Windows 10: Spinning dots at login problem, but can't repair, revert or reset

I got this problem 2 days ago: my computer hangs at the infamous spinning dots screen, and after trying out everything I've read out there, still no solution.


I lost count of how many times I've had to force shut the computer, and it will only boot to safe mode after I enable safe boot mode on BIOS settings, force shut the PC and then disable safe mode again.

In safe mode, I tried to revert to a restore point, but it didn't work, and on the next boot on restore mode it told me the restore point had failed and that I had to use a repair disk.
Still on the safe mode recovery option, couldn't do much because windows told me I didn't have a "Recovery Environment", and that, again, I had to use a repair disk.

I then got a Windows 10 x64 iso from the Microsoft site and put it in a USB using Rufus, and booted my PC with it.Upon trying to do a clean install, it told me it couldn't because an update was taking place, and that I should reboot. I rebooted, and got more spinning dots...
Still on the recovery menu from the USB, it tells me I can't revert to a previous build, return to a recovery point, use system image recovery. I tried startup repair but it did nothing.
I don't even get the "Reset this PC" option.

Dunno if it's related, but here's some background on my 2 months old laptop:Before having this error, I got occasional BSODs when the laptop woke up (IRQ_LESS_OR_NOT_EQUAL IIRC), which I never solved, but I think the culprit was my ethernet board, since it was always disabled after the BSODs.
Also had do disable and enable one sound component on device manager once because the laptop wasn't recognizing my earbuds (it worked).

So far I've also tried:
- Ctrl + alt + del
- Taking out all USB and other cables
- chkdsk and sfc, on safe mode and on the bootable USB menu
- Clean boot


Is there any other info I forgot to give that is important?

At this point, I don't really care if I lose all my files, only had this laptop for 2 months, and already backed up all that mattered.

Has anyone sumbled upon this before? Any help is greatly appreciated.


Bernard

:)

 

[SOLVED] Stuck on spinning dots, but can't repair, revert or reset

I got this problem 2 days ago: my computer hangs at the infamous spinning dots screen, and after trying out everything I've read out there, still no solution.

I lost count of how many times I've had to force shut the computer, and it will only boot to safe mode after I enable safe boot mode on BIOS settings, force shut the PC and then disable safe mode again.

In safe mode, I tried to revert to a restore point, but it didn't work, and on the next boot on restore mode it told me the restore point had failed and that I had to use a repair disk.
Still on the safe mode: recovery option, couldn't do much because windows told me I didn't have a "Recovery Environment", and that, again, I had to use a repair disk.

I then got a Windows 10 x64 iso from the Microsoft site and put it in a USB using Rufus, and booted my PC with it.
Upon trying to do a clean install, it told me it couldn't because an update was taking place, and that I should reboot. I rebooted, and got more spinning dots...
Still on the recovery menu from the USB, it tells me I can't revert to a previous build, return to a recovery point, use system image recovery. I tried startup repair but it did nothing.
I don't even get the "Reset this PC" option.

Dunno if it's related, but here's some background on my 2 months old laptop:

I got it with windows 10 already.

Before having this error, I got occasional BSODs when the laptop woke up (IRQ_LESS_OR_NOT_EQUAL IIRC), which I never solved, but I think the culprit was my ethernet board, since it was always disabled after the BSODs.<br>
Also had do disable and enable one sound component on device manager once because the laptop wasn't recognizing my earbuds (it worked).

So far I've also tried:
- Ctrl + alt + del
- Taking out all USB and other cables
- chkdsk and sfc, on safe mode and on the bootable USB menu

- Clean boot

- Did the diagnostics offered in the F12 menu, got no errors.

My OS is in an SSD, but I've also got a hard drive.

Is there any other info I forgot to give that is important?

At this point, I don't really care if I lose all my files, only had this laptop for 2 months, and already backed up all that mattered.

If noone can figure out what the problem is, i'll gladly take advice on which partition I should format and how to do a clean install.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and thank you for your time.

Att,

Bernard

 

[SOLVED] Stuck on spinning dots, but can't repair, revert or reset

Bernard I am very glad you found a solution without having to do a clean install.

I always try to find a solution and very rarely have to resort to a complete re-install

Well done, and thanks for the information on how you resolved your issue . . .

 

Hi,

suggests the partition that provides that is missing or inaccessible.

As you have a full backup, you could (assuming you have one) reset your laptop to 'as bought' using the manufacturer's recovery partition:
4 Ways To Factory Reset Your Windows Computer

If that doesn't work, then a clean install, which you've attempted, but In order to do that, as booting from a Windows bootable medium won't allow you, you need to either
- format your disk
- delete all partitions you don't want to keep

(That depends what's on your disk- for example, you may have a data partition or want to keep the manufacturer's recovery partition).

 

Hello dalchina,

Thanks a lot for your reply.

Yesterday night I actually solved the booting issue, I had to uninstall the graphic card's driver instead of just disabling it.
After updating them to the latest version, I had no more problems on boot.

So this makes the issue half solved, no files lost *Smile

I'll read some tutorials on how to restore the Recovery Environment now that I can work outside of the safe mode (hope it can be done without formating anything).

Again, thanks for your help *Smile
Bernard

 

Hi, suggest you post a screenshot of Disk Management (Type Disk M in the cortana search field).

There is a way to keep what you have and recreate a good set of Win 10 partitions.

 

Hello, Here is the screenshot of my disk management window.
How do I proceed now?

 

Hi, Disk 3 is an external USB drive, what is Disk 2? It's very small.. Please remove it.

Disk 1 should be your OS disk, with the larger factory reset Recovery partition, an EFI partition, and 2 Recovery partitions (one of which will be redundant).

Now try this:
Press SHIFT and left click on Restart.

Do you see a blue screen similar to Option 1?
Safe Mode - Start Windows 10 in - Windows 10 Forums

Navigate through the prompts to safe mode.

If that works, your recovery environment has been fixed as a result of applying the upgrade (effectively reinstalling Windows).

 

The small disk must've been the WIndows 10 image USB I forgot to remove from before.
Tried Shift+Restart, and it got me to a boot menu with a lot of options. Should I do something there?

 

Do you see a blue screen similar to Option 1?
Safe Mode - Start Windows 10 in - Windows 10 Forums

Navigate through the prompts to safe mode ----->

Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode using Advanced Startup Options
1. Boot to advanced startup options.

2. Click/tap on Troubleshoot. (see screenshot below)



3. Click/tap on Advanced options. (see screenshot below)



4. Click/tap on Start Settings. (see screenshot below)



5. Click/tap on Restart. (see screenshot below)

 

On the 1st screen, I don't have "Use another operating system".
Clicking on "Troubleshooting" takes me directly to "Advanced Options".
And in "Advanced Option", I only have the "UEFI Firmware Settings" and "Startup Settings".

 

Ok, I think you have lost your recovery partition or a link to it.
The way forward is to clean install Win10, then replace the OS partition with your existing OS partition.
So, here's the procedure:
1. Using disk imaging (e.g. Macrium Reflect (free) + its boot medium - which you must create and test- + external storage for images
Image your present system disk (Backup, Backup Windows).
Note the size of your present OS partition.
2. Booting from your Win 10 boot medium, clean install Win 10, same version, deleting partitions on your system disk. Make sure the Windows partition is big enough. You can decide whether you want to keep your manufacturer's factory reset recovery partition.
3. Boot from your macrium boot disk, and replace only the new Windows partition with the old one from your disk image.
4. Booting from your Win 10 boot medium, run startup repair.
5. Check all works.

Make sure you have all relevant materials to hand, and your BIOS is configured to boot from external media before proceeding.

(There is some text on the screenshots from the tutorial you won't have, they are from a dual boot Insider build - so not significant. The items highlighted with arrows are, and the major content you've noted missing).