Windows 10: Will Not Boot, Not Reset, No Key, No Media, File System is Mush - Fix?

Discus and support Will Not Boot, Not Reset, No Key, No Media, File System is Mush - Fix? in Windows 10 Support to solve the problem; Hi, As I help people with Win10 I'm encountering a problem. Let's say you have a Win10 laptop or PC that will not boot, it will not reset, there are... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Support' started by leegold, Dec 15, 2016.

  1. leegold Win User

    Will Not Boot, Not Reset, No Key, No Media, File System is Mush - Fix?


    Hi,

    As I help people with Win10 I'm encountering a problem. Let's say you have a Win10 laptop or PC that will not boot, it will not reset, there are no recovery partitions saved. The key is not printed on the unit. Maybe and old Win7 key, but assume the key is not there or anywhere, it can't boot to get the key. There may be a key recovery tool CD to boot to, but it doesn't work. Reset locks up for days. And, there is no install media.

    So how do you get to do a clean reinstall?
    But how do I get install media?
    I have Win10 PE disks, they are handy but could they help?

    Thanks

    :)
     
    leegold, Dec 15, 2016
    #1
  2. No Not Win User

    Is there a way to perform a clean install of Windows 10 Pro on a computer that originally shipped with Windows 10 Home?

    This results in a clean copy of Windows 10 Home. The requirement is an upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. This procedure does not address that point.

    I too need to upgrade to Pro from Home. I tried an installation with a full version DVD installation of Pro. It results in the installation of Home.

    How does one actually end up with Pro on the computer?
     
    No Not, Dec 15, 2016
    #2
  3. No Not Win User
    Is there a way to perform a clean install of Windows 10 Pro on a computer that originally shipped with Windows 10 Home?

    I am confused. At the start of this thread you wrote that you purchased an upgrade to pro. Did you not receive a product key with that purchase?
     
    No Not, Dec 15, 2016
    #3
  4. Will Not Boot, Not Reset, No Key, No Media, File System is Mush - Fix?

    if that system had already been upgraded to Windows 10 you will not need the key. The hardware signature is registered at Microsoft and when you reinstall Windows 10, it will activate itself automatically without a key.

    Just download the Windows 10 install media and you should be fine.
     
    OldGuyGeek, Dec 15, 2016
    #4
  5. spunk Win User
    If you can't reset the PC. then chances are great the HDD has failed and needs to be replaced. And as stated, if you already upgraded that computer to Windows 10, the product key is already registered.
     
    spunk, Dec 15, 2016
    #5
  6. You can get install Media here, Software Download
    If Windows 10 was factory installed there should be an OEM embedded key in the BIOS. Use the correct install media and it will be auto detected and the matching version installed automatically.
    If it was upgraded to Windows 10 via the free upgrade offer, it will have a Digital License stored on the activation server. In that case you just skip entering a key, install the same version as is currently installed and it will activate with the Digital License. Install the wrong version and it won't. If you install Pro, and the License is for Home, it won't activate. And vise versa. If you can't determine which version is installed, install Home. If Home doesn't activate then do a change key and enter the Pro generic key. If the Digital License is for Pro it will then activate. If it doesn't, odds are the original OS was Home Single Language. If that's is true you will have to start over with that ISO.
     
    alphanumeric, Dec 15, 2016
    #6
  7. NavyLCDR New Member
    I must respectfully disagree. Built-in Windows reset had proven historically to be unreliable and there are plenty of threads on this forum where a clean install has succeeded just fine after failed reset attempts.
     
    NavyLCDR, Dec 15, 2016
    #7
  8. leegold Win User

    Will Not Boot, Not Reset, No Key, No Media, File System is Mush - Fix?

    This is "huge" for me. I didn't understand how it worked and now I'm beginning to get it. Thank you to all posters.

    So updated from 7 or 8 then I just provide the media and as i understand it now during the install it will be automatically verified and no key is needed. If the PC came with 10 new then I will find the key in the BIOS or I assume if the file system is intact enough I can recover the key with a some of the special tools for that (they are usually on a bootable repair CD).

    Also as I'm understanding it now (and I will try this myself) going to the MS website i can download Win10 install media...even if I'm not connecting from the PC that needs it (since as I said it won't boot) I can get the proper media..I assume an iso file(?)

    I will check this out. Thank you.
     
    leegold, Dec 16, 2016
    #8
  9. alphanumeric, Apr 4, 2018
    #9
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Will Not Boot, Not Reset, No Key, No Media, File System is Mush - Fix?

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