Windows 10: Login screen doesn't load, can't get computer to boot in safe mode

Hello all,
This morning when I booted up my HP Pavilion, my taskbar, windows button, Cortana, etc wouldn't respond. This has happened periodically since upgrading to Windows 10, but it hast happened for a while. The way I used to fix it was to open the system configuration tool, go to the boot tab, and select safe boot. After rebooting, I would change the option back and reboot again to a working taskbar. Like an idiot, first thing this morning, I didn't do that. I clicked on diagnostic startup under the general tab, not remembering exactly the way I used to do it. This is supposed to load only basic devices and services.

Now when windows boots to the login screen, as soon as I hit something to bring up the user icon, user name, and password, the screen dims and zooms slightly, but nothing comes up. The only icons I get are the lower right hand portion of the screen with network options (turned off), accessibility options, and power options. The screen will brighten and zoom back out after about a minute. This is also a problem I have had periodically, but reboots have fixed it in the past. No dice today.

I have restarted probably twenty times, with and without holding the shift key trying to prompt a screen that would give me access to start the computer in safe mode, which hasn't worked for me. The computer just restarts as normal. I've tried typing the password blind, also a suggestion I saw somewhere, but that didn't do anything. I have also tried hard restarting 3 consecutive times, as I read it would force the advanced options screen up where I could start in safe mode and possibly be able to log in, but instead it started the automatic repair sequence that leads me to an unresponsive "choose a keyboard layout" page that doesn't accept any input from keyboard or mouse, and forces me to hard reset again. I have also tried tapping shift + F8 as fast as humanly possible multiple times while restarting to try and get windows to register it, to no avail. On the BIOS screen, I have been through about every option. Pressing F9 for diagnostics gives me pass readings on everything, F11 for system repair gets me to the dead keyboard layout page again. To top it all off, my Microsoft Bluetooth mouse was working until the point when I tried unplugging everything from the computer to see if that was the hang up. Upon plugging it back it, I now cannot get my mouse to work, rendering even clicking restart on the login page useless. Other than that, it has been a pretty productive day. Hope everyone else's is going well! Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated, because I've exhausted mine.

:)

 

Windows 10 Upgrade - Not able to login - Fast Access Facial Recognition software issue - constant flickering/refresh

This is ridiculous. I can't even boot in safe mode. Everything I see about booting to safe mode involves me somehow getting past this flickering login screen to begin with. Please fix this ASAP.

 

Stuck in safe mode (Windows 10)

Windows 10 is booting up in safe mode. I can't login because I've forgotten my password, I usually use the 4-digit password option but now I'm required to use the full password.

I resetted my password using another computer but I can't use the new password because it keeps booting up in safe mode with no internet connection (so presumambly the new password isn't updated).

If I press SHIFT+Restart on the login screen and choose "Safe Mode With Networking" there is still no internet connection in the login screen so my problem persists.

I can't login to windows so don't tell me to do anything that requires me to login to windows.

How can I turn off windows booting into safe mode without having to log in?

 

Try using a Wired USB or PS/2 Mouse.
When you get to the choose a keyboard layout screen, click or press See More Keyboard Layouts. There should be an option to choose the onscreen keyboard. If not, do you have PS/2 Ports on the back of the computer? If so, try using a PS/2 Keyboard.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll see if I can't scavenge up a USB mouse today, but I checked yesterday and the computer doesn't have the PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard. Both my mouse and keyboard are microsoft Bluetooth and connect via USB dongle, so I'm not sure if wired USB will add much of an advantage, but stranger things have happened and it's certainly worth a try. I appreciate it!

 

I've got a hard wired USB mouse and keyboard. I did get my mouse back at the login screen, but shift+restart still doesn't initiate the troubleshooting screen on reboot, and when windows inititiates automatic repair, I still get a keyboard layout screen that is unresponsive. Is there a backdoor way to initiate a safe mode boot somehow in windows 10?

 

At the Windows loading screen with the spinning hold the power key and do a forced power off. Interrupt the boot cycle three times like that and it will boot into safe mode next time.

or boot from Windows 10 installation USB flash drive or DVD, at the first screen press shift + F10 to get a command prompt. Then option three here:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/...a.html#option3

 

I tried the three reset sequence where I pressed the power button when the windows icon appeared, but it through me into the windows automatic repair, which in turn took me to the unresponsive keyboard layout screen.

I did find where you helped another user along over on this thread, and he marked it solved. I believe it is the same advice you're giving me, and I'll attempt that next.

Login screen not appearing and safe mode doesn't work

Thanks for the help! I'll give it a shot.

 

If you get to where you can, I would suggest you save an image backup of your OS partition, or at least copy data you want to save to an external storage device and do a clean install of Windows 10 to fix your problem permanently.

 

Okay, so I got the computer to boot from a Windows 10 installation USB flash drive, however, when I open a command prompt, the directory I'm sent to is X:\Sources, and the tutorial mentioned has their command prompt sends them to C:\windows\system32 and thus the commands they say to use don't work. X:\Sources is a folder on the USB. The answer here could be painfully obvious but I don't have a ton of experience poking around in command prompts.

 

I was able to run the same commands from the x:\ directory and was able to finally get a boot to safe mode. After switching back to a normal boot and restarting again, the login screen was again unresponsive, and after a timeout and a press of the keyboard, finally loaded after about 5 seconds, but it did load. Gotta wonder what is up there. I guess i know how to fix it now. Thanks for all the help!

PS, if anyone in the future stumbles across this thread, when creating the windows 10 iso file, skid the DVD burn option and go for the USB. The ISO files are now too big for a standard DVD. Nothing like going through the whole process more than once.

 

Glad you figured it out. For future reference:
Once in the Command Prompt (ie) X:\Sources, you need to Change Directory to the OS drive, it may not be C:
At the X:\Sources prompt type C: and press enter, or whatever drive letter the OS is on now. the prompt will change to C:\>
At the C: prompt, type DIR and press enter. This will list the contents of the Directory, if it has a Windows Folder, you are in the right place, if not change to the D: drive etc. until you find the right Drive.
To go to the tutorial directory, assuming it is C:\> type CD Windows and press enter, the directory changes to C:\Windows, now type CD system32 and press enter, the prompt turns to C:\Windows\system32. Now you can type any commands that need to be run from this directory.

 

Thanks Spunk! That did throw me off a bit, but once I figured out how to list the directories I took a deep breath and figured I could still get where I wanted to go. It's been a frustrating few days of finding moments to work on it, then googling how to do about every step I was required to take. I really appreciate the help guys!