SOLVED 2004 update

[Marcycn]

I never update my Acer Aspire ES1-711 laptop (running Windows 10 Pro ver 1903) with a major one until it has been out for awhile. This time it got past me because I had shut off metered for something and forgot to turn it back on. :-( Start menu was giving me a problem so I did everything I could find on the Internet to correct it (short of reinstalling it completely) and all it got me was a stuck process where it asked for which keyboard I was using but wouldn't let me click on anything. I took the HD out and put it in an external case so I could save the files I didn't want to delete.

I put it back in the laptop and tried to reinstall it using the latest ISO I had downloaded and installed on a DVD. It came back and said it couldn't do it. I got out my older ISO disk that I have used on multiple laptop re-installs for people and it too said it couldn't do it.

What would happen if I took it back out, put it in the external case and formatted it before trying to install Windows 10 again? Or would it be better to just buy a new HD? I can't get it to boot into safe mode. It gives me errors when I try to format it or fix it or do anything short of shutting down using the menu that comes up when using Alt F10. F8 or Alt F8 does nothing. F2 + Del does get me into the Bios so I could change the boot order.

I'm not new to computers and I can use DOS (tried that too) but this one has me stumped.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Marcycn,

do you have a bootable version of Linux lying around and have you tried booting from that to check and see if the drive is connected correctly?. Is the drive showing in BIOS?.

 

[Marcycn]

Hi Marcycn,

do you have a bootable version of Linux lying around and have you tried booting from that to check and see if the drive is connected correctly?. Is the drive showing in BIOS?.

Never used Linux. Drive is connected correctly. And in the external case I was able to get all the files I wanted off it. I also tried using a bootable Win 10 thumb drive I made using the Acer laptop I'm using now with no different outcome. When I go into BIOS everything is fine.

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Marcycn,

if you can actually boot into Windows and have everything saved, why don't you try a simple reset rather than a fresh install, you can wipe al your files and it will clean the system out!.

 

[Marcycn]

Hi Marcycn,

if you can actually boot into Windows and have everything saved, why don't you try a simple reset rather than a fresh install, you can wipe al your files and it will clean the system out!.

I've tried that. I've tried everything. It won't let me do any of it. Just keeps telling me there is a problem. :-( It won't boot into windows at all. Just says it's trying to repair it and then stops.

 

[Clintlgm]

ok how about when you start the install hit F10 +Shift this will bring up a cmd prompt.
Type
List disk
Select Disk 0 or the disk you want to install windows on
Clean
exit
Your disk is now just as it was from the factory and you should have no issues Clean installing windows

PS might be a good time to upgrade to an SSD!!

 

[Marcycn]

ok how about when you start the install hit F10 +Shift this will bring up a cmd prompt.
Type
List disk
Select Disk 0 or the disk you want to install windows on
Clean
exit
Your disk is now just as it was from the factory and you should have no issues Clean installing windows

PS might be a good time to upgrade to an SSD!!

comes up no bootable device

 

[Marcycn]

ok how about when you start the install hit F10 +Shift this will bring up a cmd prompt.
Type
List disk
Select Disk 0 or the disk you want to install windows on
Clean
exit
Your disk is now just as it was from the factory and you should have no issues Clean installing windows

PS might be a good time to upgrade to an SSD!!

Got to a command prompt - typed list disk - says 'list' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file

 

[Marcycn]

When I go to C: it looks like I've successfully managed to clean the disk of files somehow. Says 1 Dir with 90,107,904,bytes free.

 

[Marcycn]

Is this drive ok? it couldn't be verified as a match on Amazon.
WD Blue 3D NAND 500GB Internal PC SSD - SATA III 6 Gb/s, 2.5"/7mm, Up to 560 MB/s - WDS500G2B0A

 

[Wolfie]

90,107,904

It is a very low number according to the following site:

90107904 Bytes = 0.08392 Gigabytes

https://convertlive.com/u/convert/bytes/to/gigabytes#90107904

 

[Clintlgm]

Got to a command prompt - typed list disk - says 'list' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file

I'm Sorry @Marcycn I forgot the first command
Diskpart
list disk

 

[Marcycn]

I have reinstalled and/or upgraded some 25 computers to Windows 10 from the beginning and i have never had the trouble I'm having with my own. I managed to work with it all day and got it to finally install Windows 10 Home. As soon as I put my Pro key in it the whole thing went south again and I was right back where I was yesterday.

I have a new drive coming Wednesday but I'm stubborn and this is a learning experience for me. I have 2 days to get this *&^% computer to work! I tried Clintlgm's command prompt clean and I'm not trying once again to install Windows 10 from the ISO I took down yesterday from Microsoft. Maybe this time it will work? I'll let you know.

 

[Marcycn]

Well, I gave up on the original HD. It was too far gone. I got the new SSD today and Win 10 Home is installed and I'm in the process of getting it up to Win 10 Pro. So, I think I'm on my way to being whole again. Only problem I've run into so far is that I'm using a rcovery thumb drive from an Acer 15 and it doesn't have a couple of the device drivers I need in the Acer 17. Also, I had to go back to an ISO I downloaded way back when Win 10 first came out. The ISO I downloaded last week from Microsoft just wouldn't work. No clue why.

So thanks for the help.

PS So much for all the above. It went into windows 10 home and installed pro and then it's back where I started - rebooting and auto repair, and rebooting and in a loop the same as it was when I first started all this! I don't get it. I'm going to try what Clintlgm said above and start all over again. I'm glad this is with my machine and not one of the seniors in the park that I do tech support for - free.

PSS Ok, I'm back to where I was when I started. Cleaned the drive and can't do a thing. Now what?

 

[Wolfie]

Hi Marcycn,

I know you said you never used Linux but I would seriously consider downloading a version (Ubuntu based is a good choice) and test your computer with that, see if everything runs okay. You might have a damaged (or infected) version of Win 10?.

Kubuntu looks very similar to Windows.

Download Kubuntu | Kubuntu

kubuntu.org

There is also Linux Mint.

Download Linux Mint 21.3 - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.

www.linuxmint.com

A complete beginners guide here. (It is for Ubuntu Mate but is the same process for the other two above, more or less).

Ubuntu beginners guide, complete how to install and run first update

WARNING 1: BACKUP ALL YOUR DATA BEFORE YOU START TO INSTALL IN CASE THINGS GO WRONG!. SAVE ALL YOUR IMPORTANT FILES AND FOLDERS TO EITHER AN EXTERNAL USB DRIVE AND/OR TO A 2ND HARD DRIVE ON YOUR PC. DO NOT SAVE ANYTHING ON THE SAME DRIVE YOU INTEND TO USE FOR LINUX UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND/KNOW...

ubuntu-mate.community

 

[Marcycn]

Hi Marcycn,

I know you said you never used Linux but I would seriously consider downloading a version (Ubuntu based is a good choice) and test your computer with that, see if everything runs okay. You might have a damaged (or infected) version of Win 10?.

Kubuntu looks very similar to Windows.

Download Kubuntu | Kubuntu

kubuntu.org

There is also Linux Mint.

Download Linux Mint 21.3 - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.

www.linuxmint.com

A complete beginners guide here. (It is for Ubuntu Mate but is the same process for the other two above, more or less).

Ubuntu beginners guide, complete how to install and run first update

WARNING 1: BACKUP ALL YOUR DATA BEFORE YOU START TO INSTALL IN CASE THINGS GO WRONG!. SAVE ALL YOUR IMPORTANT FILES AND FOLDERS TO EITHER AN EXTERNAL USB DRIVE AND/OR TO A 2ND HARD DRIVE ON YOUR PC. DO NOT SAVE ANYTHING ON THE SAME DRIVE YOU INTEND TO USE FOR LINUX UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND/KNOW...

ubuntu-mate.community

I've been a Windows user since 3.1 and am pretty good with it. I'm not so sure, after all these years, I'm up to trying a new OS especially on my most trusted laptop. I finally got Windows 20 Home installed on it. More info under Reinstalling without OS in here. Thanks for the info though. I might try it on another laptop at some point.

 

[Wolfie]

So is your problem solved now?. If so, please mark the thread as such so it helps others.

 

[Marcycn]

So is your problem solved now?. If so, please mark the thread as such so it helps others.

Until I'm up and running Win 10 Pro ver 1909 I can't say it's solved. However, I will mark it solved and start a new one if I have problems again.

 

[Marcycn]

I'm up and running 10 Pro and all looks pretty good.

 

[Dusty Yank]

I'm up and running 10 Pro and all looks pretty good.

Wheew! That was a good test of your patience and "stick to itiveness" Glad you got it; 'cause the only thing I had to suggest would be to check for lint under the roller ball