What to do if a computer won’t boot

Darlene wants our advice on what to do if a computer won’t boot
Hi guys. Really love your new daily tips and tricks newsletter! What a great way to remind us all the great tips and tricks you give us. Thanks. Here’s my question. I have a Windows 7 laptop I use most of the time. I also have a 4-year-old desktop. I don’t use it that much but the other day I wanted to use it and it wouldn’t boot. So I’m hoping you answer my question on Friday because I’d really like to have it working this weekend – my brother and his family is coming in from out of town and I’d like to have the extra computer for them. Can you help me get this thing to boot up? Anything I can do? I have my fingers crossed you answer this for me. Keep up the great work. Darlene.

Our answer
Thanks very much Darlene. We’re going to help you as much as we can. These are the things we do when we encounter a computer that won’t boot…and we’ve seen quite a few of them – mostly our own. These tips will work on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7, so any other folks out there reading this, you can use these tips too.

If your computer won’t boot or hangs indefinitely while booting do this:

1. Shut the computer off at the power switch
2. Wait at least two minutes
3. Turn your computer back on – Tap the F8 key continuously as soon as the computer starts to boot
4. Select “Safe Mode” from the menu
5. When the computer boots into Safe Mode you’ll see a dialog box telling you you’re in Safe Mode (DUH!)
6. Open your start menu and go to All Programs\Accessories\System Tools and click System Restore. If you can’t even get this far see http://thundercloud.net/infoave/answers/2011/rstrui.htm for more help.
7. Choose a date at least 2 days in the past and restore you computer to that point.
8. Your computer will reboot automatically
9. If all went well, you should be back into Windows. Click OK at the System Restore prompt if all seems OK

If these instructions don’t work, you have another option – find your Windows CD or DVD. Insert the DVD or CD in your DVD/CD drive and power off your computer. Wait a minute or two. Turn you computer back on. You’ll see a dialog on the screen that will say “Press any key to boot from CD (DVD)”. Press any key. Your computer should boot up. When you’re back in Windows, run a system restore as per the instructions above.