Windows 10: Win 10 Upgrade Hang – Four Days and Counting

I’m not sure how it happened, but my Windows 7 laptop started doing an upgrade to Win 10 four days ago, and it still seems to be in the process. The hard drive light periodically flashes. Control/Alt/Delete does nothing. When I power down and try to power back up into safe mode it shows me the Win 10 windows logo and then continues the upgrade process never allowing me into safe mode. Any ideas on how I might be able to fix this?

:)

 

Activate Windows 10 (Error code: 0xC004C003)

I have this exact issue with my Surface Pro 3. WIn 8.1 -> In-place upgrade to Win 10 -> Clean install Win 10, twice. Both times, in-place upgrade successfully activated. After clean install, successfully activated. Both times, after 2 days or so, activation
status revoked. Now 0xC004C003 with no relief after 3 days and counting ...

 

Windows 10 hands intermittently on shut-down

After updating from Windows 8 to 10 the machine seems to hang when shutting down with a message something like, "Please don't turn off or unplug your computer while Windows does ....". The computer is run every day and it hangs about one out of three or
four shut downs. It is still hung a day later. A cold re-boot usually restores operation (permitting another shut down attempt) but sometimes has to be repeated. This problem does not occur on a second Win 10 PC with identical hardware (2 year old HP,10
GB Ram, 3.6 GHz Intel CPU, factory installed 250 GB SST). Before the Win 10 upgrade there was another issue that could be related: about one time in ten the machine would hang on boot-up with a" blue screen of death"; a cold re-boot almost always solved that
issue. That particular issue has not re-occurred with Win 10. Windows Troubleshooter can find no problems and the machine seems to work normally in other respects. All suggestions gratefully received.

 

Turn it off, unplug it, and remove the battery. Hold the Start Button down for one minute, and then put it back together and turn it on. If that doesn't get you back into 7, it's possible that you have had a hardware failure.

 

No, that didn't work. It still boots back into the Win 10 upgrade. Are there any other ideas that I can try?

 

Savanna, if removing all power (including the battery) didn't stop it, then it appears that Windows 10 is installed on your rig, and now it is locked up in either activation or upgrades. You mentioned that the Win 10 logo appears, so that's probably the case.

When the Win 10 logo screen appears, does anything else appear with it?

 

The dots that trace a circular pattern come up underneath the Win 10 logo, which I think means that something is in process. That holds for a bit and then the screen goes black, but the hard drive ligh flashes periodically.

 

Savannah, the circling dots indicate that Windows 10 is installed and is trying to start up. Your rig MIGHT be able to go into Safe Mode the same way that it did in Windows 7. If you don't remember, try restarting while repeatedly tap;ping F8.

Also, can you give us the model number of your computer?

 

I've tried to boot into safe mode several times and it won't take. It keeps going to the Win 10 icon with the circling dots. I have a Dell Inspiron N5050 laptop.

 

Okay, you're not going to like this. Your machine is not designed to be upgraded to Windows 10 Product Support | Dell US


You need to beg or borrow any legal copy of Windows--it doesn't have to be Windows 7. Put it into your DVD drive and turn off your machine. Turn it back on, and it should boot from the DVD. Use that to get into the repair menu. Use that to go back to 7.

If you can't get hold of one, you need to go to a computer shop and they can restore it to Windows 7.

Savannah, I'm sorry that this happened to you. Laptops are more finicky than desktops, and your laptop just wasn't up to the task.

 

I was able to find a set of Recovery Discs. Once booted it offers me a number of options. The one that I think I want is "Restore computer and preserve my new or changed files (recommended)". Is this correct? Otherwise I was also able to find a Windows XP Reinstallation CD with a product key.

 

Savannah, go for it. That option SHOULD get you back to 7 with all or most of your old files and programs.

 

I'm back up and running in Win 7. I have to reinstall all the programs, which means that I must have made the recovery discs shortly after purchase. Can I assume that there aren't any Win 10 installation files that I should be concerned about? Is there any way for me to prevent Win 10 from accidentally installing again? Is there a way to block it permanently? Thank you so much for all your help.

 

Since you re-installed from your recovery disks, no Windows 10 programs survived.

MS tricks people into upgrading to 10. You can turn off automatic updates and then install them manually, making sure that you don't install 10. Remember that if you are asked to upgrade to 10, clicking the X in the top right corner means that you have agreed.

 

OK - thank you very much Vince! I sincerely appreciate all your help.