EMERGENCY - Boot Loop After Win Update

yahanna · 17 May 2018

Hi zbook,

I don't have access to another computer. I also tried to reset with the option to save files. But I get a message saying the drive where windows is located is locked.

Forgot to mention that I got an macrium image backup of my PC. But its a month old and I need to get the current files from the PC. That's why I wanted to reset my PC with the option of saving my files before restoring to the image backup.

Let me know how I can unlock the drive where windows is located. Thanks.

zbook · 17 May 2018

There were I/O problems displayed for:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
If possible remove the drive and test the drive within another computer or with a hard drive enclosure.

yahanna · 17 May 2018

zbook said:

There were I/O problems displayed for:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
If possible remove the drive and test the drive within another computer or with a hard drive enclosure.

Hi zbook,

As I previously told you I don't have access to another computer.

I also mentioned reseting with the option of saving my files. But I get a message saying that the drive were windows is located is locked. I want to reset and save files. I asked you this before but you didn't answer. How do I unlock this drive so I can reset?

zbook · 17 May 2018

The drive is locked is an error message.
If you don't want to check the integrity of the HD and have files backed up there are other troubleshooting steps.
Every step has a pro and a con. Some are reversible and some are not.
So its best to check the drive first.
If you are unwilling to do that and want to try additional troubleshooting steps that can be done at your own risk.
There can be no typos for some of the steps.
There is also the boot rescue and using Ubuntu to save the files.

yahanna · 17 May 2018

zbook said:

The drive is locked is an error message.

So its best to check the drive first.
If you are unwilling to do that and want to try additional troubleshooting steps that can be done at your own risk.
There can be no typos for some of the steps.
There is also the boot rescue and using Ubuntu to save the files.

I understand. But I don't have access to another computer. I need my PC for the morning for an extremely important meeting.

After i save the files i plan to restore with my macrium image backup. After that i can check the HD's integrity. What are the steps to save the files?

zbook · 17 May 2018

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - Windows 10 Forums
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect | Windows 10 Tutorials
Linux to the rescue! How Ubuntu can help a computer in distress | PCWorld
Recover Data Like a Forensics Expert Using an Ubuntu Live CD

At your own risk:
Open command prompt > administrator: X:\windows\system32\cmd.exe > X:\Sources>
Type:

1) bootsect /nt60 sys
(reboot)
(if the above fails)
open command prompt again and type:
2) bootsect /nt60 sys all
(reboot)
3) If the above fails there is one additional option and this one there must be no typos.
If you perform the above steps please use a camera ro smart phone camera to take pictures and post images into the thread.

yahanna · 17 May 2018

Hi zbook.. here's the images I took. Let me know the 3rd step.

zbook · 17 May 2018

Please post the information on the computer:

System Specs - Fill in at Ten Forums: Windows 10 Help Forums the left corner below in your post you find 'My System Specs'. After clicking it you can find a link a little below that says 'Update your System Spec', click on this link to get to the page where you can fill in your system specs.Windows 7 Help Forums PSU. cooler, case, peripherals and anything attached to the computer by wired or wireless (mouse, keyboard, headset, printer, xbox, port replicator, docking station, USB wireless network card, etc.)https://www.tenforums.com/profile.php?do=extra

Notebook? Desktop?
HD? SSD?
Age of computer?
What has been replaced?
Please post the information.

yahanna · 17 May 2018

Hi zbook.. I now posted all my PC's info.. let me know soon what to do.. very little time now.. thanks

zbook · 17 May 2018

The drive needs to be checked with a hard drive enclosure or placing the drive into a bay of another computer.
With that not being available there is no fix as the condition of the drive is unknown. Are there bad blocks? What is causing so many different error messages?
Alternatively you can create a bootable Ubuntu flash drive to test the internal drive.
The information was in an earlier post.

These are the trial and error steps that you can try at your own risk since you are under time pressure to try anything:
1) Open the computer and reseat the drive, check cables, if you have another cable try it, etc.
2) If the problem is related to the registry this is a possible fix.
Take your time on this to make sure that there are no typos.

3) Open command prompt > Administrator: X:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe > X:\Sources>

4) type: bcdedit | find "osdevice"
This should display the location of the partition and in most cases is the location of the affected drive.
The partition was identified in the prior steps as E:

5) type: E:

6) type: dir

(The proper drive will display: perflogs, program files, program files (x86), users, windows, etc.)

7) type: cd \windows\system32\config

(There is a space between cd and \)

(It should display: C:\windows\system32\config>)

8) type: dir

(It should display most of these folders: bbi, bcd-template, components, default, drivers, elam, sam, security, software, system, vsmidk, journal, regback, systemprofile txr, etc.
All of the file sizes should be sizable.
If it displays zeros then abort.)

(Make a new directory and name it backup or something similar. In the next step backup5182018 was used but you can use any name with just letters and numbers that does not match a folder already in the directory)

9) type: MD backup5182018

(There is a space between MD and backup)

(Copy all of the files into this new directory.)

10) type: copy *.* backup5182018

(there is no space between copy and *)

(It should now display: bbi, bcd-template, components, default, drivers, elam, sam, security, software, system, vsmidk indicating the files were copied.

(Change the directory to regback)

11) type: cd regback

(There is a space between cd and regback)

(It should now display: c:\windows\system32\config\regback>)

12)type: dir

(It should display: default, sam, security, software, system etc.
All of these files must be sizable.
If it displays zeros then abort.)

13) type copy *.* ..

(There is a space between copy and *)
(After the second * there are two ..
(There is a space between * ..)

It should now display: DEFAULTOverwrite ..\default? (yes/no/all):

14) type: a

(It should now display: sam, security, software, system and that the files were copied.)

15) type: exit

16) Click turn off your PC

Remove the USB flash drive if you had changed your boot order.
Otherwise you can leave it and power on your computer

If this fixes the problems then consider it fragile and perform the following steps:
1) Make a brand new restore point
2) Backup all files to another drive or to the cloud
3) Make a new or update the existing image.

Please make sure that images are posted into the thread.

If the above does not fix the problems then consider
a) Moving the drive to another computer > testing the drive
b) Moving the drive to an hard drive enclosure > testing the drive
c) Trying boot rescue:
Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk - Windows 10 Forums
d) Trying Ubuntu.