Unable to boot windows 10 or get in to safe mode

Hi Dean. I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 9 year Windows MVP here to help you.

Unplug power and remove battery, press and hold power button for 30 seconds to release all power from circuitry, plug back in and power up to see if any change.

I will give you steps to access the Repair Mode to try all repairs to get Windows started, and if not to do the automated Reset or the superior Clean Install after rescuing your files. These steps don't cover possible hardware failure which might become apparent while performing the steps, so please report back as you go:

1. Use whichever method works in this link to access Advanced Startup Options: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2294-advanc.... Easiest may be to force shut down the PC (by holding in the power button) three separate times to trigger the Startup Options. If one of these methods work, then go to Step 3.
2. If none of the other methods work it may be necessary to Create Windows 10 Installation Media on another PC following the steps in the middle of the downloads page here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m... Make sure to uncheck the box for Recommended Settings to choose only the licensed version.

If the Media Creation Tool will not cooperate use the alternate download site at https://tb.rg-adguard.net/public.php. Burn to DVD using WIndows Image Burner or create bootable flash using one of the options here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2376-create...

Insert media, boot it by powering up PC while pressing the BIOS Boot Menu Key: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/hardware-tutor...

Choose the boot device as a UEFI device if offered, then on second screen choose Repair Your Computer. If the media won't boot you may need to enter BIOS/UEFI Setup (pressing key given in chart in link above) to turn off Fast Boot or Fast Startup first.

3. In the Advanced Troubleshooting options try to System Restore to a point before the problems began, Startup Repair, then if necessary from Startup Settings try to get into Safe Mode with Networking, or lastly Safe Mode.

If Startup Settings aren't available you can force Safe Mode from Command Prompt following Step 5 here: https://www.digitalcitizen.life/4-ways-boot-saf..., or using the command to unhide F8 Advanced Boot Options here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/22455-enabl... where you can also try the old reliable Last Known Good Configuration.

4. From Safe Mode w/Networking work through the Windows 10 Install Integrity Checklist to make sure the install is set up correctly, optimized for best performance, and any needed repairs get donehttp://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-performance/windows-10-performance-and-install-integrity/75529fd4-fac7-4653-893a-dd8cd4b4db00: If it doesn’t fix Windows enough to start it normally, then try a Windows 10 Refresh: https://www.howtogeek.com/265054/how-to-easily-...

Update your drivers from the PC's Support Downloads web page. Compare the latest drivers with the ones presently installed in Device Manager reached by right clicking the Start Menu. Make sure you have the latest BIOS, Chipset, Display (Video), Sound, USB3, Bluetooth, Network and all other drivers, or else download and install the latest now.

5. If Safe Mode doesn’t work or help stabilize things then return to Advanced Troubleshoot options. Next try Command Prompt to run through Windows 10 Install Integrity Checklist (above link) repair commands including sfc /scannow, DISM, a full Disk Check https://www.groovypost.com/howto/check-hard-dri..., or return to Troubleshoot options to Reset Your Windows 10 PC. You can also try System Restore to a point before the problem began.
6. Better yet do the vastly superior Clean Install Windows 10 following the steps in this link to delete all partitions down to Unallocated Space to get it cleanest: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...
7. There is a step to Rescue Files from the booted media or Repair Mode Command Prompt first: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

These steps are excerpted from my tutorial that compiles everything possible for Troubleshooting Windows 10 Failure to Start: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki.... You can continue with the other steps there.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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Standard Disclaimer There are links to a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.

(1) Try Startup Repair at least twice more, as I read it may take more than one.

(2) Try to regenerate boot files & the BCD.

(a) "Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt"

(b) Find out whether C:\ is still the boot drive in the Recovery Environment...

*DIR  C:*

*DIR  D:*

*DIR  E:*

Until you see the Windows folders:  Program Files, Program Files (x86), Users, Windows.

(c) Use that letter (instead of X:) in the following command...

BCDBoot  X:\Windows

That should copy a new set of boot files from the boot drive onto the System drive & generate a new BCD, per what I read here...

C:\WINDOWS\system32>BCDBoot /?

Bcdboot - Bcd boot file creation and repair tool.

The bcdboot.exe command-line tool is used to copy critical boot files to the

system partition and to create a new system BCD store.

bcdboot <source> [/l <locale>] [/s <volume-letter> [/f <firmware>]] [/v]

                 [/m [{OS Loader ID}]] [/addlast] [/p] [/c]

  source     Specifies the location of the windows system root.

  /l         Specifies an optional locale parameter to use when

             initializing the BCD store. The default is US English.

  /s         Specifies an optional volume letter parameter to designate

             the target system partition where boot environment files are

             copied.  The default is the system partition identified by

             the firmware.

  /v         Enables verbose mode.

  /m         If an OS loader GUID is provided, this option merges the

             given loader object with the system template to produce a

             bootable entry. Otherwise, only global objects are merged.

  /d         Specifies that the existing default windows boot entry

             should be preserved.

  /f         Used with the /s command, specifies the firmware type of the

             target system partition. Options for <firmware> are 'UEFI',

             'BIOS', or 'ALL'.

  /addlast   Specifies that the windows boot manager firmware entry

             should be added last. The default behavior is to add it

             first.

  /bcdclean  Clean the BCD Store. By default, simply removes any duplicate

             entries in the BCD. Can be followed by 'full'. In this case,

             each entry is scanned. If the corresponding device for that entry

             does not exist, the entry is deleted.

  /p         Specifies that the windows boot manager firmware entry

             position should be preserved. If entry does not exist,

             new entry will be added in the first position.

  /c         Specifies that any existing objects described by the template

             should not be migrated.

Examples: bcdboot c:\windows /l en-us

          bcdboot c:\windows /s h:

          bcdboot c:\windows /s h: /f UEFI

          bcdboot c:\windows /m {d58d10c6-df53-11dc-878f-00064f4f4e08}

          bcdboot c:\windows /d /addlast

          bcdboot c:\windows /p

Hi DeanGriffiths2

My name is Andre Da Costa; an Independent Consultant, Windows Insider MVP and Windows & Devices for IT MVP. I'm here to help you with your problem.

Power on and off your computer three times

How do you do that?

Power on, when you see the Windows Logo - power off

Power on, when you see the Windows Logo - power off

Power on, it will then your computer will boot into the Advanced Recovery environment

You might be asked to sign in with your Microsoft Account or Local Account password.

Click Advanced Options

Click Troubleshoot

Click Advanced Options

Click System Restore, see if you can go back to an earlier time.

If not, boot into the recovery environment again, then try performing a startup repair.

Perform the startup repair a couple more times then restart again to see if you are able to boot to the desktop successfully.

If that does not work, boot into the recovery environment, then click 'Go back to previous version of Windows'

If that does not work.

Power on and off your computer three times

On the third time, your computer will boot into the Advanced Recovery environment

Click Advanced Options

Click Troubleshoot

Click Reset this PC

Click Keep my files

Choose your account

Enter your password

Click Continue

Click Reset

If that does not work.

Go to a working computer, download, create a bootable copy, then perform a clean install.

	Step 1: How to download official Windows 10 ISO files 

	[http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...](http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/how-to-download-official-windows-10-iso-files/35cde7ec-5b6f-481c-a02d-dadf465df326)



	Step 2: How to: Perform a clean install of Windows 10

	[http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/wiki...](http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/wiki/insider_wintp-insider_install/how-to-do-a-clean-install-of-windows-10/aef0ae63-2117-41ee-a8ea-4a3181625b08)



If there are files on the drive you want to recover, see -  How to: Perform a Custom install of Windows 10

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/wiki...

Step 4: how to recover your files from Windows.old:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

Hi DeanGriffiths2

Greetings! I am Vijay, an Independent Advisor. I am here to work with you on this problem.

I am not clear whether you have tried Reset or not. However, you can boot through a Bootable USB drive. You will need to create this on another computer which is working - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2376-create...

How to Boot from a USB Flash Drive in Windows 10 - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/21756-boot-...

As a last option (assuming you have already tried Reset. If not try reset first) I would recommend that you should consider a clean install of your existing Windows 10. You can use below guide by Greg Carmack, MVP for this purpose. This is the best method to perform a clean install of Windows 10. (If you want to rescue your files, there is a section Rescue Files when Windows Won't Start)

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

If you want a very lightweight guide - Start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 10

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

Do let me know if you have any more question or require further help.

Disclaimer - This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.