. The power button shutdown method. The power button method is very straight forward, but immediately shuts your computer off and can result in damage to Windows and other running software. Push down on your computers "power on button" and hold it down until your computer turns off. Wait a few seconds and then press the power on button to restart your computer (however before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below ).
This method can damage Windows files and will cause you to lose any unsaved work you open when the lockup occurred. However, it will keep power surges and other nasty things from damaging your computer and will usually result in a recoverable Windows restart.
C. The kill the power method. This is the least desirable method as it is the most likely to damage your computer's hardware or software. However, if you are careful in how you do it, you can reduce damage to Windows and your computer's hard drive.
Before turning the power off to your computer, make sure the hard drive's access light is not blinking. If you do not know which light that is, just make sure none of the computer's indicator lights are blinking before you disconnect the power. It never hurts to wait a couple of minutes to give the computer's hard drive a chance to finish what it is doing, namely writing to its hard disk.
The best way to turn off the power on a desktop is to use the power supply's "on/off switch" which is next to the power plug on the back of the computer. Turn the power off, wait a few seconds and turn the computer back on (however before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below).
If you have a laptop, notebook, or netbook you will have to first unplug your computer from any power source and then remove its battery. As this usually involves turning your laptop, notebook, or netbook upside down, you obviously have to make sure there is no hard drive access before doing so.
Again if you are uncertain as to which indicator light is the hard drive access light, just wait a few minutes and make sure none of the lights are blinking before you turn your device over and remove its battery.
Once your computer has turned off, plug it back into the power supply, and turn it back on (however before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below)--- do not reinstall your battery at this time unless you have no other choice, as you will have to remove it again if your computer locks up.
2. The second step is to turn the computer back on and boot up the Windows Advanced Boot Options.
As soon as you see your computer rebooting start lightly tapping the "F8" key located on the top row of your keyboard. This will bring up the Windows Advanced Boot Options screen.
In Windows 7 you will see the following options on the Windows Advanced Boot Options Screen: (Bolded items are the ones we will discuss.)
Repair Your Computer
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe mode with command prompt
Enable boot logging
Enable low resolution video (640 × 480)
Last Known Good Configuration (advanced)
Directory services restore mode
Debugging mode
Disable automatic restart on system failure
Disable Driver Signature Enforcement
Start Windows normally
My recommendations for using the options on this screen start at the quickest and most reliable method, and progress to the more technically involved and the greater likelihood that you will have to reload software or drivers. (Note: To select different options on this screen requires that you restart your computer and boot into the Windows Advanced Boot Options screen by tapping the F8 key during startup.)
Yours joshua msangi jr
It's happened to all of us, we're working merrily along on our computers when all of a sudden everything freezes up. Now what? A virus? Malware? A damaged Windows System file? A power surge? A driver conflict? The computer ran out of memory?
At this point it is impossible to figure out what caused your computer to lock up as it is not functioning. What you have to do is get Windows working again. (Note: One of the first things you should do when you get Windows working again is to run a full featured antivirus program like Panda AntiVirus Pro to ensure there is no malware on your computer causing your booting problems.)
1. The first step you should take when Windows crashes/freezes is to reboot your computer.
The rebooting methods from least harmful to most harmful to your system follow.
A. The soft boot method. Press the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time; keep holding these keys and press them down a second time. After you wait a second or two the computer should reboot --- if it is still responding to the keyboard.
This is the best method for restarting a computer because it allows Windows to perform an orderly shutdown and restart and usually does not damage your Windows Registry or other software. You may still lose unsaved data, such as Word files depending on what locked up your computer in the first place.
(Before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below.)
B. The power button shutdown method. The power button method is very straight forward, but immediately shuts your computer off and can result in damage to Windows and other running software. Push down on your computers "power on button" and hold it down until your computer turns off. Wait a few seconds and then press the power on button to restart your computer (however before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below ).
This method can damage Windows files and will cause you to lose any unsaved work you open when the lockup occurred. However, it will keep power surges and other nasty things from damaging your computer and will usually result in a recoverable Windows restart.
C. The kill the power method. This is the least desirable method as it is the most likely to damage your computer's hardware or software. However, if you are careful in how you do it, you can reduce damage to Windows and your computer's hard drive.
Before turning the power off to your computer, make sure the hard drive's access light is not blinking. If you do not know which light that is, just make sure none of the computer's indicator lights are blinking before you disconnect the power. It never hurts to wait a couple of minutes to give the computer's hard drive a chance to finish what it is doing, namely writing to its hard disk.
The best way to turn off the power on a desktop is to use the power supply's "on/off switch" which is next to the power plug on the back of the computer. Turn the power off, wait a few seconds and turn the computer back on (however before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below).
If you have a laptop, notebook, or netbook you will have to first unplug your computer from any power source and then remove its battery. As this usually involves turning your laptop, notebook, or netbook upside down, you obviously have to make sure there is no hard drive access before doing so.
Again if you are uncertain as to which indicator light is the hard drive access light, just wait a few minutes and make sure none of the lights are blinking before you turn your device over and remove its battery.
Once your computer has turned off, plug it back into the power supply, and turn it back on (however before turning your computer back on see the Second Step below)--- do not reinstall your battery at this time unless you have no other choice, as you will have to remove it again if your computer locks up.
2. The second step is to turn the computer back on and boot up the Windows Advanced Boot Options.
As soon as you see your computer rebooting start lightly tapping the "F8" key located on the top row of your keyboard. This will bring up the Windows Advanced Boot Options screen.
In Windows 7 you will see the following options on the Windows Advanced Boot Options Screen: (Bolded items are the ones we will discuss.)
Repair Your Computer
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe mode with command prompt
Enable boot logging
Enable low resolution video (640 × 480)
Last Known Good Configuration (advanced)
Directory services restore mode
Debugging mode
Disable automatic restart on system failure
Disable Driver Signature Enforcement
Start Windows normally
My recommendations for using the options on this screen start at the quickest and most reliable method, and progress to the more technically involved and the greater likelihood that you will have to reload software or drivers. (Note: To select different options on this screen requires that you restart your computer and boot into the Windows Advanced Boot Options screen by tapping the F8 key during startup.)
Yours joshua msangi jr
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