Windows 7 Start Up Followed By Instant Restart

There seems to me that you will not be able to run sfc /scannow without first being able to boot into windows and use an elevated command prompt. To the best of my knowledge that can only be done through windows tools.

Have you tried a repair install from the advanced boot options? If it works and it does not always work it will save your data. Otherwise you may need to get the data off that hard drive by attaching it to another computer via a usb adapter. Once that is done you can do a full format and a complete new installation. If the Drive is actually failing it is wise to do that anyway (get the data off) before you lose everything.

 

Here are the instructions for a Repair Install if needed.
http://www.sevenforu...ir-install.html

 

Whoa, lets just backtrack a little, when you use the command prompt for SFC /Scannow. It always tells you it cannot run now, but will do so when you next reboot the computer. That has not yet been done as far as I can see.
Go back to the command prompt and re try the SFC /Scannow, then shut the machine down after you get the message that it cannot run as the system is in use, restart the computer, then the SFC /Scannow will run.

Edit to add,
As BeeCeeBee stated you do need to be able to get Windows up and running and run that in elevated command prompt in Windows 7. Sorry but I thought at first you had managed to get it to boot up.

So it does look like a backup of all you have if you can, via a USB adapter. As said earlier, that will prove the hard drive is OK or not.

Nev.

 

I completed the SFC /ScanNow test and restarted the computer as it asks for it. I restarted the computer and re-entered SFC /ScanNow and got the same message again about having to restart my computer to complete the test. I think the easiest thing to do would be to copy all the files from my hard drive to another one.

 

Once you have restarted your computer, you take out the OS CD out of the drive.
You don't enter SFC /SCANNOW again.

 

Something is not making sense here. You cannot run scannow from the advanced boot options because you cannot get a basic elevated command. Please tell us how you completed the scannow (maybe we will learn something.) Personally I would remove that HDD first and either slave it to another computer or (easier) get a usb adapter and get to the files that way.

Once that is done you can scan that disk from the other computer. If it does not read the disk at all and you cannot open it in another machine you may have a completely dead hard drive.

One thing that I have not seen asked is whether the drive is being recognized in the bios. If you do not know how to check please ask. As a basic though the F key to press is usually shown on the splash (start up) screen. Usually F2 on some delete on others but it should say.