SOLVED Windows 10 upgrade broke my laptop

[Brandie]

We installed the upgrade about a month ago. The computer was working ok then we noticed the CD would not read and that itunes would not work. It stated a driver was missing. Next thing I know we start getting the blue screen of death looping that it cannot start due to inaccessible boot device. We found a microsoft forum with a link to download a restart tool to a usb drive and install it from that to fix the computer. We got the file downloaded, followed the directions on the forum exactly and then I get another error that says "the computer started using the Windows installation media. remove the installation media and restart your computer so that Windows starts normally..." well windows will not start normally, it won't start at all and it was the Microsoft forum that said to use the usb when starting the laptop. My daughters theatre career and things she NEEDS for college acceptance are on this laptop and I don't have the money let someone rob me fixing something that should not have screwed up by doing a Windows upgrade from the company. HELP. I am going insane and my daughter is having a panic attack because college application deadlines are fast approaching.
(I am not good with these thread things so who knows if I did this right....)

 

[Trouble]

Get yourself a Linux Live Distro......
this one should work fine
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=191
Use a download source close to you geographically.
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/
Boot your computer with one of those. Do not install it just run it from the live environment.
That should allow you to secure any critical data by copying it off and onto an external USB connected drive for safe keeping.
After you have used that to secure your critical files, then......
Get the Windows 10 installation media.
The installation media can be obtained through either of these two resources.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench
OR
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Once you have the ISO, you can use ImgBurn to burn it to a DVD or Rufus to burn it to a USB ThumbDrive, either of which you can use to boot your computer.

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, where you should have an option to "Go Back to ........."

 

[Brandie]

Get yourself a Linux Live Distro......
this one should work fine
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=191
Use a download source close to you geographically.


Does this have to be done on the laptop with issues? If so, I cannot get the laptop to boot up at all. it just keeps looping on the "inaccessible boot device" and will not do anything else. I have tried the microsoft link already and it will not work. I just keep getting an additional error.

 

[Trouble]

Does this have to be done on the laptop with issues?

No.... that's the idea. You can do it from anywhere, on another PC, at a friend's, relative's or neighbor's PC or anywhere.
The idea is to have something from which you can boot the "laptop with issues"

 

[Brandie]

The laptop will not boot up using the USB that has the Linux Live Distro on it using Rufus. It is set to boot using the USB but it will not boot. The light on the USB flashes but I still get the Inaccessible Boot Device message.

 

[Trouble]

If it a newer laptop it might be UEFI / Secure Boot, which would mean that you would need to create the thumb drive using these settings in Rufus

Or you can just go into the BIOS and switch from UEFI Only, to either UEFI and Legacy or Legacy only, turning off secure boot.

 

[Brandie]

The laptop is less than a year old. I did not select that partition scheme the first time. I am reformatting and will try again. I got into the BIOS but was unable to change the setting from UEFI. Thank you for your help thus far.

 

[Brandie]

IT'S FIXED!!!! THANK YOU TIMES A MILLION!!

 

[Trouble]

I'm certainly glad to hear that, although I'm not exactly sure what "it's fixed" completely entails.
I hope you are up and running again and all is well.
Thanks for the follow-up.