Windows 10: Win 10: Grey Spinning wheel: How to create USB recovery?

I have a custom built dual boot Win 7 64 bit OS. I got notified about upgrade availability and upgraded successfully with a minor glitch. (The monitor display went off with frequency mismatch. While I was searching for help the machine restarted automatically and voilla win 10 was up). It did few more restarts and I configured Kaspersky also to work. Overall it was working fine and restarts after enabling Kaspersky was successful.


However for the first time, I did shut down and system never came up. Its stuck in a grey screen of spinning wheel (GSOD? Grey Screen of Death).
Unfortunately I didnt create a recovery disk and now I can’t do any action.


What I have tried
a. CTRL+ALT+DEL button works only once.. It shows 3 icons, wifi connectivity (connected to my network), accessibility option and restart option.
I have tried Shift + Restart - but no luck in bringing Safe mode..
So the only option for me is to either shut/ sleep or restart. I have tried all 3 - but always comes back to GSOD


b. Starting in Go Safe mode - I have read “tutorial” on Win 10 Go Safe mode.. None of the different options work for me as I can’t see any display. I have tried using Shift + Restart but no difference.


c. I found other option is to have recovery disk. Unfortunately I didn’t create one. I have seen the tutorial on “recovery drive”.
None of my friends have upgraded so far. So I can’t create from a friends PC.


What can I do?


a. Should i download win 10 ISO and try to boot?


b. Can I create a recovery disk from Win 10 preview PC ( 64 bit - from a friends pc)




Appreciate your suggestions

:)

 

Win 10: Grey Spinning wheel: How to create USB recovery?

Hello Dhakshina,

Thank you for visiting Microsoft Community and providing us with the detailed description about the issue.

As per the description, I understand that you are experiencing issue with Grey screen of death after upgrading to Windows 10 on the system.

I certainly understand your concern and will try my best to help you.

I would suggest you to perform a
“Startup Repair” using Windows 10 bootable DVD or USB drive and check if that helps. Initiating repair from CD/DVD may have different results than earlier since the source of boot is different now. So, I would suggest to perform the repair again and
check if it helps.

If you don’t have the bootable DVD or USB drive, please refer to the steps in the article given below to create one and then follow the steps given below.

Create installation media for Windows 10

Download Windows 10

Once you have made the bootable USB or DVD drive, please follow the steps.

• 
  Insert the installation DVD or USB
  and boot Windows 10 from it.
  
• 
  In the ‘Windows setup’
  page, select the ‘language to install’, ‘Time and currency format’ and the ‘keyboard or input method’ and click on ‘next’.
  
• 
  Click on ‘Repair your computer’ and select
  ‘Troubleshoot’.
  
• 
  Click on ‘Advanced options’ and select‘Automatic Repair’ and select the operating system.
  

You might also require to change the boot priority in BIOS in order to allow the computer to boot from CD/DVD.

Important: While scanning the hard drive if any bad sectors are found, the scanner tries to repair that sector, any data available on that might be lost.

Note:
Modifying BIOS/ complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings incorrectly can cause serious problems that may prevent your computer from booting properly. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the configuring of
BIOS/CMOS settings can be solved. Modifications of the settings are at your own risk.



For more information:

I would suggest you to refer to the suggestions provided by
“Andre Da Costa” replied on January 22, 2015 in the following Microsoft Community link.

Frequently Asked Questions: Windows 10

Frequently Asked Questions: Windows 10

I hope this information is helpful.

Please do let us know if you need any further assistance, we will be glad to assist you.

Thank you.

Jayant

 

Win 10: Grey Spinning wheel: How to create USB recovery?

NO Responses!!

Chatted with MS Helpdesk. They asked me to try with Win 10 ISO download and clean install!!

Since I had no access to another windows machine; had to struggle to create bootable USB. I somehow managed to create after repeated struggle.

With a bootable USB Win 10 disk, I get into an error message by my display. Same Dell IN1930 error message (see above screenshot).

Chatted again with MS Helpdesk. They asked me to go back to previous version of Windows :-(

Can anyone help? I am not sure why I didnt get even one reply here. I hope some other option is available. I will wait for couple of more days

 

Any suggestions?

Today when I tried to restart - some more changes.. Windows gave a message that its updating. Within 1 minute updates were completed. However it stopped and hang at the same Grey Spiral Circle. *cry

Appreciate any inputs to solve this

 

Since 10 went on automatically by way of the updates having seen it downloaded and now won't run the first question to ask here would be did the upgrade get activated before things went bonkers on you? If so you have the option of download the iso for the 32bit or 64bit edition you were eligible for that being the Pro or Home edition.

The full clean install can be done without a reformat of the drive and be found activated upon reaching the desktop for the first time once everything is set up. The initial boot up however may prompt you about using the recovery options or simply click on the Install Now button and see the fresh install go on. The Program Files, Program Files(x86), and users folders will be packed away into the Windows.old folder as seen since Vista to recover anything from under your user account and program folders before seeing that cleaned off with the DiskCleanup tool

 

Hi

Can I use a recovery drive created from another system another build?

Can I try to recover from an preview build of Win 10? (taken from my friend PC)

Can any of you point me to a Win 10 64 Bit Home Recovery build that I can download?

Thanks

 

Took a moment of faith and tried the recovery USB created from a friend PC. (tech preview win 10).. The boot sequence changed and boot happened from USB. BUT.. I started getting an error which came during installation...

I get an message "Current Input Timing is not supported by the monitor display. Please change your input timing to 1366x768@60 Hz or any other monitor listed timing as per the monitor specifications".

NOTE: I got this message when installing win 10. But win 10 installed by itself and restarted itself and the problem disappeared.
So I did not bother after. Now I am stuck and dont know what to do!!

Update: I removed the recovery disk and tried to restart.. Windows showed that there is an update. It updated. But after restart.. its back to grey spinning wheel!

Screenshots (using my phone)
With recovery disk... Display not working




Ready for Updates





Finally the Grey Spinning Wheel!!

 

As I was saying before once the upgrade was activated you can now go ahead and perform a clean install of 10 in order to clean up any number of potential issues. I ran right into that problem when first not able to get an upgrade to even go on due to having two separate storage drives plugged in where boot files and temp install folders went to the wrong places fast enough until idscovered! Then once the first upgrade to go was found BUGGY the second Upgrade to Repair Install failed to activate for some reason while the subsequent clean install activated "on the spot"! Cleaned up a long list of bugs fast!

That is where you are now realing the unintentional upgrade install is a bit buggy and can either be reverted back by following the steps in the guide for this NOTE THIS! as long as you didn't run the DiskCleanup tool and see the Windows.old folder if created removed by the disk cleanup tool! OUCH! I have one upgrade here that didn't even see the Windows.old created!

As for borrowing and trying to use the Recovery Drive from even the last TP build I would question how well it would even work on the RTM releases now seen. Inbetween builds and the final there were obviously numerous changes typically seen when developing any software as well as the updates and even a patch that came out last monday to fix as well as change things in the finished Windows. Plus the Recovery Drive option makes up a recovery stick unique to your machine only and not something that shares well with a few exceptions of things like the Startup Repair or System Restore options that are common.

The next choice of options now for you however is to decide whether or not you plan to keep running with 10 or wish to revert back to the previous version you had been running? You will need to find out if the Windows.old folder is present on the drive and contains the various MS created Program Files, Program Files(x86) users, and other folders in order to run the Recover Windows 7 option when following the steps in the guide for that. How to Go Back to the Previous Windows from Windows 10

The upgrade to repair option however is still available if you have the installation media created. Now there you can have it created on your friend's machine and then run the installer in order to use the Reset option which will pack things up into a new Windows.old folder leaving you however without the option to go back to 7 without seeing to a full clean install. The guide for seeing to an Upgrade to Repair Install ironically that will be needed by many besides yourself was just finished in fact and can be looked over at How to Do a Repair Install of Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

 

Thanks Night Hawk. This seems to me the next logical step. Will start my download and complete clean install


One question though: Does the "Current Input timing not ..." (first screen shot) denote that I have missed to update the monitor driver before I initiated the upgrade?

 

You're welcome! dhakshinar *Smile That is the best possible move for you there since that will actually clean up any problems and insure the best results.

Often what happens is either the upgrade picks up a few glitches from the version being upgraded over if that has been on a long time or it simply doesn't see everything the newer version requires go on leaving you with a few headaches! But keep us updated on how things go and if you need additional help get back in here. *Wink

 

I had lot of other issues and was not able to create Win 10 USB boot stick. Finally managed to create using Rufus.

However, the display refuses to comeup. I got the BIOS and then the USB got recognized and went into Win 10 boot.
I saw the Win 10 Logo and after that shortly back to "Dell IN1930: The current input timing is not supported by the monitor display" *Mad (same as the screenshot above)

Now, I am stuck. I chatted with MS AnswerDesk. They are asking me to re-install my old Windows!!

Is there any other better suggestion?

Since I have dual boot - I am able to access my drives from Ubuntu. Where can I get error logs? Can I update my windows display driver from Ubuntu?

 

I'm afraid you can only recover data while being booted in the ubuntu install. That's one reason why people may use a live cd or usb flash drive as a data recovery stick when booting the other OS live. Driver installations however are either seen during the Windows set up which would have been with previous versions the F6 stick floppy disk in drive to load drivers method or once the 10 installer now connects, locates, and automatically installs them as the set up continues.

The one thing I have to ask here is that you unplug the other drives including the one that ubuntu was installed to until after the next clean install is successful! The ubuntu drive is going to be seen by the 10 installer as a non OS drive since it is not a previous version of Windows it can add into the BCD store as a boot option!

The installer tends to get confused and place boot files and temp installation folders on the wrong drive(s) resulting in seeing the installation hang right after the 10 logo screen or during an upgrade install simply run into an error message if not return directly to the desktop. Unlike what had been seen with 7 and later the 8 Customer Preview where the two storage drives were left plugged in as each of the two OS drives were to see stand alone installations while having the other unplugged the 10 installer ends up seeing additional drives as Storage Space where separate drives are combined as one!

Several times here during the intial failed upgrade attempts the first system restart after the set up files were copied over 100% saw the exact same get past logo screen to blank screen hang up until those two storage drives were unplugged! Then 10 went on fast and furious! Unfortunately due to the clutter of the failed attempts I should simply nuked the drive again to see a full clean install replace the activated but troublesome upgrade but opted to try the upgrade install a second time to repair the first which did work but still not the best to be! But the problem you are seeing there with not getting past the logo screen and seeing the clean install reboot a couple of more times tof finally finish up the last stage of the set up is due to having the other drives present.

 

Its not that simple @nighthawk. Its single drive partitioned using gnuHub. I have already tried disconnecting all other drives (such as an ANT+ stick etc). Now My computer has only connections to the TV monitor and wireless driver plus mouse/ keyboard

 

Back when first looking at 8 I was then under the impression that the "Secure Boot" being mentioned was in regards to 8 invalidating any other OS when trying to see the 7/8 dual boot. Since you don't have any extras plugged in the next thing I would suspect to be a suspect would be the Linux installation being a concern since that is already on the drive with a grbb boot loader inplace?

If the 10 installer is refusing or not able as it should to overwrite that in favor of the Windows BCD Store and boot manager plus other boot files that could be the monkey wrench in the works? I have to add that in as a possible suspect not having set up any dual boot with a distro quite yet. I went with seeing one go on by way of Hyper-V instead to avoid any multiple OS conflicts already having 7 set up in a dual boot with 10. If the drive there has a swap space at the front of the drive while 10 wants to create the System Reserved in the same spot when not using the Drive tools option to simply pass through that if not reformat the primary but allowing the 10 installer to automatically work on this that is where you might be having the problem.

Since you can't very well use the snipping tool to have a look at how the drive is partitioned you might be able to save a screenshot by booting into ubuntu to take one while having GParted open to view he drive. If you can post a screen from that it should show if this is the type of problem that needs to be solved with a possible wipe of ubuntu at least until 10 is on and working. 7 was a bit more multi-OS friendly back then then what the three newer versions are now working with as far as how the set up goes.