Although there are multiple solutions, the one I think worked for me is that it was the file loaded just before classpnp.sys that caused the issue and in particular i think it was an anti-virus software that had cleaned the file loaded before classpnp.sys and had left it present but with a file size of 0bytes, so rather that a message coming up saying missing file, it just hangs. Or the file might just need replacing from a fresh copy. It is similiar to the mup.sys issue i had in xp.

social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/6115cb34-2...
I have a problem with booting Windows7 right after I changed disks.

answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-hardware...
When I boot my pc it freezes forever at CLASSPNP.SYS loading. ( I don't remember how I did it but I managed to get a kind of boot log on a screen) I have to push reset button again and again and suddenly after sever ...

social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/566cdd43-c...
I wanted to go into safe mode on windows 7 but it kept stopping at classpnp.sys . After reading a few threads I read about using Msconfig and checking the safe mode option under "Boot". It still keeps staying at classpnp.sys and when I hit F8 and hit " ...