Hi, I run Windows 7 on HP Probook 4420s. After installed updates, I am unable to start Windows. I get the screen "Launch windows repair" or "Start Windows normally", and I did repair, but it failed. I am unable to boot to safe mode either. I don't have Windows 7 DVD. What should I try next? Need advise! Thanks in advance! grace

Find a friend to loan you a recovery disc. If this absolutely can't be done, you may have the option of restoring from a backup partition to factory default. Pressing f8 at boot, same as safe mode, might list additional options. When the pc boots, it should display on the screen f2 or f11 for boot options. I really recommend trying to find a disc and using the "startup repair" or "system restore" options. Then when you get it going again......create your own disc.

Switch on your computer and hit the 'Esc' key when you see this message 'Press the ESC key for Startup Menu' in the lower-left corner of the screen. Then press F10 to enter into BIOS mode. With the help of arrow keys, select File>Restore defaults, and then hit 'Enter'. Press F10 when you see a confirmation box on the screen. Now save your selections before exiting the computer setup by selecting File>Save changes and exit. Follow the on-screen instructions and restart your computer.

Hi Pizza_man, thank you for your reply. Does HP laptop have build-in startup repair? I got "Launch windows repair" option, but it failed at end, and I restarted computer and it got to this option again. I have OEM DVD. Can it do "startup repair" and how? Please advise. Thanks, Gracegrace

Hi Schloicka, Thanks for your reply. Is this instruction to restore my computer to factory default? Thanks, Gracegrace

Here's an article on how to fix the boot problem in Windows 7: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392 Quoting from there with appropriate changes, follow this: Put the Windows 7 installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer. Press a key when you are prompted. Select a language, a time, a currency, a keyboard or an input method, and then click Next. Click Repair your computer. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt. Type Bootrec.exe, and then press ENTER. Then use one of the three available options one after another to see if it works: bootrec.exe /FixMbr bootrec.exe /FixBoot [OR] bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd Please revert back here if you do not clearly understand the steps given in the link above or you have any queries. Hope it helps! Kunal D Mehta - a Windows Server Enthusiast | My first TechNet Wiki Article

Thank you Server. After I ran repair, I got "Diagnosis and repaire details", it said "Root cause found: a patch is preventing the system from starting." So what's the next step? Please advise! Thanks, Gracegrace

Ok, this means that an update was installed to the operating system prior to the startup failure. To fix this, boot Using Last Known Good Configuration. Exact steps to follow are here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows7/Using-Last-Known-Good-Configuration After you boot into the computer successfully, do a System Restore as described here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows7/products/features/system-restore This should fix your problem. Please revert back here if this does not fix the problem or if you face any difficulties during the process. Hope it helps!Kunal D Mehta - a Windows Server Enthusiast | My first TechNet Wiki Article

I boot the computer using Last Known Good Configuration, but it still won't start Windows. I got a "Startup Repair" window which said " Windows cannot repair this computer automatically." Any suggestion at this point? Thanks, Gracegrace

In that case, I see that the only way out of this is to do an in-place upgrade on your system. Follow the instructions given on this Microsoft Support Article - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2255099 that instructs on how to do an in-place upgrade. Please revert back here if you have any queries or need further assistance. Hope it helps!Kunal D Mehta - a Windows Server Enthusiast | I'm on facebook.com/serverbaba

Hi, Since the issue occurred after installing updates, you can perform a system restore from System Recovery Options. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-are-the-system-recovery-options-in-Windows-7 If the issue persists, please contact HP support to guide you restore to factory settings. http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/ContactHP.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodSeriesId=4145435&prodTypeId=321957 Note: Since the website is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information. Best Regards, Niki Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Thanks for everyone. I finally backed up the hard drive and reinstalled the OS.grace