Windows 10: Refresh/reset Win10, stuck in boot loop

Preface- this is a laptop of a computer illiterate friend. Knowing win10 had a built in tool to do a clean install, I offered to run it for her. Alas, I am apparently not as literate as I'd like to think.

The computer in question is an Acer Cloudbook AO1-431-C8G8. It came with Windows 10 installed on it. 2GB DDR3 L memory, and eMMC 32GB hard drive space. (I am prepared to use it as a frisbee at this point.)

She had been locked out(someone else had put a password on it and did God knows what else to this thing), so I shift+restarted and opted to do a fresh install, delete all extraneous data, etc etc(as per her request- she didn't want to deal with whatever might have happened to it). The computer began jumping through the process, the display reads "Installing Windows, Your PC will restart several times. Sit back and relax." then it reads a percentage and below that is the configuration percentage.

It has gotten to 64-66%, hangs out there for awhile, then jumps to 86%, then 89%, then abruptly restarts, and goes right back to somewhere between 64 and 66%, and the cycle repeated. I'm not sure how to break the loop. Attempting to restart by holding down the power button turns off the display(it seems to actually turn off), then upon turning back on, continues this cycle.

I can get to the CMD prompt, but as I'm booting using the operating system on the computer itself, I'm not sure where to go from here. All the guides I have found seem to involve being able to get to the start menu, which obviously isn't available because I can't stop the boot loop, much less attempt to log in. Help?

:)

 

Stuck at "Restoring your previous version of windows"

How To Fix The Windows Bootloader

How To Fix The Windows Bootloader - TweakHound

Fixing the Windows Bootloader via the setup DVD

Fixing the Windows Bootloader via the setup DVD

Stuck in a Automatic System Repair Loop on W

Stuck in a Automatic System Repair Loop on W

Windows 10 / 8 fails to boot; Automatic Repair, Refresh, Reset PC also fails

Windows 10 fails to boot; Automatic Repair, Refresh, Reset PC fails

 

Stuck in a Automatic System Repair Loop on W

Was Windows installed when you purchased this machine? If yes, then the whole purchase should be covered by Warranty.

See if any of these help you out?

How_to_recover_system_when_OS_cannot_login

https://www.msi.com/files/pdf/How_to_recover_system_when_OS_cannot_login.pdf

MSI FAQ

Support For Gaming 24GE 2QE | All-in-One PC - The most versatile consumer electronics | MSI Global

Have you been in contact with MSI Suport?

Centre d'enregistrement des membres et des produits

Concentrate on the more relevant MSI links above. What follows below are just general information links.

Stuck in a Automatic System Repair Loop on W

Stuck in a Automatic System Repair Loop on W

Windows 10 / 8 fails to boot; Automatic Repair, Refresh, Reset PC also fails

Windows 10 fails to boot; Automatic Repair, Refresh, Reset PC fails

Unable to refresh or reset PC after Automatic Repair fail

Solved - Unable to refresh or reset PC after Automatic Repair fail

 

Hi, it can be tricky sorting out someone else's PC.

- I guess you mean a refresh or a reset. That's not the same thing as a clean install, which from the simplest point of view means taking a Win 10 bootable medium (DVD, flash drive), booting the PC from that, wiping system disk or partition, and installing Windows fresh from the external disk.

Now, I suggest you have two basic possible ways to proceed.

1. As this laptop came with Win 10, I assume it has a manufacturer's recovery partition on it. You can check with Acer's site as to how to use that. If you do, the laptop will be set up exactly as bought.

2. Download Win 10 and create a bootable USB drive or DVD.
Boot the PC from it, make sure you delete any existing Win 10 partitions, and install Windows anew.

Windows 10 ISO Download - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials
Clean Install Windows 10 - Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

Now, before all that, you might like to check the disk on the laptop - if it's faulty in any way, the above would be a waste of time. To do that you can download Kyhi's boot DVD/flash drive from the top of the Software and Apps section, and download and run Crystal Diskinfo (free) to check the disk. It gives a simple good/caution/bad indication.

Turning to data issues:
- at this point it would still be possible to retrieve data from the disk if necessary. If not, carry on.
- hopefully your friend has any license keys for installed programs separately recorded.

If you set up the user account to be the same, then any (purchased) store apps will be available.

 

Ah! Okay! I've always heard that more or less used interchangeably. *Smile Learning new things. I'll give it a try, and return and report. Thank you!

 

Noted it's a tiny machine with just 32Gb disk... that's really really tiny.
And as such, no DVD drive- so everything will have to be on a USB drive of one sort or another.

My comment about a manufacturer's recovery partition is likely to be irrelevant as the disk is so small.