Windows 7 stuck on"Starting Windows" screen

Why don't you install a fresh windows 7 without upgrading it from vista? If you install a fresh windows, it will be worked fine.

Well because one I don't want to lose 300 gb. of downloaded games and start over and two I only have the upgrade disk from Dell.I'd have to install Vista first and besides it only happened twice and never prevented me from getting into Windows on the second try but I'll consider it.I wish I knew exactly what is was. I ran a PSA diagnostic and it passed all.

Have you got a USB wi-fi? I had a similar (but much more frequent) problem when I upgraded my Optiples 320 from XP to Win 7. Someone suggested this a s a possible cause and to try starting up without the usb wi-fi being plugged in. Result was that Win 7 started up perfectly. I downloaded the latest driver from the Belkin site and haven't looked back since.

Thanks but no the Dell 630i desktop is directly wired from the modem but I have wifi for my wife's netbook.It's an upgrade from 64 bit Vista using the upgrade Windows 7 disk..To clarify further it freezes at the Windows starting butterfly logo screen. By the way if I ran the SFC tool do I insert the original Vista disk or the Windows 7 UPGRADE disk??By the way I see on a MS forum somebody had the identical occasional problem also         a Vista to Windows 7 64 bit upgrade.Since it always boots on second try I'm reluctant to do a repair install or "upgrade install"  as I believe it is called in Windows 7.Thanks for all who help.

You could try updating the device drivers. If one of those is flaky then that could cause the system to halt during startup. From my own experience a repair install works when it can identify a fault, sometimes taking several restarts before it cures them if there is more than one fault as it only repairs one at a time and does a restart..

Incidentally, I believe that your upgrade disc should enable you to do a clean install, if wanted, with the present disc contents being saved to a separate folder on the newly installed system.

Thanks again. I stay on top of new device drivers and use Drivermax.Hard drive passes checkdisk. Interesting that you say I could do a clean install with just the Windows 7 upgrade diskbecause last year support said I would need to reinstall Vista first .Like I said it passes PSA diagnostic(RAM etc.).Can it be something silly as I keep a blank DVD in optic drive to eliminate self test noise (ratchey ball level sound) on startup? By the way if I ran SFC would it ask me to insert Vista or Windows 7 disk??I'm checking other forums too and they talk about reinstall options which seems like uneccessary at this stage but I'm prepared.Thanks guys.

Dell support named five things like windows files in wrong order,low RAM(I got 8 gb.)and run PSA diagnostic and CHKDSK.I set the BIOS to load from the hard drive before the DVD-Romso I'm running out of ideas except that it may be some unfathomable Windows 7 issue. I'll try Dell support again some time.

Just a note on your problem (maybe it will help you feel better :emotion-5:)

I also have an XPS630 and it will occasionally freeze at the same point that you describe.  Doesn't happen too often, but it happened under Vista, still happened after a clean install of Windows 7 64-bit, and still happens under a second clean install of Win 7 on a new SSD.   I think the Dell motherboard is just a little buggy in this model.  I've read lots of complaints, but I haven't had any serious issues (other than what you described).

Thanks RChris that does make me feel better because it's been a mystery and only a minor glitch.The more I check and test the more I'm certain that there's absolutely nothing wrong with my PC(by the way it is also Windows 7 64 bit).I upgraded and believe if I had to clean reinstall I would have to reinstall Vista first unless I glitch the activation step.On your 630i do you hear  your DVD-Rommakea quick ratchety sound on bootup? I'm told by Dell it's normal self testing to balance it.

"Self-testing to balance a DVD writer"?  That is way over the top... even for Dell's typically crazy responses.  No, mine makes no noise on bootup.