StartUp Repair

Disclaimer: This wiki is not official Dell documentation but is compiled by Philip Yip (Dell Community Rockstar natakuc4).


You will need a Windows Vista/7 DVD for this (depending on your OS). If you don't have media use a retail .iso here.

Power down your computer. Hold F12 while powering up your computer (at the Dell BIOs screen).

Select boot from CD/DVD or from USB respectively.

Press any key when prompted such as "h" when it says Press any Key to boot from CD/DVD.

You will get a black screen that says "Windows is Starting Files" then one that says "Windows is Loading Files." These should disappear pretty quickly. Next one that says Starting Windows

You will then be prompted for your language, time and currency format and keyboard settings. Mine are all set to U.K. as shown below, amend for your preference.

Select Repair Your Computer.

The setup will then search for Windows installations

It will then find an installation

Likely it will be the C: partition. Click the partition and click next.

Select Startup Repair.

The Startup Repair should run and hopefully fix the problem.

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If that fails then try A Clean Install of Windows 7.

Start on Step 3, ignore Step 7.

In Step 8 when you get to this screen, select the C: partition (largest partition).

Note: if you have not backed up all your data onto an external hard drive. Do not select any of the drive options particularly format or delete. In this scenario all your files will be saved in a folder called windows.old.

Don't select the drive options and in particular don't select delete or format. Follow step 15 to copy your data back over.

Disclaimer: This wiki is not official Dell documentation but is compiled by Philip Yip (Dell Community Rockstar natakuc4).