Win 10 problem...

[Trouble]

You may need to boot from the installation media and attempt either a ....
System Restore to an earlier point in time prior to the problem
OR
Attempt to use the Startup Settings option from there and see if you can get to Safe Mode or Disable Early Malware or whatever the wording is.

IF you don't have the latest ISO to create the installation media from you can go here.....
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench
Choose Windows 10, the first item in the first drop down (not single language at the bottom)
Next choose your language and your bit version (32 or 64 bit to match your system architecture or in the case of an upgrade, to match your currently installed version of Windows).
That will provide an ISO that will upgrade, repair (or clean install) either or both Windows 10 Pro and Home.
Once you have downloaded the ISO you can use ImgBurn to burn it to a DVD http://imgburn.com/index.php?act=download
OR
Rufus to burn it to a USB ThumbDrive http://rufus.akeo.ie/

When you've managed to boot from the installation media you need to click the Repair Your PC link on the second page after the Choose a Language and Keyboard layout page.
That should get you to the Advanced Troubleshooting options

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help on this... Now I am confused about this would you call this a MOBO problem or a computer problem....I do get to that screen with the 1 through 9 items and it says to use the F buttons.. It does not make any diff whether I use the F buttons or the # keys it reacts the same way, it does right to the repair and diagnostic screen no matter what I click on....I had a cloned drive for this computer and I swapped it out and it took right up and acted like the HD I just took out.. One thing has to be the common item and that would be the MOBO to my thinking. What are your thoughts I have gone through the bios to see if there was a setting that changed and I cannot find anything I even put in all the default settings that changed nothing too... My mind keeps coming back to my MOBO for some reason.. But how something would change there with what I was doing leaves me stumped.

Thanx....Gunny

 

[Trouble]

The second hard drive, which you refer to as a clone.....
Was it recently cloned or had it been setting idle and disconnected from the computer for a period of time?
IF the latter, then I don't think I could explain what's going on.
IF both drives are acting identically then that would seem to put to rest an Operating System / Corrupt System files diagnosis and might very well suggest a drive controller issue.
I would certainly consider swapping SATA cables, checking and confirming that the connectors are firmly seated on both ends and that you are connecting it to SATA 0 (or 1) depending on how the motherboard connectors are numbered.

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

The cloned drive was less than a week old I had just done it....After I finished cloning it I installed it to make sure the cloning went right and it worked and it did so I removed it and put back the original HD ....They both are acting identical.. That really surprised me...

Ok I will do as you suggested and let you know the results.. I have toms of spare SATA cables. I will check to make sure they are plugged in good too and the right place.

I know you have to be as frustrated as I am on this, nothing makes sense it seems...

Thanx....Gunny

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

I am between a rock and a hard spot....I don't really know my next step... Thinking about this makes me think MOBO/CPU problem.. But then I think how could that have happened.... Was it something I did or a malfunction of some sort...It started by simply trying to go into safe mode...Now it is stuck in this repair/diagnostic loop.....It is hard for me to fathom why it would do this by simply trying to do that... And as many things I have tries to fix it something would change, or get worse or something....And the big thing is why does this screw up any cloned drive I put in there it is like a contagious thing... If I had downloaded some program or something like that and it happened I could see that but this was clicking on something that was already on my computer every ones computer you might say.... I am at a loss..

Thanx....Gunny

 

[davehc]

"Has everyone seen the folder below. It appears to have all the apps contained in it that are mentioned if you do a search for the appxmanifest.xml files. This folder is in your profile section. Edge is in there but not IE."

It may be one of those Windows quirks, but I have it as the last item:

You are probably aware of this one. I have it as a shortcut on my taskbar:

Type in Command prompt(Admin)
C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:appsfolder

That's the whole thing - everything executable on your computer.

 

[Trouble]

Well.....
You have two hard drives, presumably with only a week or so difference between them there would be little difference in the actual content.
IF it was me... I'd want to get my computer back up and running, so I would take one of those drives or another drive if that is an option and start by attempting to perform a custom clean install of Windows 10.
I would think, that if you could successfully install Windows 10 and get your computer up and running and follow up with all updates including any store updates and it seemed to run for a period of time (a week or so) without exhibiting any similar symptoms, that would move the diagnosis forward and maybe away from the existing hardware.

When I asked above if the hard disk were identical, I meant that in all sense of the word identical. Not just the contents, but the Manufacturer, Model Number, etc.
I can still remember back when I was building computers a long time ago, I purchased 6 40GB WD hard drives. All six were from the same lot / batch (identical in every respect) and all six were bad.
IT put me off WD hard drives for a while.

 

[Dick]

Hi davehc

I first have to get my computer operational.....If and when I do get it going again I will certainly look at what you have mentioned.

Thanx....Gunny

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

Well they are the same in the 1T area but the rest no.....Same brand though Hitachi.....I even tried a 3rd HD that was cloned a long time ago in 2015 I stuck that in just hoping something would happen but no same results....I now have the battery removed from the MOBO and I am thinking maybe to remount the CPU again just to see if anything changes...I will give that a shot what you mentioned about installing Win 10 again...

Thanx.....Gunny

 

[Trouble]

I would or at least might expect, very early on in the clean install process, if there is in fact a hardware issue that you'd see it pretty quickly.
Worse case, within a day or two after some cold boots.

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

Ok say I start a clean install and it errors out or stalls/freezes what would be you best guess what that could mean....

Thanx....Gunny

 

[Trouble]

WOW.... I guess you're a glass half empty kinda guy.
Assuming that it boots from the installation media, that would be a positive.
IF it failed at some point during the install, that might suggest that your concern regarding a hardware issue has merit.
I would of course take any peripherals attached into consideration and make the existing hardware as minimal as possible (monitor, keyboard wired usb, mouse wired usb and nothing else).

Then failing a clean custom install of Windows 10
IF it was my computer, I would then.... on that same hard drive install and run Linux Mint MATE
https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=205 (32 bit)
OR
https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=206 (64 bit)
Your choice.
BUT that's just me, because I would not give up on the computer or its' hardware that had previously been running well, until I exhausted every opportunity to test it further with some additional steps.

The facts, that you have presented so far do not lead me to suspect a hardware issue or even a driver issue.
IF you had experienced any preceding BSODs or unexplained spontaneous shut downs, I might suspect a driver or heat or the PSU or any number of hardware related problems but I've not heard anything suggesting anything like that.
Just a reboot loop trapped in an automatic repair which sounds more like an OS problem that cannot find the boot configuration data that it needs to repair or boot the computer.

As a last resort ( I'm not sure that it necessarily applies) I've used the installation media to enter the command prompt and then used bootrec.exe to
/fixmbr
/fixboot
/rebuildbcd
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/927392

Good luck and of course, please keep us posted.

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

I just remembered something... This happens when I try to do a repair using the Win 10 install disk and I get to the repair choice.. As soon as I click on the repair it goes right to that repair/diagnostic thing.. Now that blows my mind entirely.....I just thought of this....This will not give an inch it is fighting us all the way.... Can you still buy dynamite by the stick....

Thanx....Gunny

 

[Trouble]

Can you still buy dynamite by the stick

Probably, but you'll likely find your name on a government list or two if you try.
When you boot from the installation media there should be an option to pick your language and keyboard layout and then after that you should see a link that says something like "Repair your PC" but actually, if you are wanting to perform a custom clean install, then you should possibly consider wiping the drive contents using DiskPart
After booting from the installation media and selecting the Install Now button you should hold the shift key while simultaneously striking the F10 key, that should bring up a command prompt window.
There you should be able to type
disk part
hit enter
list disk
hit enter
select disk 0 (hopefully the only disk connected and the one which you want to wipe, otherwise you may select a different number but make absolutely sure you select properly)
hit enter
clean
hit enter
exit
hit enter
exit again
hit enter
Continue with the custom clean install and there is nothing left on that disk to repair or diagnose so that should stop those prompts where ever they're coming from.

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

Let me run this by you for your opinion... I have been doing a ton of reading on this loop business...I read this one article from a guy that is having a very similar problem.. As I have told you I clone my HD's now remembering that this one guy answered this guy like this.... You are taking a big chance when you clone your drives because this can happen, meaning going into a loop because if you do this with diff MOBO's especially the high end boards and chip sets they don't always agree with each other and when they don't this can happen... If you have a cloned drive you did with one MOBO and use that cloned drive on a diff board bingo it can happen.. And he said it can cause other problems too. And he said the only way out of that is to do a clean install...

Ok what do you think of that...

Thanx....Gunny

 

[Trouble]

Makes perfect sense.
Typically, you just can't move a drive from one computer to another and expect it to boot and run without issues, regardless if it is a clone or a first generation drive. There are multiple compatibility issues that come into play with respect to varying hardware considerations, but.......
That it not what you did or at least I did not understand that to be what you have done.
I understood that you cloned the drive that was currently in the system that you are now having problems with and therefore exchanging the drive(s) should not be a problem.
Sorta the whole idea of why you clone a drive in the first place.

 

[Dick]

HI Trouble

Ok this got me thinking a lot... Now how many times have we all done this...Got a new MOBO and took the old HD out and installed it with the new board, isn't this the same thing... I know for a fact I have done this numerous times.. And might I say with out any problems... Sure I have cloned drives using the same board but I do change boards on occasion not due to problems nec but just to get the newer stuff. I think nothing of it taking my existing HD and install it with the new board.... Are there people that do a new install every time they change boards... You might say to avoid a possible problem...

What I said about the problem with doing the cloning makes sense too...


Thanx.....Gunny

 

[Trouble]

Are there people that do a new install every time they change boards

Unless the boards are very close (similar) with respect to hardware / chipset / etc., a new board would likely constitute a new computer and minimally might require re-activating the product key with Microsoft if possible, as they have restrictions as to the amount or number of hardware changes they will allow with the same key.
Additionally, there may very well be hardware driver issues that would likely need to be addressed as a result of the board components being disparate.

 

[Dick]

Hi Trouble

I think I understand what you said.....I think some of the things that go wrong with these computers cannot be explained we just have to accept that.... I have a hard time with that as I think you do..... I think you will agree our minds don't accept that we have to know what caused it and how to find a fix for it... But we must be smart enough to know we lost the battle but we will win the war... I know I will have to do a clean install on this but there is a small piece on me that is fighting fighting that...

Thanx....Gunny

 

[Regedit32]

But we must be smart enough to know we lost the battle but we will win the war...

Might have been round 3456 of mine sweeper or whatever Microsoft called that game when I finally accepted that ethos