Windows 7 only boots in safe mode - otherwise EXTREMELY slow

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turboknee

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Dec 5, 2011
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Athlon II x3 4553.3 ghz - unlocked and running at 3.58 ghz (set at 1.5v)
Asus m5a97 am3+
8 gb Kingston HyperX
Maxtor 300gb HDD
HD 6770 1 gb
Windows 7 Ultimate

I played Skyrim for like 8 hours last night and finally went to sleep at like 7am (lol). I left the computer on and it went into sleep mode. I came back to it at about 4pm today and it woke up but was EXTREMELY slow. Simple menu popups and windows took FOREVER to open. I rebooted and boots fine to password screen.

After that windows now won't even load or may just take several minutes to load which I haven't waited for given there's an obvious problem. I rebooted and went to safe mode and everything works fine there. I have updates disabled so Windows is clean with no updates. It seems like a HDD issue but I can use HDD fine in safe mode and doesn't seem to have any issues. I tried to disable the 4th core in UEFI Bios and it still reads as a Phenom x4 B55 but not sure this is even the issue as it ran fine for a couple weeks. I ran CPU stress test a week ago with no errors. Temps seem fine at 29c on idle and 51c max running Skyrim

PLEASE HELP. I just built this computer and I'm losing my mind. Thanks in advance.
 
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What happens if you return the CPU speed to stock?

With it a recent build, double check all your cable connections (unplug and plug back in). Maybe somthing is working loose?

Try it with only one stick of ram at a time, maybe a bad stick?
 
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Ok I'll try all that. Maybe loose connection is right. I tried to scrub some white paint off the top of the case and realized I was shaking the thing a bit. Hopefully not a coincidence. So not a HDD issue then? Thats my biggest worry.
 
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Is Skyrim or Windows pirated/downloaded? Sounds like you have a virus on your machine. (if you just downloaded and installed skyrim and then played it for 8hrs for the first time, thats probably your issue.) Go into safe mode and start running the usual stuff to clean up an infected machine. (AVG and avast are some free Antivirus scanners, trend micron has a good online scanner. I like to also use hijackthis but you need to know what you're doing.) Once its clean you need to update windows. Those updates make it harder for you machine to get infected.
 
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Yes and yes BUT I have had both running fine for weeks and have a legit copy of Webroot which hasn't found any virus. I am level 23 on Skyrim been playing for over a week and where I get my files is a private site with clean installs. But i'll try running virus scan in safe mode if the Ram stick thing doesn't work.
 
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OK connections are fine. And virus seems unlikely as Safe Mode works but not Safe mode w/ networking. I noticed the DRAM LED light on the mobo turns red. So I want to check the Ram but will 2 dual channel chips run by themselves? Or do I already know that RAM is bad if led goes red?
 
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Many times the light just turns on when there are sticks in there. Check your manual to see. The fact that it doesn't work with networking on either points to an issue with network, or the virus is getting a connection and is doing what it was programmed to do. It might be lying dormant in normal safe mode because there is no net.
 
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Update: Ok checked RAM and removing either stick does nothing to help. The LED just flashes red once and turns off and has to be lit continuously for there to be a prob. I am now getting this problem during normal safe mode. Certain programs hang for a long time before functioning. I ran Webroot anti-virus and only threat was some spamware from a cd label program i got from CNET (go figure).

This is seeming more and more like a Hardware problem. HDD allows me to copy files to USB in safe mode. Could it be just barely working? I eben remember the Fry's tech saying it sounded funny when he was installing my mobo/cpu/ram for me. I kept my old HDD to save $$.

I am dying here. I just spent over $400 on this upgrade and I am stumped. Is there a good HDD diagnostic i can run in safe mode that'll tell me?
 
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Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) has many programs you can use to check your hdd.

I'd also try an AV that wasn't installed when a virus might have hit. Some can get around AVs if they know which are installed.

Edit: or you have one that webroot don't know.
 
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I found this on the Microsoft Support page:

You could do this to fix your problem:
- Boot into Safe Mode
- Click Start
- Type the word msconfig into the Search box and press Enter
- Untick every tick mark under the Startup tab.
- Click the Services tab, then tick the box that hides the Microsoft services.
- Untick every remaining tick mark.
- Physically disconnect the machine from the Internet.
- Reboot in Normal Mode.
- If this fixes the problem, restore the tick marks in groups of 8 until you find the culprit, then leave it unticked.

Worked for me.
 
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Ok so I'm bumping this as I fixed the issue (so i thought) by reinstalling the same windows, activating, and successfully updated windows 7 completely. I enjoyed it for 3 weeks and pop it just happened again while playing Skyrim (i'm addicted lol). Computer began to run VERY slowly. Skyrim was running fine but when i alt-tab'd to look at a website it starting to hang on everything for several minutes. I tried to reboot and ultimately had to to just power down. I restarted and Windows hangs after I type in password. Even the password screen lags - shutdown menu won't pop up for several minutes.

I ran webroot in safe mode (safe mode boots and tends to work ok although i did notice some lag issues at times there too) - webroot found nothing. Ran SeaTools tests on HDD and passed.

I also tried uninstalling display drivers fearing some issue w/ my HD 6770 and no dice. I have BIOS set to default with no cores unlocked. So I'm stumped. I'm looking to find another copy of Windows 7 on craigslist although I'm worried it's not an issue with Windows at all as this all happens before windows even runs startup. This is very strange and EXTREMELY frustrating...so if anyone can help you'd save my life (so to speak :) )


P.S. I just let it run Startup repair and it was working for like the last 15 mins and finally finished stating it could not repair the problem - 'Bad Driver' Localed ID = 1033 - any ideas what this means?
 
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update #2 - I ran startup repair from Windows 7 and at first said it repaired but then I can't even get into logon screen - it just freezes completely with Windows logo animation comes up prior to the logon screen. I tried it again and it said 'NoOSinstalled'...however...Safemode still works. This is completely NUTS
 
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To rule something out - could this be a result of a virus or the pirated windows? I can find a budget copy of Windows but I'd rather be sure before I spend more $$ I don't have.

Also should I try to send anybody my minidump files for review?
 
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I uninstalled both my display and wireless pci net card and still can't boot to normal windows. I also did what luckie300 said earlier and disabled all startup programs save microsoft and no dice
 
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It is possible that a virus is causing the porblem. What anti-virus software are you using? Use a good virus scanner: you may try these http://www.kaspersky.com/virus-removal-tools
If you can't do scanning, try format your HDD. I mean entire HDD, viruses may hide anywhere even in photos. (copy your savegames and important documents on a pendrive and scan them for viruses)
As for pirate OS, I don't know but it's possible. Is your Windows flagged as a pirate version? Is there information on your desktop saying your Windows is unoriginal?

 
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Nope it's activated and everything - I can do updates with no problems. Is webroot not good? And nobody else on my private torrent site is having this issue with their copy of the same windows. I just reinstalled it again and it's working fine now. I ran webroot immediately after installing Win7 and comes up clean. I lowered Cpu voltage from 1.5 to 1.3 and I'm keeping it as a 3 core without unlocking. I am also going to monitor my GPU temp while gaming to see if there's any issues there as well.
 
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Not sure if it will help, but just solved a very similar problem with safe mode ok and VERY slow normal mode (20 min to see icons on desktop). System was vista home prem 64 and solution ended up being "remove webroot". The only reason I tried it was that when modules were scrolling in safe mode, there was a considerable lag when the wr???.sys file loaded. (sorry not sure of the letters - didn't document it). Since I was ready to reload Vista anyway, booted to safe mode and removed webroot. System is now back to normal speed... Will probably be contacting webroot tech support Mon to figure out what went wrong...
 
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It may sound ridiculous but make sure the date and time on your desktop are correct (double check the year). I'm serious. If they aren't it means your motherboard battery is dead and you must replace it.
 
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Very helpful...thanks!! :)
 
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I've SOLVED IT.

I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM

Its The sercurity.the other day i went out with my computer left on and the charger not plugged in,I knew it was installing some sercurity updates.

The update was killed because my computer ran out of battery leaving it half installed.I went to my computer and it was really really slow boot the it was fine after boot the problem is the update you need to reactivate windows or REMOVEwat.exe will get rid too.

 
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