Re: Stuck but not stuck at "Starting Windows"

idata · ‎08-05-2010

We just received 75 new HP ProBook 6440b laptops with Core i5 cpus and Intel HD Graphics. I've started to migrate my 6510b laptop (Core2Duo, 965 Graphics) to this new platform. I've had plenty of experience setting up sysprep deployment images with XP via CriticalDeviceDatabase additions for the new mass storage controllers. This has allowed me to many times in the past move directly from one machine to another.

I have been able to move my hard drive directly from the 6510 to the 6440 and almost everything works perfectly. The one part I have problems with is with the video driver. After installing the video driver, whether it is from HP or from Intel directly the system fails to boot fully. It's not a traditional failure in that the only failure is the video. The sound driver works and the network works. In a normal boot the video driver kicks in and you get the welcome screen to replace the "Starting Windows" animation just before the windows startup sound plays. On my computer, with the video driver enabled, the screen gets slightly brighter at the point the video driver should kick in, and then the sound plays. After a minute or so after the computer can finish booting, still with "Starting Windows" on screen, you can access the computer over the network. It seems fully functional except that the video doesn't work. I've tried using vnc to view the screen remotely but the window opens collapsed on itself and then suddenly closes. It's almost like vnc is trying to work with a 0x0 screen resolution and doesn't know what to do.

If I restart in safe mode I can disable the Intel HD Graphics device in device manager and I can then boot into regular mode.

Has anyone seen this? Does anyone have a solution? I can't see anything in the windows event log. Is there any sort of debug logging that I can enable for the Intel video driver?

idata · ‎08-08-2010

I've been continuing my experimentation with this problem and have found that this process works fine on 32bit Windows 7. I only have the problem with 64bit.

idata · ‎08-09-2010

Continuing in this problem I have repeated the process on a coworker laptop that is also using 64bit. His machine worked just fine. Now at least I have something I can compare against to hopefully solve my own problem.

idata · ‎08-10-2010

Last night I was able to work my way through device manager and compare the two 64bit machines. There were some minor differences. There was the offical HP bluetooth driver on the non working along with Daemon Tools. And one other that I can't remember at this moment. Anyway matching all the drivers hasn't solved the problem.

Some people think using windows with out a mouse is hard... try using it with out a picture on the screen. It's very odd the system still works. You can press ctrl-alt-del and type your password. It will process your logon and all of your programs will load. All the sounds play and you will show up on IM networks that you have configured to autostart.

I'm starting to think I just have to rebuild onto a new computer.

idata · ‎08-13-2010

I've run out of time to resolve this problem and will just have to blame it on some unknown driver or piece of software that i've used over the time I've had Windows 7.

I've reformated and started reinstalling all my software and settings.