Windows 10: Help with Windows update corrupting Hard Drive and preventing boot

So I have a recurring problem with one of these 3 updates corrupting my hard drive and breaking its ability to boot:


2020-11 Cumulative Update Preview for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64 KB4586878

Feature update to Windows 10, version 1909

2020-10 Security Update for Adobe Flash Player for Windows 10 Version 1903 for x64-based Systems KB4580325


Windows wants to install all 3 at once so I'm not sure which ones is causing it. Installation gets to around %30 reboots its self and on reboot the BIOS posts something to the effect of "Missing operating system".

I made* new Windows 10 instalation USB and its troubleshooting menu was not able to restore bootability to data on the Hard Drive even command line CHKDSK and SFC didn't help. The updates corrupted a boot sector, partition C: the OS sector, and partition D: data storage sector based on what my troubleshooting and data recovery work has shown me.


*I had to make a new BIOS boot windows 10 installation USB since my PC does not support the UEFI boot Windows install USB I made and used on another newer PC.


I ended up reimaging the hard drive with a 6-month-old image from when I upgraded to a 1TB SSD copied off my old hard drive. That got my computer working again...But as soon as windows update caught up to those 3 aforementioned recent windows updates and tried to install them it corrupted the hard drive exactly the same as before. I have repeated this reimage, update, drive corruption cycle at least 3 times so far to verify the problem.


The PC in question is an 8 year old HP8560W with an I7 processor. This PC contains some important expensive software that I have lost the install keys for so wiping it and doing a scratch install is NOT an option.


Is there some way I can selectively prevent one or all of those 3 updates from installing to troubleshoot/prevent this problem? I've heard it's possible to turn off all windows updates but I would like to avoid that route and the security vulnerabilities it opens up.

:)

 

Help with external hard drive

Hi Debbra,

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I appreciate your interest in windows 10 and also for trying the troubleshooting steps to fix the issue. I understand the inconvenience you faced. I will certainly help you with this.

I would suggest you to plug in hard drive then check in disk management you can see the drive or not.

Follow the steps to check Drive in Disk Management.

• 
  Go to the Control Panel then click on the
  Administrative Tools. .
  
• 
  Under the Administrative Tool Click on Computer Management.
  
• 
  Click on Disk Management and check the External Hard Drive.
  

Also check in BIOS whether External Hard Drive is listed or not.

For help with the BIOS settings, refer to the computer manual or contact the manufacturer.

If it doesn’t work then, I would suggest you to update BIOS for updating BIOS contact Lenovo Support.

Follow the link:

http://support.lenovo.com/in/hi/

Disclaimer :

Modifying BIOS/complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings incorrectly can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the configuring of BIOS/CMOS settings
can be solved. Modifications of the settings are at your own risk.

Hope this information is helpful. Please do let us know if you need further assistance, we’ll be glad to assist you.

Thanks.

 

Corrupt Hard Drive! URGENT!!

How to AVOID hard drive data corruption

There are several ways your hard drive can become corrupt:
1) Insufficient cooling (especially for newest 7200 RPM's)
2) Poor quality power supply or insufficient power
3) Driver/software conflicts
4) Damaged drive during shipping (it happens more often than you might think)

Steps to prevent problems:
-buy a good quality power supply that meets your power needs. If you paid $25 then watch out! Take the time to do a little research and read customer feedback.

-Immediately run the latest hard drive diagnostics from the Manufacturer upon arrival of drive

-Go to Power Options and turn your hard drive(s) off after 30 min or so depending on use. This is especially important for a second drive that is hardly used. Why have it spinning and adding noise and heat?

-Ensure proper cooling for your case. I recommend a 12cm fan at the front, pulling air in across your hard drive(s) and a 12 cm fan at the rear drawing it out. Leave SPACE between your drives. I have an Antec P160 that has the power supply on the bottom with a divider so it doesn't add heat to the inside of the case. Many people with Cool 'n Quiet don't realize that they need to install the proper CPU drivers AND turn the Power Options to "Minimal Power Management." This cuts down on the heat inside the case.

-driver/software issues are rare and difficult to troubleshoot. Have a hard drive with no important data, then add files and drivers a few at a time then burn to a DVD-RW and verify the data (Nero). Also, make sure your drivers are up to date. The motherboard drivers are usually more up to date at the chipset manufacturers such as NVidia or VIA rather than the motherboard manufacturers. Run diagnostics and tests as soon as Windows and your basic drivers are installed, then make a backup of your cdrive before proceeding.

-Use the Manufacturer install tools AND run diagnostics on your disk before installing Windows. Then, when starting Windows installation do NOT choose the Quick format. Choosing the long format looks for any bad spots on the drive thus building up a table BEFORE installing Windows so that Windows doesn't install on to bad sectors thus creating issues.

-run S.M.A.R.T. tool (such as HDD Thermometer) periodically. Many of these are quite good. It is absolutely essential to know what your temperature is. You should be aiming for 35deg Celsius. Such tools may prevent hard drives from shutting down as per Power Options so you may want to run it initially until you are satisfied, then only periodically after that.

Finally, make sure to backup your c-drive to DVD-R and periodically back up your data. There are several programs which vary in price considerably. (Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image, Paragon Drive Image (i think), Nero and more) Find a solution that works for you and make sure it works. Some software does not work with SATA or a SATA image can't be restored on an IDE drive. Type up the steps to take in the event of Hard drive failure or Corruption and have a paper copy handy!!

Data corruption may be happening right now and you don't even know it! Hard drive corruption varies from minimal to BSOD to complete drive failure. I hope the above information helps a few people.

 

CANNOT DELETE A CORRUPTED FILE ON MY EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE ON WINDOWS 10

Hi Leenus,

Hard drive and other external memory storage can be corrupted on account of bad sectors which are no longer accessible or writable due to permanent damage. Your device or hard drive could also be infected by some type of malware. These are some of the possible
causes why you are experiencing the error "ERROR 0x80070570: The file or directory is corrupted or unreadable". To address this concern, we suggest performing the following troubleshooting methods:

Method 1

Check and repair disk errors or corrupted file system. This process can fix "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable" error caused by bad sectors, virus infection or file system corruption. To do so, follow these steps:

• Back up all of the files on the hard drive (except for the corrupted file).
• Using Search, type CMD.
• From the search results, right-click on Command Prompt and then choose Run as administrator.
• On the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk /f h: (h stands for your hard drive) and then hit the Enter key.
• Delete the corrupted file and check if you'll experience the same error.

Method 2

Format the hard drive. You can manually format the hard drive to permanently remove "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable" error. These are the steps on how to format an external drive:

• Plug the hard drive into your computer.
• Back up all of the files on the hard drive (except for the corrupted file).
• Open File Explorer and then click This PC.
• Click the external hard drive's name, click on Manage tab and then click on Format.
  
• Click Start and then click OK.

Keep us updated with the result.