Windows 10: Laptop incapable of completing boot after Windows Update last week

TLS,

If you suspect HDD issues, you need to check it first.,,it might be OK.

Also for your info (Media Creation Tool):
Windows 10

There is installation guidance in our Tutorials. Have a couple of appointments this AM, will see what is found later.

 

If you have a Windows 10 installer on DVD/Flash you can use Recovery Options from there, even run CHKDSK, or maybe 3rd party app like GWscan to see if it really is a bad HDD. Unless it is Solid State? If not, download GWscan into the root of your flash drive, after you get recovery up, open a DOS prompt and run GWscan, it works across many different brands of HDD. That way you can know for sure if you even need a new HDD.

 

I confirmed via the Linux tools it is a physical damage on the disk. I ran a tool called badblocks. It is designed to look not at the file system integrity, but sector integrity. It found about 15 errors on the disk. I have now replaced the drive, but the situation isn't ideal. Until opening up the laptop for the first to put the new drive in, I wasn't aware replacing the drive on this model voids your warranty. There is literally a sticker over the final screw securing the hard drive support in place. Furthermore, I purchased this laptop two years ago. This is when 90% of laptop hard drives came in one single form factor. The drive the sys came with was a thin model of drive with at least 1/8 of an inch off the top. I wasn't even aware of the existence of such drives. I have never seen them in stores. So I put the new, standard-sized drive in, but the screw holes for the support don't line up with the ones on the drive. Going against everything I know not to do and in desperation, I tape the drive to the holder, but one I put the bottom of the chassis back on, something else is wrong. The chassis won't fit the bigger drive in it. I was only able to put 4 of the screws back in, and now there is a slight bulge on the bottom of the unit. With how everything is sitting in there, I don't know how long this will last before it breaks. Upon (possibly expedient) drive failure, I will purchase a new laptop, and it won't be an Asus.

For the time being, I have Windows re-installed on my new drive. I don't know how long.