GB HOMEPAGE

Start Up

Posted By: Geo

Start Up - 04/06/18 01:53 AM

A problem has came up in the past week. I am having trouble starting my Win-7 computer. I click it on and start-up seems to be going ok but it will not continue from the black screen to loading the desktop screen which is the last thing to happen. I have checked the start up programs (msconfig) and nothing seems odd. There are no noises or anything that would seem unusual from the hard drive.I have to re-try starting several times before it will finally go to the final desktop screen. I have tried restarting it by the on button which goes to shut down so I can start again, and reset which re-boots without shutting down. It takes several tries before it will actually start either way. I have run virus and malware scans and also Super-antispyware scans. They find nothing and don't help the problem. Any ideas?
Posted By: Jenny100

Re: Start Up - 04/06/18 02:34 AM

It sounds like your computer's power supply is starting to fail. One of the symptoms of a power supply that's beginning to fail is that the computer will often start up once it's warmed up enough. You can either let it sit there running at a black screen for a while before rebooting, or keep restarting it repeatedly, and eventually it will start. But doing that is a PITA and eventually won't be enough.

You can also try unplugging any USB drives you have attached to the computer before attempting to start it. That may help a marginal power supply start. But it's best to just replace the power supply. Be sure to get a new power supply that has enough wattage to support your video card and any USB peripherals -- and that has the connectors you need for hard drive, DVD drive, graphics card (if your graphics card has a connector for a power plug on it).

Just be glad it's not a real virus. It's easier to replace the power supply than clean out a stubborn virus and/or have to reinstall Windows and all its drivers and updates.
Posted By: Geo

Re: Start Up - 04/06/18 02:54 AM

This is a fairly new power supply and plenty big enough (650w). You may remember not long ago I wrote about the hard drive clicking and the new power supply fixed that. It is not even a year old.
Posted By: Draclvr

Re: Start Up - 04/06/18 04:12 AM

I was also going to say a failing power supply. Even if it's new, that doesn't mean something isn't amiss. I keep a power supply tester around for such things, but if you don't have one, you might need to find a repair shop to check it.
Posted By: Geo

Re: Start Up - 04/07/18 12:55 PM

I wonder if that subtle monitor flicker I talked about in another post could be caused by that also?
Posted By: Creeping_Doom

Re: Start Up - 04/07/18 02:17 PM

Here is something you may try before replacing any physical hardware . I am curious though , how long has this been happening , & , have you installed any Windows updates prior to experiencing this problem ? Go to Start , All Programs , Windows Update , View Update History (third one down) , & look for the following updates : Update KB2607712, Update KB976098 and Update KB915597 . These particular updates have been rather well known , despite claims from MS to the contrary ,to cause the issue you are experiencing . If you find these updates , uninstall them , then reboot , see what happens . Also , you can speed up your boot time by going to msconfig , click the "boot" tab , then click on "advanced options" . From there , you check "number of processors" , then you can select the max number from the drop-down menu (example : if you have a quad core cpu , select "4") . Click ok , the apply , then ok again , & reboot . That little fix may take a time or two , to take effect . On a side note , there is ZERO harm in running a check on your psu , as has been suggested. Other than a local facility , a decent psu checking tool should cost about $20-$30 from Newegg , Tiger Direct , or a local store , such as Microcenter . When using a psu checker , pay closer attention to the +5 volt rail , as that rail is the main rail used to power your hdd during startup .
Posted By: oldbroad

Re: Start Up - 04/07/18 03:49 PM

My Dell Windows 7 had this same start up problem. I wonder if any of those updates may have been to blame. I never did take it in for repair. I still want to though. I just never found a computer shop around me that I'm comfortable with. Time to start looking again though.
Posted By: Geo

Re: Start Up - 04/07/18 04:18 PM

I have a high quality Fluke meter so I am sure it can do the same checks as a PS tester. Creeping-Doom this computer has worked perfect for years so I don't think those suggestions like check cpu cores used would apply to me. This is a recent problem. I tried the update program but only got a the MS spinning circle and could only get out of it with Cntl-alt-del. I don't know, is there a real long wait for that program? Doesn't seem like it should take long if it is only a list. I also ran a check-disk and it found nothing.
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