Stuck at "Starting Windows" splash screen no matter what I do

[lazerorca]

Hi everyone!

Neighbor calls me about computer hanging at start up. Says it happened right after thunderstorm that knocked out his pool pump and other things in his house

-Try booting the computer normally to replicate problem, and it hangs.
-Run hardware test, everything OK
-Try booting in safe mode and it hangs.
-Try booting from Win 7 flash drive and it hangs.
-Try booting from Linux Mint flash drive and it hangs
-Try booting Win 7 Install DVD and it hangs.
-Go in the BIOS and put the flash drive top of boot order and it hangs.
-Do the same for DVD
-Call neighbor to tell him I'm doing a clean install and wipe drive thinking the BIOS must be booting the HDD every time even though I keep forcing boot of flash drive and DVD
-Decide to put in different RAM here for shits and giggles, and it hangs when I boot from DVD and flash drive.

What in the world could be causing this? It loads the files and gets to the splash screen and just hangs there. I was under the impression that a lightning strike would only damage the PSU. Seems odd that it would be working at all if lightning damaged it. Any ideas to try next?

 

[Krynn72]

I was under the impression that a lightning strike would only damage the PSU.

Definitely not true. I personally had a lightning strike take out my computer, and in addition to the PSU it also knocked out the motherboard, graphics card, and one of four RAM modules.

In your case though, right now I'd be suspecting the power supply is faulty, or the motherboard. When you say "run hardware test" though, what exactly does that mean? What were the results from the hard drive test, as that'd have been my first suspect to rule out.

Also, to isolate issues, make sure everything is unplugged except the bare minimum. One DIMM, CPU, 24-pin and 4/8pin CPU power cables, monitor, keyboard. Then try to boot from flash drive. If it still doesnt work, now you know its one of those remaining things still plugged in.

 

[lazerorca]

Definitely not true. I personally had a lightning strike take out my computer, and in addition to the PSU it also knocked out the motherboard, graphics card, and one of four RAM modules.

In your case though, right now I'd be suspecting the power supply is faulty, or the motherboard. When you say "run hardware test" though, what exactly does that mean? What were the results from the hard drive test, as that'd have been my first suspect to rule out.

Also, to isolate issues, make sure everything is unplugged except the bare minimum. One DIMM, CPU, 24-pin and 4/8pin CPU power cables, monitor, keyboard. Then try to boot from flash drive. If it still doesnt work, now you know its one of those remaining things still plugged in.

MEMTest and tested the HDD with SeaTools

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

How quick you talking once you see the splash screen? like immediately? Have you tried to boot from usb while having all drives disconnected?

 

[TurricanII]

I had these symptoms with a Lenovo laptop. It was a failed motherboard. BIOS was fine but trying to boot from any Windows/Linux device caused a hang during boot. No lightning involved though!

 

[lazerorca]

went down to the bare minimum

How quick you talking once you see the splash screen? like immediately? Have you tried to boot from usb while having all drives disconnected?

Yeah I have tried with all drives disconnected. As for how quickly, it loads the files, then the windows splash screen appears with the animation... the animation stops and it just stays there. No activity light from the flash drive.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

chances are high you're looking at motherboard damage, possibly psu but i figure its probably tripping up on something initializing perhaps related to pci.

 

[Altster]

His homeowners insurance or renters insurance should cover the computer as well as any other failed devices.

 

[nlinecomputers]

His homeowners insurance or renters insurance should cover the computer as well as any other failed devices.

This. Call it dead and move on.

 

[GTP]

This. Call it dead and move on.

You've probably already spent more than a new motherboard would have cost by now!

 

[HFultzjr]

Something got "Fried".
Let the hardware testing begin, or move on.
Probably less money to save data and move on.