Resolved Problems with booting into Windows 7

This is an HP DV7-6195us laptop that I purchased used. It had been upgraded to Win 10 using microsoft's free enticement by the person who sold the laptop to me. It had problems, so I reverted it back to Win 7 Home Premium 64 bit. It has a Core i7 2nd gen CPU @2.0Ghz, 8 gigs of ram, two 500gig HDs, a dedicated Radeon 6700M video card.
While cleaning it up, I received a notice that around 60 Windows updates were available. I attempted to download them, but found that they would not install, and the process reverted itself to get rid of the downloaded updates. I then attempted to selectively download a few updates at a time. I succeeded in getting 9 of them installed thus far. There are 51 to go.
Now, when I boot the laptop, I am suddenly greeted with a Windows Boot Manager screen that has me select either booting into Win 7, or tab to a memory diagnostic, or have me hit F8 to enter the safe mode and other options screen. If I hit enter, and boot into Win 7, I get to the screen just before the desktop. It has the word WELCOME with the animated donut (circle)next to it.
After about 5 or 10 seconds, the donut animation freezes, for about 50 to 60 seconds( I timed it), and then continues to the desktop. The computer behaves ok, but it takes about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes after the desktop appears for the music that accompanies Windows opening or starting to play.
Also, Windows update now refuses to work. I have tried to select just one update at a time, even the ones that are just a hundred kilobytes or so, and it just sits there, churning away with the green progress bar moving. However, even 15 minutes later progress is zero kilobytes and zero % downloaded.
I tested the laptop with Ookla speed test and I get 89Mbps download and 12 up.
Can you help me get rid of the Windows Boot Manager screen and resolve whatever is causing the delay in the windows opening sound as well as the update problem?
My apologies for the rambling format. I hope I didn't violate too many protocols.

 

Hi skaler2k, sounds like the previous owner upgraded without making sure he had ALL MS updates installed which was a specific requirement.
Have you tried the start option of Safe Mode? with networking?
I think it will be necessary to get the WU working and up to date. Neil.

 

I'm pretty sure you're right about the previous owner.
I have never tried safe mode with networking, but I'll give it a shot....
I booted into safe mode with networking, but do not see the Windows Update option in the control panel. (I'm typing this from my desktop. The laptop is nearby.
I fear that I'm going to need some hand holding to accomplish what you suggest.
Are you willing?
Don't let my senior member status fool you. I feel like what I knew about computers in the Win XP age has fallen by the wayside. So, feel free to talk down to me.

 

Did you check in Orb\All Programs. Check the list or type windows Update in the Search Box. Control Panel\Administrative Tools\Services. Check to see if Background Intelligent Transfer Service(BITS) is Started and set to Manual and Windows Update I Started and is set to Automatic(Delayed Start).

 

My apologies I should have had you first check in Windows Update\Change Settings to make sure it's not set to Never check for updates.

 

BITS is started but set to automatic(delayed start). Haven't figured out yet how to change that to manual, but I'm sure I can eventually get it.
Windows Update is also started, and it is set to automatic(delayed start).
I have windows update settings set to check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.
I did that because when I got this laptop and reverted it to Win 7, I was greeted with 60+ updates which took an hour or so to download(just guessing), and about that long to install, only to be greeted at the end with a failure to install, undoing the install, don't turn your computer off. That took another 30 minutes or so. The computer then rebooted, and configured windows, again telling me to not turn the computer off. It started to repeat the process. While it was doing that, I used my desktop computer to google the problem, and, among other suggestions, read that it is better to try and select just a few updates at a time. That is how I managed to install 11 updates successfully. Most of them are security for .NET framework3.5.1. one is a hotfix. One is a cumulative update for IE 11, and two are updates for win 7.There is also a .NET Framework 4.6.1installed. I'm reading these from the update history page.

 

Thanks LJ, you will be more help for skaler as I have successfully upgraded my W7 Pro to W10 Pro without any hassles.
As you are still running W7 you will be able to answer any questions currently.
My only 'old' HDD is Vista. Neil.

 

In services double click on the BITS entry then click on the arrow for the drop down menu the Manual option is available there. I also have mine set to Check for but let me choose whether to download and install them. Most importantly: Does Windows still alert you that Updates are available for download and installation. Is Windows update now working correctly? Neil: Yes I am still currently running Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. The next time I do some work on my business machine I'll check the settings in Change settings that I used to fix it. Right now I'm on the computer that's listed in my System Specifications.

 

Yes, I still get the alert that new updates are available. I am down to 48 to go. It was at 52. All except one update are security updates and "regular" updates for Windows 7. That Netframework 4.6.1 that was previously installed, was installed again. So, I went form 51 to go, to 52 to go. With 3 downloaded successfully I landed at 49.
That was this morning. I was so encouraged that I attempted to download 10 of them. After about 30 minutes or so, the total downloaded stayed at 0kb, and 0%.
I abandoned that download and tried reducing the number to just 1. Again, watching the green progress bar marching along, the download stayed at 0kb and 0% after 15 or so minutes. Just out of curiosity, I clicked on the orb, and saw that the shut down box had the gold shield with the black exclamation mark on it. During the shut down, and subsequent start, windows was updated with the 1 update that evidently downloaded successfully. I am currently at 48 available, and am once again attempting to download and install 3 more.
It has been about 18 minutes, and as of right now-0kb and 0%. I checked the shut down button and it does not have the gold shield.
My boot up still stops at the Boot Manager screen. The process still hangs on the welcome screen for about 60 seconds, and the windows opening music still takes about two minutes to play after the desktop screen appears.
By the way, the 3 updates that were downloaded and installed this morning were through the normal sequence where I got the yellow alert screen that 3 updates were downloaded and the computer needed to be restarted to complete the installation.
The one download this afternoon was essentially through me thinking I was abandoning the download, and then finding that it was indeed downloaded.

 

Hi Evan,
I had already downloaded the windows updates before I saw your posting here.
I did it in increments of 3, then 5, then 10, then 15 or so. It took a while, but all of the updates are installed. I then ran the Microsoft tool, and when I booted the computer this morning and looked at the Windows Update program, it showed all of the updates in the history. It did reset the count in that it stated that windows update was never run. I then searched for updates and the only thing that popped up was the update to Windows 10. I'll hold off on that. I don't believe this pre-2013 laptop will be fully functional under 10, mostly due to lack of drivers.
One thing I never mentioned was that this laptop has a damaged keyboard. most of it works ok, but all of the keys on the left margin shift one key to the right, so that pressing 1 outputs a 2, q outputs w, a results in s, z in x. The right edge of the keyboard is equally funky, and the only key in the center of the board is the number 0 which is totally unresponsive.
So, before I do anything else, I think I'll have to replace the keyboard.
I would like, in the interim, to get rid of the windows boot manager screen and hopefully stop the 60 second freeze between the welcome screen and the desktop screen.
I still have the 2 minute delay between the appearance of the desktop screen and the music that plays to accompany its opening.
Strangely, during the numerous reboots while downloading the updates, there were several times when the music seemed to play almost immediately after the desktop screen's appearance.
I'm guessing that one or another key on the keyboard is stuck or making intermittent contact, and causing havoc with the boot process.

 

Thanks Evan. The steps you suggest are onerous, and, to me forbidding.
As I just acquired this laptop, it has nothing on it that I can't live without, except the OS. I would rather just try and restore it to factory fresh. I haven't looked at the built in system restore routine yet, nor know if it even exists. Also, I'm more receptive to just buying the recovery CDs, if the price isn't outrageous.
I did look through your posting. Very impressive, but, for someone like me, full of possibilities for mistakes.
I know my profile says Senior Member and Intermediate experience.
That was years ago when I helped co-workers with their computer problems.
Enough time has passed to where I feel like I'd forgotten most of what I knew back then.
Thanks so much for your attention and inputs.

 

Evan ...

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that Check Disk (chkdsk /r) only checks for bad sectors on the hard drive and isolates any that it finds. Sfc /scannow (System File Checker) is the command that checks for, and corrects, any file system errors it finds.

 

I purchased a replacement keyboard through Amazon, and it took 3 weeks to arrive from China. Installing it did get rid of the Windows Boot Manager screen and now the laptop boots straight to the welcome screen. As before, it still hangs on the welcome screen with the animated donut frozen for about 65 seconds. It then continues to the desktop screen where everything appears normally, including the speaker symbol in the lower right corner of the task bar. It appears with the red circle with the diagonal line-for a split second, then the red circle goes away. However, as before, it takes about 90 seconds after this point for the music fanfare to sound, when it should coincide with the appearance of the desktop screen.
Also, if I leave the laptop on and untouched for 15 minutes, it goes to sleep, as per the settings in the power scheme. Waking it by touching the touchpad brings up the locked screen. Clicking the icon brings up the welcome screen.
Again, the screen sits there for about 60 seconds with the frozen donut, and then the desktop pops up, and the two note chime sounds immediately.
Any ideas on how to fix this start up delay and the 90 second delay for the sound to appear?
I did look at Evan Omo's "How to repair Vista and Win 7 ". Is the solution to my problem in one of the subroutines of the zipped program?
If so, which one?
Thanks.

 

Hi Evan,
I called HP tech support, and they want $39.95 for the recovery disk. I think I might go the route of your recovery and optimization.
This laptop is new to me, and really has nothing on it that I can't live without.
Other than balking a bit during boot-up and acting unpredictably when left to sleep or hibernate, or the uncertainty of getting it up and running after opening the lid, it behaves pretty normally.
It does have a bluray player, and plays regular DVDs just fine. The software that automatically pops up when you insert a disk is Cyberlink Power DVD 10.0. It refuses to read bluray disks, but that is not a big deal and can be left for a future date to wrestle with.
So, should I download and run the zip file that you mention in your "sticky: How to repair windows 7" ? Or, do you have a more specific solution or path in mind?