Windows 10: Windows 10 clean install stuck installing updates

This might help concerning the install. I didn't see anything in the original OP about you using Rufus with GPT. I'm fixing to try the same thing as you but I prepared in advance to prevent errors.

1. Checked out important drivers and updated them. I also went to Dell, Intel, and various sources to get updated versions since I have a 2013 model. Some chipsets don't have an official update for example but some 3rd party sources have found other drivers that actually work as an official upgrade (took some research and googling) Also I made sure the BIOS was updated. This was really outdated and I swore I updated it. But it was 3 years out of date as of yesterday.

2. It didn't seem like it but I had some possible hardware or malware damage but wasn't sure. It only effected some things and I couldn't pin point it. So I ran various tools to clean my system so I could make sure I can fix my system.

3. I did a few scans in safe mode and in recovery (rkill, Kaspersky) Just to make sure to run sfcnow in command vs chkdsk f and r at restart to make sure the HD are good to go.

I know when these problems arise you think nothing can fix them. Its always that 1 tiny thing you didn't think about and thats all it took.

I'm not an expert by any means but try the above just in case

 

I have done multiple upgrades and clean installs of Win10 on Dells and ran into one Optiplex 960 desktop that would run through the install with no problems until the final bootup where the dots would circle endlessly. I pulled the DVI video card and ran it with the onboard with no success, I changed hard drives with no success, I changed out the memory with no success and even updated the BIOS with no change at all. The first bootup resulted in the circling dots ad-naseum. No errors no nothing to go on. I tried installing Win7 and running the upgrade with the same results. I tried a clean installed with a completely wiped HD with the same thing. That is until....I read a thread where it was recommended to pull everything external and internal. I thought....ok.....the only thing left is the DVD/CD burner....that is where I was loading Win10 from. So I unplugged the DVD/CD burner since Win10 was already I thought installed. Whaddya know....Win10 completed the boot up and installation. It was that POS DVD/CD burner keeping Win10 from completing boot up. I took that DVD/CD burner and dropped kicked it into the next county because I spent 2 days off and on racking my brains on what was wrong with this 1 desktop. I thought maybe it was the old WinXP problem that the really old PC's had where the motherboard would not work with anything outside of Win98. I now have 10 install and working just fine on that desktop. Soooooo if you have anything like this happen.....strangely enough....it could be your DVD/CD burner.