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When I start up windows normally it just freezes , I click "Launch Startup Repair" I get this:

"Windows has encountered a problem communicating with a device connected to your computer.

This error can be caused by unplugging a removable storage device such as an external USB drive while the device is in use, or by faulty hardware such as a hard drive or CD-ROM drive that is failing. Make sure any removable is properly connected and then restart your computer

If you continue to receive this error message, contact the hardware manufacturer"

How do I fix this problem?

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    It pretty much says how at the end of the error message.
    – Oliver Salzburg
    Mar 20, 2012 at 23:17
  • @OliverSalzburg Contacting the computer manufacturer just results in wiping the system, which is almost never the right answer. (It 'fixes' the OS in the same way that buying a new car 'fixes' your old one.)
    – EKW
    Mar 21, 2012 at 4:52
  • I'm also having this problem.
    – metal gear solid
    Aug 24, 2012 at 14:48

1 Answer 1

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Boot from a Win7 disc, or Win7 startup repair disc, rather than trying to boot from the drive. Sounds like bootmgr or the BCD store has an issue (pointing to the wrong partition, boot files missing).

Is this a Dell or HP system?

What was done just before this began?

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  • I think any machine can get this error, not just dell or HP. But yes, a list of hardware would be good
    – Simon Sheehan
    Mar 20, 2012 at 22:35
  • @SimonSheehan The reason I ask is that the fix would differ slightly for some Dell and HP models, they have bizarre BCD entries that Startup Repair can't handle.
    – EKW
    Mar 21, 2012 at 4:50
  • @EKW I'm also getting this error even after repairing it from Win7 startup repair disc
    – metal gear solid
    Sep 11, 2012 at 1:49
  • @metalgearsolid I'm likely raising the dead here, but haven't been back to S* in a while. The issue continuing beyond a Startup Repair tends to indicate that either a) The small boot partition is gone, or b) the system/boot files were stored on a Recovery Partition (usually Dell/HP) and the recovery partition is gone. Unfortunately, there's no 'good' way to fix that.
    – EKW
    Nov 30, 2012 at 15:00

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