Windows 10: Bootup Takes Two Tries

I've never seen Startup Repair hurt.

Now if it was a Dual Boot with 7, 8 and Linux then it could make some changes that weren't desired. But with one OS it will only check over the boot files to see if anything is amiss.

Another thing to try is wiping the HD first with Diskpart Clean Command to clear all previous code that might interfere. So if you choose to reinstall this is something else to try to know you have the cleanest slate.

 

HP BIOS settings - they just don't allow you to do anything advanced.

Date, time, boot order, VT, passwords, set defaults ... that's about it. I found a doc that gave the full list while I was researching the issue for you, but I'll have to look through my save list to find the one that describes the available firmware settings.

It's only about 7 bullets long.

We're stuck, you and I, with what HP allows us to change and that ain't much.

Good to know your reset BIOS defaults. I think you'll need to get BIOS up to F.49 before attempting other reapir options:
F.47, F.48, and F.49 all reference support for future Windows OSes (machine came with Vista pre-installed, upgraded to Win7, then Win8 and now you're trying to run Win10 - that's 4 future OSes if you include 8.1 update 1)
See post # 37 for the BIOS list

Your machine is at F.43

I'm back to waiting until the HD arrives, you install Win7, and then update BIOS to F.49 (that was your previous plan)

Bill
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Yep, so am I, Bill. I was seriously thinking about scavenging the hard drive from the g series computer, but life has jumped up and down on me, so I decided I can wait for the new HD to arrive.

As I've said a couple or three times before, I think there's something common to Windows 8.x and Windows 10 that cause the issue. Seeing your statement, "F.47, F.48, and F.49 all reference support for future Windows OSes," only solidifies that thought.

We'll see sometime very late (UPS comes after dark here in the boonies) Monday evening or early Tuesday morning.

 

Whoops! Newegg is shipping via FedEx this time! I just tracked and it's scheduled to be here Monday, so I may get an earlier start, since FedEx usually comes in the AM.

 

Surprise, surprise . . . my hard drive arrived Saturday, but I didn't pick it up until Sunday, as it came in my mailbox and I wasn't expecting that.

So I worked all afternoon Sunday trying to install Windows 7 onto the new hard drive. It would get to the second "Setting up Services" or something like that. Then it would stop and would go no further. It kept saying the computer was unexpectedly shut down during installation and would continue once the computer was shutdown and restarted.

After running both a short diagnosis and then a long diagnosis on the drive, it passed. For grins, I again checked memory and that passed also. At that point, I gave up and removed the new hard drive. I suspect that either Windows 8 or Windows 10 did something that Windows 7 installation didn't like. Whatever . . .

I put the Windows 8.1 hard drive back into the laptop and everything was hunky dory.

I had downloaded F.49 BIOS and put it onto a flash drive. I plugged that into the Windows 8.1.1 system and clicked on the BIOS .exe. Everything went fine. What surprised me is that it took almost as long as installing a new OS! My last flash of BIOS (several years ago) took like 10 or 15 seconds, as best as I remember.

Anyway, after checking the BIOS version, the poor laptop still requires two tries to boot!

As many times as I've been inside that laptop in the past two or three weeks, I just yesterday discovered there's a bay for a second hard drive! Sheesh!

Edit: I forgot to say that I reformatted the hard drive several times and made as many more attempts at installing Win 7, even went to the extent of putting it into my BlacX SATA HDD USB Docking station and reformatting it on this computer.

 

Have you tried entering Device Manager during install to disable erring devices until after install finishes? Device Manager - Access During Windows 7 Installation - Windows 7 Help Forums

Where did you get the installation media? How is it burned to disk or stick? Have you tried the alternate method?

 

I think I would take out all drives, except for the DVD and try booting to the Windows 7 DVD. You said earlier it would double boot even to a DVD. Maybe one of the SATA controllers or even a physical connection is having the problem.

 

I didn't think about Device Manager, except in passing. I could try that tomorrow. Lappy's in partial dismantlement, so not so much work. *Redface

I was on the beta of Windows 7 and somewhere along the line, I got a download free copy of RTM. I've burned several copies of Win 7 to DVD and I tried at least three of the burns. I've also used the DVD to install Win 7 at least a couple of times, since I have several licenses. I also have a Windows 7 Ultimate Commemorative Edition, but it's an upgrade, although there was a mix-up and it should have been a full copy. Se la vie . . .

Thanks for the idea on Device Manager.

 

I have had each of the three drives (original SATA drive, SSD Drive, new SATA drive) on the same SATA drive bay, Saltgrass. I had no trouble installing Windows 8 on the original drive or Windows 10 on the SSD drive. I also now have the Windows 8 (original drive) back on the computer and it's behaving itself. Well, except for bootup taking two tries, that is.

I will try removing the drive and booting to the Windows 7 DVD, though.

Thanks for the idea.

 

That didn't work, Saltgrass. I just got the message that there was no hard drive in the computer. I tried several times and always got that message. Guess this laptop won't do what it's supposed to.

 

I tried the link you provided and once I got to the reboot, I pressed F8 as instructed and the installation started over. Sigh . . .

 

Try taking out the media.

 

I think I'm done for now. The BIOS are updated to F.49 and I don't actually need Windows 7 any more. It's too slow for me now that I've had a taste of the speed of Windows 8 and 10.

And, no, I didn't like 8 when I first installed it, but now I can live with it. I will continue to test Windows 10 because I like that better (even with its flaws) than Windows 8.1.

Windows 10 is back in the laptop for now.

 

Ok, Win10 is on the SSD and that is the only drive in the laptop now?
If the Win8 HD is still connected, please remove that for now.

BIOS is up to F.49 - have you confirmed that? System information will do the trick.

Last ditch effort - physically remove and disconnect the Optical drive. I think I posted instructions from the Service manual before.

At this point, only the SSD is connected - no other devices (no USBs, no smart cards, no Optical drive, and no HD).

Make sure your boot order is Disk, Optical, USB, Network (you might even try disabling Optical, USB, and Network - leaving only the Disk (SSD))

 

So far, I've only ever had one hard drive at a time on the laptop. Just the other day found the second drive bay. *Redface

Confirmed that BIOS is up to F.49. First thing I did.

Yeah, I've removed an Optical CD drive and replaced it with an Optical DVD drive.

1. Disabled Optical Drive. Network was already disabled. Forgot to disable USB, but I don't think that will make a difference.

2. Boot still took two tries.

3. Physically removed the Optical Blue Ray DVD drive.

4. Boot still takes two tries.

5. Reinstated everything and Windows 10 is running, albeit requiring two tries to boot. Sigh . . .