Troubleshooting The OS Boot

There is a lot that can go wrong during the OS Boot process. If the bootstrap is not located, then the system will generally tell you that it could not find an Operating System. Beyond that, we are dependant on the OS to inform us of any problems it encounters. The most common problems that will occur during this time are as follows

Cannot locate files
File contents are damaged
invalid device driver
Attempt to load bad or damaged software

There are a few common causes of these problems.

Windows not shut down correctly
Power Outtages
Failing Hard Drive
Malware / Bad software
Failing Device (device driver problems)

Anytime Windows (or any OS) is not shut down correctly, there is a real chance of files becoming corrupt. Windows might not get shut down correctly because the system froze up, or because the user does not know any better (kids). Power outtages are another cause. For the sake of speed, information is buffered in Memory, and is not always written to disk right away. Any file the computer is working with is in a 'open' state. Open files may not be complete, or may be in the process of being updated. An example of a critical file that is open most of the time is the list of installed devices. In Windows this is called the registry. When you tell Windows to shut down, it begins closing all of the files it has open. If you 'pull the plug' while Windows is running, there is no telling what condition the files will be in when you start the computer again. If a critical system file becomes damaged, then Windows may be unable to start again.

If the Hard Drive begins to fail, it may not be able to read data it has already stored. Again, if this happens to a critical system file, Windows may be unable to start. You can sometime detect Hard Drive problems by odd, slow, clicking noises.

Sometimes, a device that is installed in the computer becomes defective. This can have unpredictable results when the OS attempts to load the Drivers for that device.

Software that is configured to start right away when the OS starts may be bad. If this is the case, Windows finishes starting, but the defective software freezes everything up before you can do anything.

You can sometimes get a guess as to what the problem is by where in the startup process the problem occurs. If you watch your OS startup, you may be able to guess when each stage of the Boot occurs. For example, if everything loads to just before youwould normally get control over the system, then odds are good that you got past the loading of most of the system and driver files, and are more likely dealing a bad program that starts automatically. If the system freezes almost right after the OS starts loading, then it is more likely file damage, or a bad driver. If the system is just very slow to start, it could be a failing hard drive.