The problem of an operating system freezing when loading is not uncommon. A considerable number of users sometimes observe a tightly frozen Windows logo, and this may be due to a number of reasons: the presence of a software malfunction or problems with the computer hardware. And to fix the situation, you must first decide in which of the areas this problem occurred, and why the computer freezes when Windows 7 starts up.
Overheating and dust
To identify which of the devices causes a situation in which Windows 7 freezes at boot, you should initially check your computer for overheating. A short-term mechanical check of the side wall of the system unit or laptop case is most often uninformative: when the PC is turned on, the case parts may simply not have time to heat up. Of course, no one bothers to wait until this happens (if overheating takes place), but it certainly will not add to the health of the device. Therefore, it is advisable to resort to software verification.
It is more likely that the operating system will start in safe mode - a special diagnostic environment with limited functionality and disabled secondary devices. To activate it, immediately after loading the BIOS, you need to press "F8", which will bring up a menu of additional OS boot options, from which you need to select "Safe mode" or "Safe mode with loading network drivers."
The next step is to launch a special utility, for example, CPUID HWMonitor or SpeedFan. If none of these programs were at hand, then the same network-supported mode will come in handy: utilities are absolutely free and can be downloaded freely from manufacturers' websites.
By running the program, you can immediately evaluate the temperature sensors of the devices: for processors and video cards, the normal temperature in the absence of serious loads ranges from 30 to 60 degrees Celsius. Since the safe mode is launched, minimally loading the system resources, then the indicators during normal operation of PC components should be within these values. If the temperature approaches critical values (100 ° C), and there is no load on the system (which can be checked through the standard "Task Manager"), then it's time to sound the alarm and begin to understand the causes of overheating, due to which Windows 7 freezes up loading.
Permissible temperature indicators of the motherboard without load - from 30 to 50 degrees. If a simple sensor detects about 70 - the problem is obvious.
Checking the temperature of the RAM and the power supply programmatically does not work, since the temperature sensors are not installed on these devices. The easiest way is to check the air stream at the outlet of the PSU (if it is clogged with dust, it will blow like from a stove), and a tactile memory check (with caution: if the RAM overheats, touching the modules can cause a burn).
The lack of cooling can be caused by commonplace dust blockages or the drying of the heat conductor. In cases with dust, with proper dexterity, it is quite affordable for the average user to clean up the inside of the PC, but changing the thermal paste or conductor plates requires certain skills. In any case, after eliminating the causes of overheating, the system will again boot into normal mode.
Hardware Issues
If the temperature test did not reveal any problems, everything is fine with the order inside the device, but Windows 7 hangs on the logo at boot anyway, you can resort to testing the hardware. Typically, in such cases, pay attention to the hard drive and RAM.
Hard disk check
The problem with the mechanics of the hard drive is most often determined in the early stages of its occurrence, since it is difficult not to pay attention to extraneous sounds that appeared like clicks or uneven buzzing. In this case, as a rule, not only does Windows 7 freeze when the computer starts up, but micro-freezes and freezes are observed during operation. The problem may be a loose contact of the power connectors (especially for the SATA interface). A simple replacement for the four-wire power cable will help. But if this did not help, then it’s time to think about acquiring a new storage medium and creating a backup copy of the data as quickly as possible.
Logical errors in HDD operation are detected and corrected using special utilities, for example, free, but effective Victoria or HDDScan. These programs are capable of not only detecting and correcting software disk failures, but also localizing and marking bad sectors, isolating the problem areas of the physical structure of the disk. Logical errors are correctable, physical damage is no longer there, so the first ones that occur on a BadBlock drive are a signal to the user that the drive should not be used as a repository of important information.
RAM check
If you suspect that Windows 7 crashes at boot due to a malfunction of RAM, you can try to remove the memory modules from the slots, blow them with a syringe, and then insert them back. If there are more than one module, start the PC, alternating them and observing the behavior of the computer. As practice shows, these manipulations are quite enough. However, if the problem still remains, you should use either the standard OS tool (Windows 7 Memory Checker, called by the mdsched command), or one of the third-party utilities (MemTest86 +). Specialists recommend using MemTest, since the utility performs a more thorough analysis of RAM.
Keep in mind that the presence of errors in the RAM test does not always mean a malfunction of the memory modules themselves, the problem may also be hidden in the motherboard. One way or another, a complete answer can only be obtained at the service center.
Software crashes
PC hardware errors are not the only reason that Windows 7 freezes when the desktop boots. In the software environment, there can also be a lot of them. Moreover, a significant part arises through the fault of the users themselves.
Overloaded startup
The problem that occurs most often occurs in inexperienced users who do not understand the basics of installing software on a computer. This is especially true for fans of various cloud services, the online installers of which often clutter up the system with additional software, besides putting it in startup. Moreover, the ability to uninstall the installation of these components by the user is simply ignored or not noticed. The solution is to check the startup and clean it if necessary. You can do this using the Msconfig system utility by calling it with a similar command through the Run menu. On the "Startup" tab is a list of all applications that start when the OS starts. Disabling autorun is done by unchecking the line.
Viral infection
There are enough ways for digital infection to enter the system: questionable sites, downloading and launching unverified executable files, using infected removable media, etc. The behavior of viral products may vary, but a negative effect on OS loading is quite common. The solution is a full scan of the system with an antivirus program. At the same time, the degree of infection is important: in some cases, it may be necessary to launch an antivirus product from bootable media.
Incorrect driver installation
In this case, Windows 7 hangs at boot, mainly due to an error in the video adapter driver and the motherboard, especially during the update. The problem is solved by manually removing the driver through Device Manager or restoring Windows from a checkpoint (if system recovery is enabled).
Windows Component Update
This is most often caused by a power outage during the update process, although software reasons should not be ruled out. If Windows 7 freezes at boot after the update, but the download and installation process went as normal, for starters it is recommended to just wait: it is when the computer starts that the OS configures the installed components. As a rule, everything is limited by a relatively long wait.
But if there is no result, and after a long time Windows still shows the start screen, you will have to boot in safe mode and invoke the command line ("Run" and then enter cmd). Next, enter the sfc / scannow command. She is responsible for scanning and restoring the integrity of the OS system files. In cases of problems updating this is usually enough.