Win 10 update 1803 refuses to finish

[p23185]

I have a HP Pavilion 15-AB223C1 since 2015 and have not had an update problem until yesterday. That 1803 update - which you cannot turn off, refuse, or even review - will not complete. At first we were able to get to the log in screen and when trying to open it gave some error msg about SDS or SNS (cannot remember exactly). Today cannot even get to a log in screen it just starts up with the built in repair console first wanting to you select keyboard layout language, and then you get to all the options. NONE of these options will work - Rollback states there are no restore points with a big red X (there were plenty of restore points prior to update taking control, and I and many others have suffered the case of missing restore points). I tried every other repair console option to no avail.

Finally I decided I will probably have to do a clean repair from a Windows downloaded ISO media. I loaded up both a USB stick and then also burned an image to DVD of the latest on-line Win 10.

I have fiddled with the UEFI trying to figure out how I can stop it from going to the HD (no way to remove a boot i see). I tried separately setting the USB mem stick and the internal DVD to number one boot priority and it thinks for a while (I can see the USB mem stick light flashing, unfortunately when trying DVD there is no light but I can hear it turning) and every time it announces that "It looks like you started an upgrade, remove the media and click yes. IF you want to perform a clean install instead click NO" (see attached) Well I do not want a FRESH INSTALL I want to preserve the thousands of photos on the C: drive and am hoping to get to the position of ISO Repair.

BUT the machine comes back to the build in repair console with the same old list of options none of which work. IT refuses to boot to the USB or DVD and instead returns you to the uncompleted upgrate. WHAT TO DO??

Should I be selecting NO and I want a fresh install and then hope that the screen comes up from the ISO image that will allow me to REPAIR and saving all personal data. I REALLY DO NOT WANT A RAW INSTALL.

I will reserve my caustic comments about Win10 for another time and place. I have attached a screen shot of the message it always returns to.

I think the 1803 upgrade is stuck never having finished and the machine will not allow any other operation. I have no clue how to stop the 1803 upgrade since Rollback and restore do NOT work. (why is restore now called ROLLBACK - at first I thought it meant rollback to Win 8)? ANY SUGGESTIONS.

 

[Trouble]

Well I do not want a FRESH INSTALL I want to preserve the thousands of photos on the C: drive

It sounds to me like you're on the precipice of potentially losing some critical data and I'm guessing you don't have any of it backed up anywhere.

My suggestion would be to get your self a copy of Linux Mint Mate
https://linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=248
Burn the ISO to a thumb drive or DVD
And use that to boot the system.
All HP products will produce a boot menu for select a boot device if you simply turn the machine all the way off by holding down the power button for 15 or 20 seconds until all lights are off an the machine is silent.
Then hold the Esc key (top left of keyboard) and tap the power button to turn the machine back on while holding the Esc key.

You'll then need a suitable sized external media resource to hold the data you wish to rescue (copy) from the Windows installation to the external device.
After you have rescued all your critical data you can be a little more fearless in how you proceed.

I tried every other repair console option to no avail.

That sounds like you've exhausted everything and are at a point where your options are very limited.

I'll reluctantly leave a NOTE here as to my one time personal experience under very similar circumstances.
With respect to your image above....
I gave up and chose "No".
After which I did nothing unusual other than to follow the bouncing ball and click everything that would indicate an affirmative response (in that I wanted to proceed).
I was pleasantly surprised to find, when everything had concluded that the installation had a C:\Windows.old folder which contained a "Users" folder with my former user name and in that folder were all my subfolders and files which allowed me to simply copy them from there into the appropriate folder in the new install.

I WOULD NOT RELY ON THIS IN YOUR INSTANCE.
I simply pass it along just in case you happen to have a similar experience, however you decide to proceed.