Windows 10: Windows 10 won't boot - fresh install

Why do I need to do all that, why not just delete the partitions on the disk and let Windows create new ones?

 

Yes, we'll go that route, but to clean it once you’re in OOBE mode following that tutorial and have found the correct disk (usually 0) then perform this tutorial from our sister site to clean. Formating a disk is not the same as cleaning.

Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command - Windows 7 Help Forums

Then close out Command and continue with the install.

Is this a MS account you set up BTW?

 

First thing is to go into your BIOS and set it to default > Save changes. This will get it back to UEFI mode. Windows should then format as a GPT scheme.

 

Consider using a camera or smart phone camera to take pictures and post images into the thread.

 

OK, so I have to confess to being a little hasty. After your post when you said the only way was to reinstall, I put the SSD into my lap top to get the latest data off, then used Computer Management to delete all partitions from the disk, set the BIOS to UEFI enabled and reinstalled form the USB. It was only after I'd deleted the partitions that your post about diskpart came in.

So, having deleted the partitions, as opposed to merely reformatting, was that good enough?

I'm now at the stage of having a fresh installation of Windows, which boots fine, but doesn't recognise my HDD. The drive seems to work fine, in that I can plug it into my lap top and browse around it, but when I plug it back into the PC, it boots, but neither File Explorer nor Computer Management recognise it. This HDD has been in the machine pretty much since I got it, and has been working fine. When I reboot, the BIOS display shows both drives.

What do I do now? Do I continue from where I am, or should I back out and go down the diskpart route? As I said, I set UEFI in the BIOS before booting from the USB, so from what you said, I guess Windows should have formatted the disk as GPT (says he as if he had the vaguest clue what that meant!). If I do go down the diskpart route, where do I generate the script? That seems to assume you have a working installation, which I didn't. I do now, but it's a fresh one since then.

Thanks again. Please advise what I should do now.

 

Sorry I took so long, but the BIOS should have been set to default not just UEFI mode. Can you see that secondary drive in your BIOS at all in the boot section?

 

What pictures would you like to see?When I first started the thread, all I got was a blank screen, so nothing to see, now I can boot to Windows, but can't see my second drive, so again nothing to see.

Thanks for the reply.

 

Please post images of the the BIOS drives and menus.

These you can use the snipping tool:
Disk management
File explorer
Device manager disk drives
Take Screenshot in Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials

 

Setting to default sets all the boot priorities and other items as factory fresh. That's what we're attempting to accomplish.

 

We can't assume that OSs along the way haven't changed anything.

 

OK, you lost me here. If I go to the BIOS and look under Settings -> General -> Boot Sequence, I see this...





This is the only place I can see any mention of UEFI. It was previously set to Legacy, and following your comment, I changed it to UEFI.

As you can see, it doesn't show in the picture above, although I'm not sure if it should as it's not a bootable disk.

However, under Settings -> General -> System Information, the drive does show up...





Also, if I look under Settings -> System Configuration -> Drives, I can see it...





Does that help? Thanks again.

P.S. Thanks also to zbook, turns out it was a good idea after all!

 

I'm not familiar with that Dell BIOS is the problem I have. I have Asus. Check documentation. Does it have an option to set to default?

Have no idea why Disk Management is not seeing the drive with the pics you posted.

 

Ah, seems a couple of replies came in while I was typing. Do I assume that by "setting to default" you meant hit the Load Defaults button in the BIOS? I'll tried that, but when I rebooted, it didn't load Windows. After the BIOS messages, I got "Invalid partition table!"

Here is the drives display in the BIOS messages. This hasn't changed over the course of this whole sage...





As you can see, it shows both drives.

If I go into the BIOS, then the System Information section shows the same as before, but the Boot Sequence now shows more. This is actually what it looked like before I enabled the UEFI...





The System Configuration -> Drives section looks as before.

So, the BIOS can see both drives, but now it won't let me boot. What do I do now? Thanks again

 

Hmm, I just tried unplugging the second drive and rebooting, and it now says "No Boot Device Found"

Not sure what's going on here, as the only drive left plugged in is the one with the fresh Windows install.

Ulp.

 

Yes, load to defaults and save. Once again I think Windows formatted it as MBR scheme and not GPT. That's my hunch anyway.

I'd say to start over, wiping the disk, and reinstall now that you have defaults loaded and saved.

Leave both disks installed along with the USB thumb and pull anything else.