Windows 10 install stuck at logo screen

1) Make a backup image and save the image to another disk drive or the cloud
Imaging with free Macrium - Windows 7 Help Forums

2) See these links:

Windows 10 - Test & Try with No Risk, No Install - Windows 7 Help Forums
Upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 for Free
Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First

Ben, thanks for your suggestion, it sounded promising, especially when I found I had an option called (I think) "No execute memory protection" (which is apparently the same thing), but this was already enabled. Disabling it made no difference.

zbook: using Macrium I made an image on my spare hard drive of my dual boot system, so that's a good thing to have anyway. Then I followed the Test & Try tutorial as best I could and set up a Windows 10 VHD. When I reboot I do not get to choose an operating system, I get the same old Windows logo screen, but only briefly. Then it reboots and goes around the loop a few times, then I get the following:

Recovery
Your PC couldn't start properly.
After multiple tries, the operating system on your PC failed to start, so it needs to be repaired.
Error code: 0xc0000001
You'll need to use recovery tools. If you don't have any installation media (like a disc or USB device), contact your PC administrator or PC/Device manufacturer.
Press Enter to try again
Press F8 for Startup Settings
Press F9 to use a different operating system.

I've never been so glad to see an error code - a clue!

I couldn't resist trying a few things. When I press F9 I get a choice of Windows 10, Windows 7 or Windows XP. The old installations still work from here, but Win 10 still fails and takes me to the error screen above. I chose F8 to try Safe Mode but still got the same result. Booting with the USB still freezes at the logo screen.

I found a video showing how to fix this specific error code, "BEST FIX!" apparently. It says "First boot your PC using a Windows 10 installation USB stick" but of course this stalls at the logo screen so I can't follow the following instructions.

Now what?

If there are problems you can restore the image.

The image is of my existing installations of Win 7 and xp, both of which still work, though I currently have to go through the F9 menu to boot into them. The only problem seems to be with Win 10.

Another possibility is that you made a 64 bit installer and are trying to use it on a computer with a 32 bit processor. If you used the media creation tool, I think it defaults to the architecture of the computer on which the installer is being made. You have to uncheck the box marked "Use the recommended options for this PC" and change it.

Ben

My current working Win 7 is 64 bit, so I guess my processor must be. The various installers I've tried have all been made on this machine, the same one I'm trying to install on, except for one my son made on his machine which he says is definitely also 64 bit.

You might try the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. The requirements for Windows 8 and Windows 10 are about the same. It's still available from Microsoft and it might give you some insight to your problem.

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?linkid=259439

It won't run on XP, but should run on Windows 7. It also runs on Windows 10 if you select the "Troubleshoot Compatibility" option.

Ben

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Of the two, I decided to try Ztruker's first, but my Kyhi usb won't boot on my pc, it gets stuck at the logo screen. Do you want me to use something else to format the 148.17GB partition on Disk 0 as NTFS ?

In the meantime I'll try Ben's idea...

- - - Updated - - -

Windows 8.1 Setup says:

This PC doesn't meet system requirements
If you want to install Windows 8.1, you may have to upgrade some of the hardware in this computer.
You can't install Windows 8.1 because your processor doesn't support PrefetchW.

Microsoft's Windows 8.1 System Requirements say:

To install a 64-bit OS on a 64-bit PC, your processor needs to support CMPXCHG16b, PrefetchW, and LAHF/SAHF

Windows 10 System Requirements don't mention this, but I guess it applies. So I guess that's it.

Although... I believe I already have "a 64-bit OS on a 64-bit PC" so something doesn't make sense.