Server 2012 R2 Essentials forever "Please wait" screen after latest windows update and also threw the IRQL_not_less_or_equal error - just once but now stuck at "Please wait"

Question

OS: Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials version is installed. Worked perfectly fine for more than three years now.

Latest Windows update that was automatically applied 2 days ago. Server went into installing update 1 of 1 and restarted as normal and the server went thorugh all its configurations as usual after re-start and it froze forever at the "Please wait" screen which generally appears after the Windows Logo appears but before the Sign-in or Login screen comes up.

So after reading all possible articles on this matter for a solution and even after contacting the troubleshooting hardworking and sincere Microsoft Technical Team which worked on my case for almost more than 50-60 hours without success am posting this issue here for some luck.

When the windows update was applied - immediately after that I did see an error message that the computer ran into a related to IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL....that error was seen just once never again, but eventually the server got stuck at "Please Wait' screen.

No one however had a clue as to how to get the server into safe mode when one has no access to Windows. The most ironic thing here is that if I cannot access safe mode when I have no access to windows what purpose would safe mode solve if it did not support the most critical errors like Windows no boot.
I was asked by the MS engineer to download the ISO image file of Windows server 2012R2 and create a bootable drive - which we did and used it to enter into the repair option - and also loaded the HP RAID drivers/ controllers into the Pendrive and used DRV Load command from command prompt) after which I could see my computer drives. DISM command - revertpendingactions didnt work either.

Finally after much searching I found that pressing Shift+F8 in Windows server 2012 R2 - continuously at startup is the key to getting into the safe mode of server 2012R2. however even after getting into safe mode and selecting Safe mode with networking or safe mode using the last known good configuration - the screen came back to "Please Wait"
Mine is a HP Proliant ML10G9 server

How do I get the please wait page to go awayu and th eSign in opttions come
Thanks

Answer 1

Anyway, here is the command sequence to use to restore the backup copy of the registry while at the Command Prompt in Repair Mode:

1. Identify the correct drive letter for your Windows installation. It could be a drive other than C: but it won't be X:. You do it by typing the commands
   dir C:\Win*
   dir D:\Win*
   dir E:\Win*
   until you find the Windows folder.
   I will call that drive "Q:".
2. Type these commands:
   cd /d Q:\windows\System32\config
   xcopy . Q:\MyRegBack\
   cd RegBack
   dir
3. Examine the dates of the Software, System and SAM files. Were the files created before or after your problem became apparent?
4. If they were made before the problem became apparent then you can type these commands:
   copy /y software ..
   copy /y System ..
   copy /y Sam ..
   (the two dots are part of each command)
5. Reboot normally. If things do not work out then you can backtrack by copying the original registry files from Q:\MyRegBack to Q:\Windows\System32\config.

Answer 2

When you cannot get windows to Boot - ie when the windows Sign-in page wont appear for any reason or you are stuck at windows during Booting, then you will need to hard power off your computer using the power button - holding it down for 10 sec. However it is imperative that you do not do this many times - It will damage your PC Hard Disk Drive. But since you have no option you may have to do this.

Also you may try to get into Safe Mode by following 2 methods -

1. : pressing Shift+f8 continuously during booting up (to get this right you may have to try this 2 to 3 times) and if the PC gets into any other Menu like BIOS or Boot etc then exit that menu by pressing ESC (Shift+F8 is the safest way to get into Safe Mode for Windows server 2012 R2 by not having to Hard shut down or
2. (Not recomended) Pressing the Power off Button at the time you see the windows logo appear during booting - when the Windows logo or company logo appears press the power button for 10 sec to hard shut down. Then put on the PC. When second time the PC comes on - and when you see the Windows Logo/Company logo - again press the Power off Button to hard shut down - the PC has now hard shut down twice. Now press the Power on Button the third time and Let the bopoting go all the way through - you will see the Windows Safe Mode option. however weird this may sound but this is one way that Microsoft has to reach windows safe mode when everything else fails.

Answer 3

Before following the steps in this post you need to

download the Windows Image file applicable to your operation system and then you need to create a bootable Disk in a pend Drive (USB Drive) and keep it inserted in the PC to reach the Windows Recovery environment.

You will also need the RAId driver from your PC manufacturer to be installed in the Pen drive .

Also since you have the set up file in your Pen (USB drive) - attached to your PC - when you boot it it will take you to Windows set up - click next to see the repair option - go to troubleshooting - Command prompt - the Command prompt is called the Windows Recovery environment or WinRE. Type Notepad in the prompt to see if you can see all your computer drives.

If you cant then you need to load the RAID drivers using .INF file from the Pen drive.
The (dot) .INF file is given to you by your computer manufacturer. It is a file in the Raid Driver which is extracted on to the Pen drive
To load the Raid Drivers you need to pass the DRVLOAD command after which you will see your computer drives
and then continue to the link steps above