Win7 Hangup at Welcome Screen

[adkleaddog 0]

This has been driving me nuts, I thought I resolved the issue but:

 

For the last few weeks, when I start Windows, it gets to the welcome screen, with two identities. When I click on mine, it just hangs there and spins. I force a shutdown, it comes back and ask for safe mode option, I skip it and it, log on as usual and then it starts normally.

 

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The other identity works fine everytime.

 

I searched the web, and I see several suggestions, which includes a repair option using a W7 OS disk.

 

I've tweaked Windows, using NickN's list, and actually re-did the whole thing. I run O%O dfrag, Malewarebytes and ESET Scans and nothing "bad" shows. New GPU driver installed as well, and Windows is updated as required. System restore is off.

 

But now here's the big question:

 

If I use the repair option, will it override the tweaks?

 

Has anyone encountered this, or have any suggestions?

 

V

[RamonB 449]

Hello Vince

 

From what you state, it seems your user profile might be corrupted or somehow “lost” system permissions. (many causes for both, all the way down to a bad drive block, and seems to always involve registry values and Ntuser.dat among other files.)

 

I have seen that problem several times, and there is no easy cure.

User accounts are unique secure system objects and tied down to windows security.

 

The repair option won’t recreate your account and in my experience using it has been a useless waste of time.

 

Another option is to use the Windows Upgrade Option (You start the installer from within windows and choose upgrade even when you are not actually upgrading the system), that one takes ages and solves many problems, but I don’t think it recreates the user accounts, it probably just migrates them, if at all. When it ends you still have to reinstall all windows updates again. You won't lose any info and you are left with a "fresh" install so to speak.

 

Best and fastest way I found around that problem is to create yourself a new user account, and then copy your files / info from your old user account to the new one. (Except some key files see link below).

Here is a link from Microsoft: Fix a corrupted user profile Windows 7

 

Note: Even with this option you might still lose some user settings and perhaps need to reinstall a few programs if they are tied to your old account.

 

I would also run a registry cleaner and a checkdisk on the drive.

Once you sort this out, if you have Windows 7 Premium, Professional or Ultimate make a system image once in a while; if you have other version I suggest Acronis True Image.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cheers.

[adkleaddog 0]

That makes sense, I had to do that a while back for the other identity after my wife had issues. I totally forgot! I shall give it a go later today, I'll let all know if it works!

 

Of all the searches I did, I don't recall seeing the one in the link you provided. :rolleyes:

 

(Checkdisk was done too...)

 

Thanks, Ramon!

 

V