Windows 7 Install freezes on Asus Laptop

[lolcatLAZER]

Okay here's the deal;

I have an Asus X54H laptop. Windows 7, 4gb ram, ect. 100% stock parts. Used it for about 3 months and suddenly one day it says it needs to run start up repair. It runs, but doesn't find anything, and windows 7 won't start, so it became stuck in that loop, permanently. Turn on, run start up repair, can't find anything, restart, repeat.

I didn't have anything important saved on the laptop, so I decided to reinstall Windows 7 with a disk I'd used on another laptop.

I formatted the partition for the OS and started installation, at which it stopped on the last step before starting windows, the 3 dots were moving as if it was still running but it sat there for about 2 hours so I turned it off.

Formatted the partition again, started installation, this time it actually froze on the 2nd step.

Formatted, started installation, this time it made it all the way through but froze on "Starting windows" with the pulsating windows logo, which wasn't moving.



I thought it might be having a problem with the ram but this notebook only has one 4gb chip, and I don't have anything else to try in it.

What should I do next? Format the whole drive including drivers and everything and try again, or buy new ram and see if that works?

 

[Guest]

I would check the hard drive first.
Download hiren's boot cd V10
http://www.hirensbootcd.org/hbcd-v100/

burn it on a cd and boot with it, then go to hard disk tools -> HDD regerator.
It will analize and repair your disk if needed/possible.

You can also switch the memory to the other slot and make sure it's placed right.

 

[lolcatLAZER]

There's one slot for memory on this laptop (weird) but I will check the disk. That was actually my first inclination but after windows was partially installing and stuff it seemed okay. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Guest]

Good. Report results later.

 

[RetiredChief]

Asus Support page - NOT sure info is correct.
One Line reflects memory slot is for Video memory
Another line reflects slot is to increase memory up to 4 Gigs - WOW, only 4 Gigs.

Laptops do 2 things for Memory upgrade. They will:
1) Place one slot on MB that Can NOT be changed, then 1 -> 3 slots for User upgrade. OR
2) all Slots (1-> 4) so that ALL memory can be swapped out.
NOTE: to Run DDR3 (or DDR2) in dual channel mode, desired mode) requires TWO memory modules, therefor 1 or 2 should apply.
Only ONE memory module for a DDR2/DDR3 system means memory will run in the SLOWER single channel Mode.
VERY few Laptops allow for Increasing DEdicated Video ram!
Recommend, when you get up and running download CPU-z click on memory tap and look at system memory.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Getting back to your HDD. Alternate Utility, Ultimate Boot CD.
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
(This fixed someones HDD yesterday)
Alternative is to Go to HDD manuf support website and down load their Disk Utilities.
Note: above is incase hiren's boot CD does not solve problem.

PS - WOW, Asus may have one of the more reliable laptops, thier Documentation sucks!! (at Least in your case). And I will bet their Phone/chat support is NO better than others, Which is useless except for questions that are SIMPLE.

 

[lolcatLAZER]

Finally getting around to running the Regenerator on Hiren's boot CD. The progress bar is only at .76% currently and there have been 14 bad sectors found and repaired so far. Hopefully this solves the problem (looks like it), but I'll update this post with results after it's done.

 

[lolcatLAZER]

It got to like 3% and had something like 200 bad sectors found and repaired and then said "HARD DRIVE NOT READY!" ect ect, and has done that a couple times now. I think I'm just going to replace the harddrive.

 

[RetiredChief]

Yea, Sounds like that HDD has bought the farm, and then lost it.

Note: If the HDD is only three Months old should not have gone bad.
Might want to switch brands, posibly a WD HDD.

 

[Guest]

It got to like 3% and had something like 200 bad sectors found and repaired and then said "HARD DRIVE NOT READY!" ect ect, and has done that a couple times now. I think I'm just going to replace the harddrive.

Yep, that's what HDD regenerator says when a disk is so damaged it can't even read it anymore "disk not ready error". You 100% need a new hard disk.
If that one is not even a year old it may be still on warranty, send it to RMA and get a replace if you can.