Windows 10: Spinning Dots at Boot Up

Here is an odd one which makes me think it is a hardware issue.

First, I installed win 8.1 and all boots fine. I then upgraded to win 10. It booted fine. Then I let it run updates and installed the two dell chipset drivers. I then booted the machine and got the spinning dots. It would not boot.

I have an identical XPS8700 (I bought 2 at the same time). Name the problem machine XPS1 and the working machine XPS2. I took the drive out of XPS1 and put it in XPS2 and it booted fine. I put the drive back into XPS1 and same issue. Just spinning dots.

This now makes be think it is a hardware issues. However, working with dell I ran two different hardware diags and it reports fine

Could there be a hardware issue even though all the dell diagnostics say no issue.

Now if a hardware issue, how do you figure which component and if I upgrade the MB or get a new system (dell may just send me a new one since we do not know which component), can I just restore my latest image or will I have licensing issues?

 

Issue is resolved.

I pulled the CMOS battery. I can now boot into windows 10. I restored by Acronis image of 10 without an issue and it now boots into win 10.

My guess is something was corrupt in the NVRAM that would not allow win 10 to boot but had no effect on windows 8.1.

thanks to all for the help.

Mike

 

Anyone have any idea as to what could have caused something with the cmos or nvram to not allow win 10 to boot but had not effect on win 8.1? My concern is there is an underlying issue with the MB and an issue with happen again.

 

Probably a setting in the BIOS that was not correct and prevented windows 10 from loading as you describe it.
When you pulled the CMOS battery you resetted the BIOS.

 

thanks. but no settings were changed. Windows 10 was working fine for 6 weeks before so I do not think it is a setting issue.

 

Pulling the CMOS has done the following

 

To add to what axe0 is saying, read this to see the difference between BIOS and CMOS, They are not what most people think they are. CMOS is not the battery itself:
Difference Between CMOS and BIOS

 

Sorry to resurrect. Just wanted to post to say pulling the battery worked for me, so thank you very much!! The spinning dots were doing my nut in. They would sit there forever, although if I pressed ctrl alt del, they would oddly decide to move on and boot. But pulling the battery now makes it boot properly super fast without the dots.