Replies

A drive being read-only has nothing to do with being locked. For example, when you run chkdsk, it will lock the drive so it has exclusive access to it. Apparently, you have some other software that is running on your system that is doing the same thing – locking the drive for exclusive access.

Do you have BIT Locker installed? Some OEMs do this

Thanks Geek,
I tried the “here’s how”. I got to the Advanced tab, but I did not see “Internet Connection Firewall,” so could not “select one of the following“:

The other posts I have not tried yet.

to:
Woody Leonhard

I did follow the article, (A cheap, effective home server — using Windows 8) but could not find the link to purchase the W8 pro upgrade for $40 bucks.
I would like to try it. I have WHS and I don’t care what any one else says, it’s about the worst piece if crap MS ever put out.
Just try to get it back after a drive failure, back ups don’t work, can’t rename it to be part of my own local work group. I could go on.
So I will try using W8. Where do I get it?
All that is needed it to be able to back up and share the many files on all the home computers.

Thanks
Harv

HarvM,

I think you should start a new topic, about your issue, in the Windows 7 forum. It’s the best way to ensure a fast response to your specific issue.

Just what I was thinking
follow the new post in Windows 7 forum . search tags Hangs, fix boot

I will try that.

	TOP STORY Win7’s no-reformat, nondestructive reinstall
	By Fred Langa You deleted a file yesterday; now you really need it back. Your Windows recycle bin is empty — what now? Your next-best option is the Restore Previous Versions tool — a truly great, automatic data-protection feature buried in Win7.

---

The full text of this column is posted at windowssecrets.com/top-story/win7s-no-reformat-nondestructive-reinstall/ (paid content, opens in a new window/tab).

Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.[/td]

[/tr][/tbl]

Fred:
If there is an answer to this I’m sure you have it.
I have used the “no reformat repair install” It didn’t work for me. W7 hangs at the pulsating windows splash screen. It is a new install, dual booting with XPP.
If I choose to go to XP at the first boot menu, I can go there and it works just fine. ( so I think it is not a hardware problem)
If I choose the default W7 ( and it did work for the first week) , Now I can’t get past the splash screen. If left for some time an error message appears telling there is a hardware problem. The problem started after the computer was left running over night and it shut down on its own.
Your help is much appreciated.

Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Up until a week or so ago I had no problems with booting my system, but I rarely have occasion to reboot. Usually only after some driver updates but I’ve done none of those in awhile. Last week after I downloaded and installed the monthly Windows updates, the boot process would get to the initial GUI screen with the throbbing Windows logo and stall. The hard drive activity light is solid. I can leave it in that condition for up to a half hour and it never finishes booting. I’ve booted to the recovery screen and run all the repair options, and although it shows one problem, the actual problem varies from try to try and doesn’t seem to be relevant. I’ve opened a command prompt from the repair options screen and run sfc /scannow and it doesn’t find any problems. I can usually get to safe mode with command prompt via the F8 boot menu and again run sfc and chkdsk /r and still no problems found. Some times a restore to a previous restore point will allow Windows to boot, but the next reboot will hang.

Today I updated the nVidia driver to the latest as I always suspect the video driver when Windows has booting problems, took a restore point, and rebooted. Still hangs at the same place. I tried doing a system restore to the newly created restore point but it still hangs. Then I booted to safe mode with command prompt, ran sfc to check and again no problems found. I then did a normal start boot and Windows loaded and showed the completion screen for the restore.

There were a lot of different attempts to resolve this over the past week but none that worked consistently. Sometimes doing a system restore works and the system will start normally. Other times booting to safe mode with command prompt, the restarting works, but rarely the same procedure works twice in a row. Is it possible my 1TB hard drive is failing? The S.M.A.R.T. data doesn’t show any problems but the drive has over 23,000 hours of run time. And a chkdsk /f finds no bad sectors or data.

I know if I do a restart it will hang again, so I’m not going to do that until I can get to the bottom of this. Anyone have any ideas?

I have the same problem. Except I have on board video. Note that the computer runs just fine when booting to a different OS or even a live CD. Nothing was changed or added from the time W7 was booting and then stopped booting.

It all begins here with my XPP system and installing W7 for a dual boot setup.
I Installed New 1 TB hard drive.
3 Partitions
1) XPP , 2) W7, 3) data

System can boot to W7 Menu. I can choose W7 default or “other”
Other takes me to the original XP menu.
XP starts as runs just fine.
I can also boot live CDs to other OSs,
W7 was working great for about a week.
The computer was left on and it shut it self down.
From this point it is not possible to get past the splash screen. W7 hangs and the windows logo seems to “pulse”
I have tried all of the restore, safe mode, repair “tricks” I can find. None work.
Looking for a solution
HarvM

I have the same problem. Exactly as Tinto Tech. Note that the computer runs just fine when booting to a different OS or even a live CD. Nothing was changed or added from the time W7 was booting and then stopped booting.

It all begins here with my XPP system and installing W7 for a dual boot setup.
I Installed New 1 TB hard drive.
3 Partitions
1) XPP , 2) W7, 3) data

System can boot to W7 Menu. I can choose W7 default or “other”
Other takes me to the original XP menu.
XP starts as runs just fine.
I can also boot live CDs to other OSs,
W7 was working great for about a week.
The computer was left on and it shut it self down.
From this point it is not possible to get past the splash screen. W7 hangs and the windows logo seems to “pulse”
I have tried all of the restore, safe mode, repair “tricks” I can find. None work.
Looking for a solution
HarvM

I assume you have a ligit copy of XP. SO, Try calling MS Activation Centre 888 571 2048
Let us all know how you make out

Thanks RetiredGeek:
I believe you are correct, as I have tried that myself. I really do not want to buy more software, so will need to live with it.
Also I just may try to print on another printer. I’ll let you know.
Harv

Mike, Listen to Zeddy

I hope I am in the right place. I recently recorded my son’s choir concert using a Panasonic VDR-D50 DVD Video Camera and the camera came with VideoCam Suite 1.0 for the editing software. For the life of me, I cannot get the recordings copied to my hard drive in a format that can be shared with our family via email, Facebook, etc. They are saved in a .VOB format and I cannot change it. I tried playing the concert on the TV and recording it onto a new DVD, but that didn’t work either. I tried using the Windows Movie Maker, but each recording is cut to only about one minute.

Am I totally missing something? Is there a free, easy program that I can use to solve this problem?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
-Troy

I am using Pinnacle Studio (for many years now) You will capture your video,- from the camera to -AVI file, Edit, and burn to, File, Disk, etc
Harv

I too have reinstalled many times on many XP computers, with no problem, I have no intention to move up, (W7 etc) as software on the 11 computers I have may not work on a new OS.

I know I can colour the cell backgrounds, but then the colour cannot be shaded dark to light

Thanks for the reply, but,
Already tried that, problem still exists