HELP: Windows 7 desktop won't load

Cate1976

I'm hoping that the fix isn't going to be expensive or mean losing everything on my laptop which isn't backed up. It needs doing but I want to use cloud backup to get everything off my laptop (both USB ports broken) so that it can be put on the new laptop or 2 in 1 I'm getting at Easter.

The internet in my area has been very temperamental the last few days & I think this has something to do with the problem.

The laptop will start and the page to login will load but after I put my password in, all I get is the welcome screen with the blue spinning wheel. Earlier this morning I did get a box saying Desktop Window Manager stopped working and was closed. I'm not getting it now.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can tell me how I can get to access my desktop and everything else on the laptop. If BT don't sort my internet, then I'll have to get what I onto DVD RW discs but I'd rather use cloud storage as it'll be quicker, I don't have much spare time as I'm doing an access course (if I don't fail it due to having no internet in the house & limited time to study elsewhere). Local library internet is dead slow & stop.

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Reply 1

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If the desktop window manager problem continues :

1. Attempt to reinstall the correct graphics drivers.

2. If that doesn't work, burn the Windows 7 ISO relevant to your OS onto a DVD unless you already have one.

Open command prompt if you are able to stay within windows and run "sfc /scannow"

Tutorial:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html?ltr=S

3. Boot from the DVD and go into repair/recovery tools. Try running Startup Repair.

Tutorial :

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/681-startup-repair.html

4. Reboot into the OS and see if this problem continues.

5. If it does, then try doing a repair install (backup data first) .

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html

For transferring files:

1. See what connection your hard drive/SSD uses.

If it is a couple of years old and wasn't extremely expensive it probably uses a SATA connection.

Check this by installing Speccy, going into the hard disk drive section and searching up the details for the model number for your hard drive.

2. Most laptops will be 2.5 inches in size and use a SATA connection. You want to buy a 2.5 inch USB Hard drive enclosure, which you can get off Amazon for around £10.

3. Open up your laptop and carefully unscrew and detach the hard drive from the laptop chassis (see YouTube videos for your laptop model number) and connect the drive into the hard drive enclosure.

4. You will now be able to access all of your data on your old hard drive, on another computer, using a usb connection.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 2

Cate1976

Thanks for the reply.

Desktop will load in safe mode with networking but laptop is then very slow including the internet.

Anything that involves using USB ports is out due to both being broken (if they weren't, back up would have been done to my external hard drive).

Start up repair means creating a system restore point which isn't possible & I followed the instructions in Windows help.

Will try your suggestions in order, a google search after I posted has come up with graphics card problems as well as something to do with explorer.exe.

Reply 3

Cate1976

Trying #1 & the only graphics item I can find in the list of programs & features is Intel (R) Graphics Media Accelerator Driver. Is this what I need to update before trying #2.

Reply 4

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Yes, and you can use the Intel Drivers Update Utility to automatically find the driver and download it.

When I talked about transferring the data, I mean taking the physical hard drive out of the computer, and putting it in an enclosure, so when your new computer comes, you can just plug the hard drive into the usb port (which will be working on the new computer) in the same way that you would use a usb stick.

This is a lot quicker than uploading your files (which will take ages on a limited upload speed) and then downloading them again on new computer (if your current hard drive is 1TB, transferring it by USB should take 1-3 hours on USB 3.0 connection, or 5-7 on USB 2.0).

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 5

Cate1976

Thanks for reply, tried to give you rep but it won't let me. Will update driver tomorrow & see what happens. Have discovered that audio card doesn't work in safe mode.

Reply 6

Cate1976

#1 has failed. Here's what happened when I tried to download the utility. Where do I get the ISO to try #2?

Reply 7

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Original post by Cate1976

#1 has failed. Here's what happened when I tried to download the utility. Where do I get the ISO to try #2?

Try using another browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox to download the drivers.

You can download the ISOs here:
http://mirror.corenoc.de/digitalrivercontent.net/

Select the correct version for your computer. The first two letters of each ISO indicate the language ('en' = English). Make sure you download the x86 (32 bit) or x64 (64 bit) version depending on your processor architecture, and choose the 'Home Premium' version.

You will need a torrenting program to download the file, such as qBittorrent. These ISOs are the ones provided by Microsoft however they are difficult to find on the official Microsoft website now.

You can use a program such as ImgBurn to burn the ISO onto a DVD.

Reply 8

Cate1976

Trying to sort it out, broadband still unreliable or very slow when it's working. BT taking their time to fix it. Have found the memory card slot on my laptop which I'd forgotten about. If I get memory cards big enough, could I use them to back up photos & documents in case converting hard drive to external doesn't work? If I try to open Office in safe mode (only way to get past welcome screen), I get a box saying there's a problem with the licence even though I bought office 2010 from software for students in 2011. Will documents done on Office on my laptop open when I try to open them on my new laptop when I get it? New laptop might be a Mac but it'll either have open office put on it or I might get a years Office 365 subscription.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 9

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Original post by Cate1976

You might need to install a compatibility pack for office but generally the newer versions haven't removed essential features so the documents should work regardless: https://products.office.com/en-gb/microsoft-office-compatibility-pack-for-word-excel-and-powerpoint

Theoretically you could use a memory card to backup data, but that depends on how much data. A few hundred GB will take a lot longer on an SD card to transfer than a USB. Unless your hard drive is failing, you should be able to use it as an external drive anyway.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 10

Cate1976

Thanks for that, the memory cards would be more of a back up in case the hard drive option doesn't work for some reason. My husband is insisting that I wouldn't be in this mess if I'd set my laptop to auto install updates. He wouldn't listen when I tried to explain why I don't allow auto install (his laptop is 32 bit version).

Once my internet is reliable again (fault on phone line at the exchange), I'll watch the you tube video on how to remove hard drive from my laptop.

Reply 11

Cate1976

UPDATE: My parents got home from holiday last night & it turns out Dad knows someone who works with computers. I said that my photos & documents were being backed up before I try anything else. This morning I've booted the laptop in safe mode to try and find out how many GB's the photos & documents will take. Documents opened ok & I can see them all (anything done on Ms Office won't open as office says it's unlicenced, not true as I downloaded it from software4students.co.uk). The videos in Videos section of documents show (haven't tried to play them though). When I click on pictures, there's 2 things there, one says my pictures which I click on and nothing happens. Does this confirm update issue to graphics card or is it something else? I'm confident my photos are still on the hard drive, Dad is confident the person he knows will be able to salvage them somehow.

I've made it clear that I need it in writing what the problem is, what's caused it & cost to repair. The reason being that if it's due to updates not being installed due to unreliable internet, I can try to get to get compensation out of BT towards the cost (if successful, this'll be put towards my new laptop when I get it).