SSD Imaged Windows 10 Pro - Another Black Screen Query!

Hi

My main desktop PC recently died, it had been failing for a few weeks with it resetting itself and failing to boot. Luckily I managed to make a full image of the C drive using Macrium Reflect just before it's life came to an end. I don't think it was the hard drive which failed and I did try to boot up with that in the laptop before everything else and had the same result as below.

I put the image onto an SSD thinking I could pop it into my laptop and all would be fine....wrong. They were both UEDF \ EFI so didn't think that could be the problem.

The first time Windows 10 Pro loaded as normal but everything was unresponsive.I figured that there might be startups from the desktops trying to run and maybe the odd driver lying around which might not help matters so tried to go into Device Manager to see if there was anything I could get rid of. The desktop icons all flashed and device manager wouldn't load..in fact hardly anything would load at all and would just report "Not Responding" and have to be closed down. It seems like a lot of the required services are just not running especially Management Console, no matter how many times I asked it to start it just wouldn't.

I then tried safe mode, no luck there and the exact same thing happened...programmes not responding and device manager unavailable. It wouldn't even let me download any software to at least attempt to clean out the old video drivers or Malwarebytes as it just crashed before the Save As box appeared.

Tried using msconfig to change the startup options and remove any unwanted programmes starting up but didn't really achieve much. The only thing I did notice was it was trying to run the Malwarebytes tray icon which was not responding. I did manage to close this in Task Manager but I do think I need to get rid of that software to move a step forward...but I can't uninstall or use the Malwarebytes cleaner to get rid of it as it just hangs when I try to download it.

The second time I did a normal boot I logged in as but this time I ended up with a black screen and a cursor, pressing any key brought up the message that windows was not responding and my only option was to close it down or restart in safe mode from the Switch User login screen.

I have spent 3 days trying to get this to work and I believe I've exhausted every possible solution that I can find on the internet...I can't create another user to copy over the cache files just in case the user profile is corrupt. I cannot get to the device drivers to get rid of anything that is lying around nor can I stop any proprietary software running relating to the motherboard etc on the old and now dead machine. I tried creating a rescue disks including Macrium and redeploying but that didn't work either as it couldn't see any of the drivers for this laptop. I also tried deleting drivers from the command prompt and using diskpart for various solutions....nothing worked.

For now I have given up but it's becoming and obsession to get it working, it would be good to get it booting so I can at least export settings from software I use for when I build my new machine and also get deactivating licenses etc etc.

I guess the idea option would be to find a device manager that runs from a rescue disk

If any of you good people out there have some advice (please not a new install and refreshing windows was never offered as an option) I would be eternally grateful.

Thank You

Andy

Caledon Ken said:

Hi Andy. Welcome to TenForums @joeycoco

You said you tried Safe Mode although I'm not sure which option. Option 3 is enable low resolution video.

The nature of Safe Mode will mean none of your Motherboard software or other Startup software runs so that does not appear to be your issue.


Back to your desktop, have you proven that it failed and was not the disk. Do you have a spare disk to clean install on to see if desktop is working. If it works you could restore C: from your Macrium backup and it may just work.

We have this recovery disk (or USB) that allows you to boot and you can then copy out data as required. If you know settings file locations for programs you maybe be able to copy those as well. I guess you could also do this my restoring your laptop to operational status and connecting desktop drive as external.

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk

You did say you did get it to boot but it was unresponsive. If processor was busy it could just have been finding appropriate drivers. Did you give it some time or was this and more it is not responding do something else. Was drive light flashing as though it was working.

Dear Ken

Thanks so much for your reply

I tried every option in safe mode but nothing seemed to work (apart from command prompt).

The previous desktop PC had an issue with the processor, it wouldn't even get past post, would just start up and shut down immediately, never got anywhere near Windows so I don't think the disk is the issue.

Well at least I have an image of the desktop machine so I can try and hunt down anything I might need, it will just be a pain.

I will try and boot the laptop disk in the new desktop but not holding out much on that.

Best Wishes

Andy

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Ghot said:

If I understand correctly... you made a backup of a failing computer's OS and then put that backup onto another computer (laptop)?



My first guess would be that the backup you made on the failing computer is.... corrupt, for w/e reason. So putting it on another computer won't help if the backup is of a corrupted OS.
One of the first things that gets corrupted on a computer with failing hardware... would BE the OS.

Hi

Thanks for your reply.

I tried running sfc /scannow and various other tools but no problems were ever reported. I am stumped and will have to move on I think, devoted too much time already on this.

Many thanks

Andy