Cannot sign in to Windows 10


  1. Posts : 42
    Windows 10 Pro
       #1

    Cannot sign in to Windows 10


    Hi. I've been having problems with my other laptop. When you click on the Start button, there is pane that shows you your installed programs. Well, I was getting automatic down scrolling. I thought it was a stuck key, but actually, it was the mouse causing that scrolling.

    Ok. Now, in System Configuration, I've had "Selective startup" ticked. Been like that for ages. Also ticked is "Load system services" and "Load startup" Items. "Use original boot configuration" was un-ticked.

    Now, I'd been in safe mode, when I discovered the mouse issue, but before I shut down I went and selected "Normal startup". I thought, why not.

    However, I cannot now boot into Windows. Before, I got a screen that displayed the user name that I had chosen, and because I have no password set, Windows booted up quite nicely, without any intervention beyond pressing the Start button. I now get to a point where the name of what I wish to boot into should appear. But, I don't see that user name. I just get a picture and the time and date in large letters. When I do click on the middle of the screen the time and date shoots upwards and disappears. There is some HDD activity, then the time and date return.

    Now, I thought from the point that Windows has got me, that I could get back into safe mode by pressing shift and the start button. But, this does not work. So, I am at a loss as to how I can boot up Windows. Help appreciated. Thank you.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 42,733
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #2

    Hi, if you had System Restore enabled, then try this:
    Boot from Win 10 installation medium (DVD or USB drive), click 'Repair your computer' and navigate thru the blue screens to System Restore.

    Select a suitable restore point.

    Download Windows 10 ISO File Installation Upgrade Tutorials
    Create Recovery Drive in Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

    or:
    Restore backup copy of your registry

    Failing that, you could possibly try restoring the backup copy of your registry, using the above disk - requires familiarity with using the command prompt.

    If you're not familiar with that, get a copy of Kyhi's boot disk from the top of the Software and Apps section here.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 42
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi. I made a Windows10 disc image. When it ran I chose "Advanced options".

    *"System Restore": Cannot use that because no restore point. Also, cannot create a restore point.
    *"System Image Recovery": No image to recover.
    *"Startup Repair": Runs for about half an hour only to tell me that startup repair cannot fix.
    *"Go back to the previous version": No previous version to go back to.

    On this this disk, I'm now left with just one option: "Command Prompt".

    From what I did, I think msconfig might have caused the problem. The selections were not stable at some point. Probably caused by the mouse issue.

    I may try another recovery disk (iso) with the name - winpese-x86-14393_17.01.16. I think that might be Kyhi's boot disk. Not sure.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 42,733
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #4

    Restore your Windows registry
    A corrupted registry settings can also cause a auto-repair loop. Here is how to restore your registry from the RegBack directory. The RegBack folder is located in :/windows/system32/config, which is used by Windows to hold a recent backup copy of the registry hives.

    First, boot from a Win 10 bootable installation medium or other suitable boot disk.
    Launch a command prompt.
    Carefully identify the drive letter for your system drive (it will probably not be C: )

    Assuming your system drive is d:, run the following command to restore Windows registry:

    copy d:\windows\system32\config\RegBack\* d:\windows\system32\config
    - and press the Return/Enter key

    See example below underlined in red
    Cannot sign in to Windows 10-picture1.png

    That's the command prompt option.

    ===================================
    Or you could use Kyhi's boot disk

    The Windows 10 backup copy of the registry is normally under:
    C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack
    as you can see from the illustration below.

    Boot up the PC using either


    1. Kyhi’s bootable Win 10 disk available from the top of tenforums Software and Apps section.

    (This lets you use file explorer - easier)

    Carefully identify the drive letter for the Windows partition - this will probably not now be C:

    I’ll call it Z in this example.

    Back up the files under Z:\Windows\System32\config

    Copy all files under Z:\Windows\System32\Config\RegBack to Z:\Windows\System32\config

    (You may wish to delete the files in Z:\Windows\System32\config first)

    ==================================================
    Note: we continually and repeatedly urge people to use disk imaging routinely. This lets you recover unbootable PCs and restore disks and partitions, and Windows, to a previous functional state, even if you have to replace the disk. Quick, and no technical help should be required.

    E.g. Macrium Reflect (free) + external storage medium for image sets.

    ==================================================
    Note it is also possible to edit the registry offline - I've never tried.
    mount the offline registry file using regedit (%WINDIR%\System32\Config\SOFTWARE)
    But you'd also need to know what to edit..

    ==================================================
    In future you might like to consider adding a little protection by adding the option to boot to Safe Mode in your boot menu (so you choose to boot normally or to Safe Mode - like dual booting I suppose).

    See the Tutorial section for how.
    Last edited by dalchina; 09 Oct 2017 at 07:32.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 42
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Hi. It came to pass by a sort of happenstance, that ran Minitool Partition Wizard 9.1. I saw that before C drive there is a 100Mb primary partition. That was set active, not C drive. So, I made C drive the active primary partition. It normally is the partition that is set active, because I don't run two operating systems on the laptop.

    The message I get at bootup is: BOOTMGR is missing.

    EDIT: Actually, I notice that on my other laptop there is a 100Mb partition (System Reserved) that is marked active. So, it looks like it was correct that the 100Mb partition was set active. I thought that was an error. Looks like not.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 42
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hi. Followed instructions to restore Windows registry to the letter. Screen showed just as in the screen shot you posted (except c: was J:

    PC now boots up. Thank you. It's made my day. Rich
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 42,733
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #7


    Here's my partition layout for reference:

    Cannot sign in to Windows 10-partitions.jpg
    https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/2622803/bootmgr-is-missing-press-ctrl-alt-del-to-restart-error-when-you-start

    before I shut down I went and selected "Normal startup". I thought, why not.
    However, I cannot now boot into Windows....
    Beware- you've still that problem lurking... that is, something disabled, that when enabled, will stop you booting...

    Suggest you consider appropriate backups (System Restore, imaging, even registry backup... just in case).

    The difficulty in identifying it is what happens when it is enabled, of course, if you wanted to try a process of trial and error to identify it.
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 42
    Windows 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Hi. I went and opened up msconfig. I changed the setting to start up normally. This time there is no problem. It was a mouse defect that was messing with the selections, they were not stable. With a good mouse, no problem with msconfig. Rich
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 42,733
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #9

    Ok, you're lucky with that.

    That leaves the partition problem.. while your Windows is booting, I think you'll find upgrading (upgrade due from this month) will fail.

    Also I'm going to guess you probably can't boot to Safe Mode, a Command prompt etc.
      My Computers


 

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