Understanding the Startup Process

To diagnose and correct a startup problem, you need to understand what occurs during startup. Figure below provides a high-level overview of the different paths startup can take.

The normal startup sequence for Windows 7 is:

1. Power-on self test (POST) phase.
2. Initial startup phase.
3. Windows Boot Manager phase.
4. Windows Boot Loader phase.
5. Kernel loading phase.
6. Logon phase.

This sequence will vary if the computer is resuming from hibernation or if a non-Windows 7 option is selected during the Windows Boot Manager phase. The following sections describe the phases of a normal startup process in more detail.

In this tutorial:

1. Configuring Startup and Troubleshooting Startup Issues
2. What is New with Windows Startup
3. Boot Configuration Data
4. BCD Stores
5. System Recovery
6. Windows Boot Performance Diagnostics
7. Understanding the Startup Process
8. Power-on Self Test Phase
9. Initial Startup Phase
10. Initial Startup Phase for BIOS Computers
11. Initial Startup Phase for EFI Computers
12. Windows Boot Manager Phase
13. Windows Boot Loader Phase
14. Kernel Loading Phase
15. Control Sets
16. Values for the Start Registry Entry
17. Value Descriptions for Type Entries
18. Other Registry Entries in the Servicename Subkeys
19. Session Manager
20. Logon Phase
21. Important Startup Files
22. How to Configure Startup Settings
23. How to Use the Startup And Recovery Dialog Box
24. How to Use the System Configuration Tool
25. How to Use BCDEdit
26. How to Interpret BCDEdit Output
27. How to Back Up and Restore Settings
28. How to Change the Default Operating System Entry
29. How to Change the Boot Menu Time-Out
30. How to Change the Order of Boot Manager Menu Items
31. How to Create an Entry for Another Operating System
32. How to Remove a Boot Entry
33. How to View and Update Global Debugger Settings
34. How to Remove the Windows 7 Boot Loader
35. How to Configure a User Account to Automatically Log On
36. How to Disable the Windows Startup Sound
37. How to Speed Up the Startup Process
38. The Process of Troubleshooting Startup
39. Startup Troubleshooting Before the Starting Windows Logo Appears
40. How to Start the System Recovery Tools
41. How to Run Startup Repair
42. How to Use BootRec.exe
43. How to Diagnose Hardware Problems
44. How to Use System Restore
45. How to Manually Repair the Boot Sector
46. How to Manually Update the BCD Registry File
47. How to Manually Replace Files
48. How to Reinstall Windows
49. Startup Troubleshooting After the Starting Windows Logo Appears
50. How to Restore the Last Known Good Configuration
51. How to Enable Boot Logging
52. How to Start in Safe Mode
53. How to Identify Failing Drivers and Services
54. How to Analyze Startup Problems in Safe Mode
55. Event Viewer (Eventvwr.msc)
56. System Information
57. Error Reporting Service
58. How to Use Device Manager to View or Change Resources
59. How to Analyze Boot Logs
60. How to Roll Back Drivers
61. How to Temporarily Disable a Service
62. Troubleshooting Startup Problems After Logon
63. How to Temporarily Disable Startup Applications and Processes
64. How to Disable Startup Applications Using the Shift Key
65. How to Disable Startup Programs Using the System Configuration Utility
66. How to Disable Startup Applications Configured Using Group Policy or Logon Scripts
67. How to Permanently Disable Startup Applications and Processes
68. Manually Remove the Entry