Win7 Bootup - Does the Registry control Driver loading?

[GoingNative]

Hello,

I can't boot to a previously-good Win 7 installation, not even in Safe mode.

When I try, the list of loading drivers stops at one called "AVDEVPROT.SYS" (that appears just after ClassPNP) then the screen goes dark, and returns to the boot choices menu.
I think the sys file is from an Avira installation that was on the computer.

So, I haven't drilled into tech descriptions of the registry yet (Microsoft links below), but I'm looking for a high level overview of how the registry controls boot loading of drivers, and where/how they might be bypassed.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/256986/windows-registry-information-for-advanced-users

Inside the Registry

 

[GoingNative]

Drilling into it now.... wish me luck....

 

[satrow]

Perhaps too late now but Last Known Good can roll back certain issues like this, almost never on the first attempt though. What's missing from LKG is the background info on it - it can be run ~10 times and I've had multiple successes around the 7th time.

Can't think of anything specific to removing drivers from a non-booting W7 Registry.

Some W7x64 specific stuff on Startup routines, order, etc. at Gizmo's: Windows 7 Startup the [See more... ] links will lead you through quite a high degree of detail, including where many of the Registry entries are located for most Boot stages. I'd guess Windows 7 Startup Detail is the page that's most likely to be of some use.

 

[plodr]

the list of loading drivers stops at one called "AVDEVPROT.SYS

It has always been my understanding that the problem is the item after the last one you see. So avdevprot.sys is not the problem because you see it. You can't see at what the computer has a problem with because the screen goes black.