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Windows 10 unable to shut down, restart or open any program

Anonymous
2024-06-07T23:46:43+00:00

I encountered a problem today on my Surface Pro 5 with Windows 10.

After shuting it down completely normal yesterday. Right after starting the computer I was unable to start any program apart from the task manager. No particular unusual activity in the task manager. During the previous day the computer was also really oddly frozen on the "no battery"-screen it shows when it shuts down from insuifficient battery, for a while. But then was working normally in the evening.

If I try to shut down or restart the device from the start menu, nothing happens. Force shut down over the power button is not possible. Openimg the settings will bring up a window but not show anything and crash again shortly after. If I use ctrl. +alt+del. I can also shut the device down or restart it, but the issue persists. In my latest attemp to start the device in the safe mode it is now stuck on a blue screen with a loading circle.

Help appreciated. Thanks.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Performance and system failures

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-06-10T16:52:10+00:00

    Dear Munkhbar

    Thank you for your advice.

    Holding the power button for 30s will only produce a screen refresh until it goes back to the current screen. This happens both on the desktop and during attemted shutdown.

    I did an aditional test, I can not opan any programs on the computer, only the task manager and file explorer are still somewhat operational.

    Looking at the Task manager, Avira is using a lot of RAM and does not allow to be shut down.

    As I can also not faore a shutdown the other options are not possible. I will try to check what happens when it runs out of battery.

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  2. Munkhu 2,690 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2024-06-08T00:23:59+00:00

    Thank you very much for reaching out! As an Independent Advisor and fellow Microsoft user, I'm more than happy to assist you.

    Would you mind giving these steps a try and then informing me of the outcome?

    1. Force Shutdown and Restart

    Since a normal shutdown or restart isn't working, you can try a force shutdown:

    1. Press and hold the power button for about 30 seconds until the device turns off.
    2. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it on.

    2. Boot into Safe Mode

    If the device is stuck on a blue screen, you can try booting into Safe Mode:

    1. Turn off your device.
    2. Turn it on and immediately press and hold the power button to turn it off again.
    3. Repeat this process two more times. On the fourth attempt, let it boot normally.
    4. When the Windows logo appears, turn off your device again.
    5. On the fourth attempt, your device should boot into the Automatic Repair screen.
    6. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
    7. After your Surface restarts, select 4 or F4 to start your Surface in Safe Mode.

    3. Perform a System Restore

    If you can access Safe Mode, try performing a System Restore:

    1. In Safe Mode, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
    2. Under Advanced startup, select Restart now.
    3. After your Surface restarts, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.
    4. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your Surface to a previous point in time when it was working correctly.

    4. Use Command Prompt for Advanced Troubleshooting

    If Safe Mode and System Restore don't work, you can try using Command Prompt:

    1. Boot into the Automatic Repair screen as described above.
    2. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
    3. Enter the following commands one by one:
      • bootrec /scanos
      • bootrec /rebuildbcd
      • bootrec /fixmbr
      • bootrec /fixboot
    4. Restart your Surface and see if it resolves the issue.

    5. Reset Your Surface Using a USB Recovery Drive

    If the above steps don't resolve the issue, you may need to reset your Surface using a USB recovery drive:

    1. Create a USB recovery drive using another computer.
    2. Insert the USB recovery drive into your Surface.
    3. Press and hold the volume-down button while you press and release the power button.
    4. When the Surface logo appears, release the volume-down button.
    5. Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your Surface.

    Please feel free to reach out if you require any additional assistance. I'm here to help!

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