The Process of Troubleshooting Startup

Startup problems can be divided into three distinct categories:

• Problems that occur before the Starting Windows logo appears These problems are typically caused by missing startup files (often as a result of installing a different operating system over Windows 7), corrupted files, or hardware problems. For information about troubleshooting problems that occur after logon, read the next section, "Startup Troubleshooting Before the Starting Windows Logo Appears."
• Problems that occur after the Starting Windows logo appears but before the logon prompt is displayed These problems are typically caused by faulty or misconfigured drivers and services. Hardware problems can also cause failure during this phase of startup. For information about troubleshooting problems that occur after the Starting Windows logo appears but before logon, read the section titled "Startup Troubleshooting After the Starting Windows Logo Appears" later in this tutorial.
• Problems that occur after logon These problems are typically caused by startup applications. For information about troubleshooting problems that occur after logon, read the section titled "Troubleshooting Startup Problems After Logon" later in this tutorial.