Advice Please - Win10 PC Corrupted So that I Can't Get Past Login

[Bastet]

You can download Macrium Reflect free, create their boot media on USB & boot from this to fix boot problems.

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/macrium_reflect_free_edition.html

[EugenioB]

Bastet,
I understand from your signature block that you are fond of Macrium Reflect, but could you please explain what advantage you see in your suggested creation of bootable USB media made from that app, over the bootable USB which I have been using since last Sunday, made by the Microsoft Windows 10 Support web site, and which contains the necessary tools for Microsoft’s Troubleshooting, plus the data to re-install Windows 10 ?
Thank you.

[PeterOz]

To Make Bootable Media requires the Pro edition, license costing $50 for 1 year or $60 for lifetime

Sorry I read it as being free
May be time to reinstall windows.
Or do you still have time to keep trying

[EugenioB]

PeterOz,
I’ve given myself this week to try fixing this problem, without deleting everything off the boot drive.
There’s a lot that’s only in there, including lots of apps, games, their upgrades and logs. Desktop links. I can’t even remember them all, I’m sure. No data as such, including emails. About 65% full though, as you may have noticed.
It will be a pain to rebuild all that. I’m still open to trying new ideas.
Thank you for trying to help me.

[Bastet]

Macrium has the option to automatically fix Windows boot problems.
If you’re reluctant to follow my suggestions then I can’t offer any further help.

[PeterOz]

Macrium has the option to automatically fix Windows boot problems.
If you’re reluctant to follow my suggestions then I can’t offer any further help.

I suggest you follow this.
@Bastet knows her stuff.

[EugenioB]

Macrium has the option to automatically fix Windows boot problems.
If you’re reluctant to follow my suggestions then I can’t offer any further help.

Hi Bastet.
I’m not reluctant to accept any help, but please allow me to describe my current situation here.

1. I have a machine which boots fine, up to the stage of the login screen. It just won’t load any user environment, or anything else, past the point of password entry. Everyone trying to help me has focused on finding a way to make the machine boot. It boots - repeatably and reliably. After booting, it requests a registered user selection and password. It’s the rest of the startup process from that point, which seems to be broken.
2. I have now tried many things suggested by people in this Forum, and the last suggestion made (prior to your Macrium Reflect one) was to create another bootable media USB drive, other than the one which I already made last Saturday, using the Microsoft Support web site. The specific bootable media utility app suggested required the non-trivial purchase of a software license, which I would prefer to avoid for a one-time use. The alternative free method suggested by that app consisted in burning the Windows10.iso image to a USB drive. I downloaded that ISO file from the Microsoft Support web site when the trouble started, in case it might be useful later. This agonisingly slow burning process was launched on my Win10 laptop yesterday, about 28 hours ago, and has now only just reached 80% completion. When it’s finally completed, and I have had a chance to see if anything useful can come out of it, I will then look at using up a third USB drive to follow your suggestion, using Macrium Reflect.

Please have patience with me, and thank you for trying to help me.

[Bastet]

Are you using rufus or another program to make the iso bootable on a usb or just transferring the file to usb drive?

[PeterOz]

This agonisingly slow burning process was launched on my Win10 laptop yesterday, about 28 hours ago, and has now only just reached 80% completion

It takes about 15min on a 40-50MB connection.
@Bruce @xrobwx71 @Pyro any ideas.

1TB SSD boot drive, 2TB conventional data

Quick quiz.
Did you have both drives installed when you loaded the original windows?

[Bruce]

I’m still of the mind set that you could be looking at a faulty drive.
So, yeah, a repair install of Windows (at least) is warranted.

And there is no need to buy anything, all the tools needed are free.
The theory is to use the Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB stick with the latest image of Windows on it.
Then with the USB stick connected and BIOS told to boot from the USB port, reload Windows.

Personally, I’d be removing my drive and either putting it into another PC, or into an external enclosure, so I can backup my files. Then I’d be doing a fresh install.

[EugenioB]

It takes about 15min on a 40-50MB connection.
@Bruce @xrobwx71 @Pyro any ideas.

Quick quiz.
Did you have both drives installed when you loaded the original windows?

The Windows10.iso file resides on the drive of the laptop, where it was downloaded last weekend. There is nothing required from the Internet to burn this image. I’m flabbergasted that this Win To Go process is still only at 85% now, a day and a half later. The HP laptop does go to sleep after a period with no user input, but I have been working on it for at least 5 (maybe even 8) hours in all that time.

The data drive was installed by the original OEM maker of this machine, back in late 2011, and is still working fine. The boot SSD drive originally had Win8 installed by them (which means I was never given any installation media), but was upgraded within a few weeks to Win10, online. That drive has also been changed twice, swapped out for greater capacity devices, always via cloning. I installed the current Samsung SSD boot drive in mid’ 2022. I check the health of all the drives with CrystalDiskInfo, at least twice a year. For those who may have missed it, one of the checks which I ran on the boot drive when I first got use of the Command Prompt was chkdsk /f/x/r, and after a couple of hours of scanning, it reported finding absolutely nothing to fix.

[Bruce]

If you haven’t already, read up on Win To Go here; Windows To Go feature overview (Windows 10) - Windows 10 | Microsoft Learn
I don’t think it is what you are after.

The Windows Media Creation Tool is the usual method to creating bootable sticks with the latest Windows image.

But, you have waited this long, may as well see what the outcome is!

[PeterOz]

Try safe mode this way - note it can take between 3-5 shutdowns
[ol]
[li]Hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.[/li][li]Press the power button again to turn on your device.[/li][li]On the first sign that Windows has started (for example, some devices show the manufacturer’s logo when restarting) hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.[/li][li]Press the power button again to turn on your device.[/li][li]When Windows restarts, hold down the power button for 10 seconds to turn off your device.[/li][li]Press the power button again to turn on your device.[/li][li]Allow your device to fully restart. You will enter winRE.[/li][/ol]
Now that you are in winRE, you will follow these steps to take you to safe mode:

[ol]
[li]On the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.[/li][IMG alt=“Choose an option screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.”]https://support.content.office.net/e...3825eaca59.png
[IMG alt=“Troubleshoot screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.”]https://support.content.office.net/e...39925fb04c.png
[IMG alt=“Advanced options screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.”]https://support.content.office.net/e...39e82b62ac.png
[IMG alt=“Startup Settings screen in the Windows Recovery Environment.”]https://support.content.office.net/e...13c005bc22.png
[li]After your device restarts, you’ll see a list of options. Select option 5 from the list or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking.https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/start-your-pc-in-safe-mode-in-windows-92c27cff-db89-8644-1ce4-b3e5e56fe234[/li][/ol]

[EugenioB]

The Win To Go outcome was an unbootable USB stick, which turned out to be corrupted, and required repair.

Everything suggested by Bruce and PeterOz on this 3rd Forum page today was attempted repeatedly last Saturday, before contacting this Forum out of desperation. The instructions were found on numerous troubleshooting web sites. The bootable USB key which has enabled me to use the Command Prompt was made using the Windows Media Creation Tool, found on the Microsoft Windows 10/11 Support web site. It’s also how I downloaded that Windows10.iso file, for that useless Win To Go process.

I am now going to download Macrium Reflect, per Bastet’s suggestion.

[PeterOz]

I am now going to download Macrium Reflect, per Bastet’s suggestion

If not a reinstall.
Sorry I have been busy with work. I think from memory o can reinstall and still keep everting.
I will try and test this tomorrow on a live system.