Functional GPU preventing windows from booting.

[Timhawk33]

This weekend I was mid game (ESO) and my pc crashed hard (screen showed a static, randomly colored screen while a solid tone blared through the speakers. I took a second to try to alt-tab out or ctrl/alt/delete (probably 10 seconds total) before I killed the power by holding the power button on my case. After turning the pc back on, it failed to boot into windows and brought up the installation repair screen, (which I ignored). First, I started to check out the hardware. I was able to swap pieces out with my wife’s working pc and eliminated the SDD, RAM, CPU, PSU, and was fairly certain it wasn’t the mobo. Finally I tried swapping out the GPU and that actually allowed my pc to boot into windows. So as it stands at the moment: the GPU, while seemingly functional (it is able to correctly output to the monitor), is preventing windows from booting.

PC CPU: FX-8350 standard clock with Hyper 212 evo set up with 2 fans for push-pull
MOBO: Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0
RAM: Kingston Hyper-X 2x 8gb sticks (16 gb total)
PSU: Corsair CX500
GPU: XFX Radeon HD-7870
SSD: ADATA (4 years old)

 

[FnaticMeister]

This weekend I was mid game (ESO) and my pc crashed hard (screen showed a static, randomly colored screen while a solid tone blared through the speakers. I took a second to try to alt-tab out or ctrl/alt/delete (probably 10 seconds total) before I killed the power by holding the power button on my case. After turning the pc back on, it failed to boot into windows and brought up the installation repair screen, (which I ignored). First, I started to check out the hardware. I was able to swap pieces out with my wife’s working pc and eliminated the SDD, RAM, CPU, PSU, and was fairly certain it wasn’t the mobo. Finally I tried swapping out the GPU and that actually allowed my pc to boot into windows. So as it stands at the moment: the GPU, while seemingly functional (it is able to correctly output to the monitor), is preventing windows from booting.

PC CPU: FX-8350 standard clock with Hyper 212 evo set up with 2 fans for push-pull
MOBO: Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0
RAM: Kingston Hyper-X 2x 8gb sticks (16 gb total)
PSU: Corsair CX500
GPU: XFX Radeon HD-7870
SSD: ADATA (4 years old)

Sounds like you might've short circuited the graphics card when you force shut down your computer. Can you still boot into the BIOS with the HD-7870? Thanks!

 

[Timhawk33]

Sounds like you might've short circuited the graphics card when you force shut down your computer. Can you still boot into the BIOS with the HD-7870? Thanks!

Yes, I can still boot into the BIOS with the 7870. Just to clarify, it attempts to boot windows with the 7870 but fails to do so and eventually brings up the "failed to start windows" where it gives options to repair/reinstall the OS.

Also creates same issue (failed windows boot) when swapped into working pc.

 

[DRagor]

while seemingly functional (it is able to correctly output to the monitor), is preventing windows from booting.

Seemingly functional does not equal to fully functional. Certain damaged cards can still do display output, but would fail after drivers are loaded.
Second possibility, GPU drivers could be corrupted during crash. Try booting into safe mode, uninstall GPU drivers, then boot to normal mode and try to install them again. If that fails, try your GPU in another comp. EDIT: so you did it already - bad news for a card I'm afraid.