# Windows 8 Update problems



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hello everybody.

I have a problem with installing updates in Windows 8. I installed Windows 8 "on top" of Windows 7 just yesterday, which means that i don't have 2 OS, i just chose the option when i put the installation CD for Windows 8 in my computer, to install Windows 8 but keep my files and personal settings from Windows 7. Now i want to update from Windows 8, to Windows 8.1. But Windows tells me when i try to fetch the 8.1 update from the Windows Store, that i need to update Windows first. Then i go to my PC settings or control panel, i download the updates, they install, then the computer reboots and before the login screen it gives me the following message with a 5 point rotating wheel that goes "Failure configuring Windows updates. Reverting changes. Do not turn off the computer" (Sorry if the translation is not exactly right, but i am from Denmark and i am trying to translate the message that i get in my Danish languaged system to english)

Then it just stays there on that screen for, well i guess it would stay for eternity, but many hours until you finally decide to kill the thing, boot it up again, press F9 in my case, and then ask it to make a system recovery, and then it's back to square one.

Now i have already tried running Microsoft's own "Mr. Fix it" tool for Windows update. It found some problems, fixed them all, i downloaded and installed again, same result.

Now if there is already a thread for this, please let me know because i will check it out then.
Otherwise thank you in advance, and have a nice day


Best regards

Mike


----------



## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

If you have a secure and validated backup of your Data then why don't you simply do a completely fresh install of W8.1..?

You can download an ISO of W8.1 from Microsoft and use that to do a fresh install. You don't need a Product Key as the Key is hard-coded into the BIOS. 

T.


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I do not agree- with respect to my colleague Tabvla



> You can download an ISO of W8.1 from Microsoft and use that to do a fresh install. *You don't need a Product Key as the Key is hard-coded into the BIOS.
> *


The licence key (product key) for windows 8 is ONLY embedded in the firmware on a system which is UEFI - Unified Extensible Firmware Interface - the replacement for the BIOS - Basic Input Output System
ON computers that are sold pre-loaded with Windows 8 or 8.1

Explanation of UEFI/BIOS
UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a standard firmware interface for PCs, designed to replace BIOS (basic input/output system). This standard was created by over 140 technology companies as part of the UEFI consortium, including Microsoft.

As you say that you have installed Windows 8 on the computer - that had 7 - you must have a product key, which you entered and windows activated automatically when you connected the internet

Indeed there is every chance that your computer is not UEFI.

Please confirm the spec of your computer - presently you list this
ASUS M3A Motherboard.
AMD Athlon CPU 3.0 GHZ.
4 GB RAM.
XFX Geforce 8800 GTX GPU 768 MB DDR3 RAM.
Seagate HDD, 720 GB RAM.
Realtek High Definition Audio (Motherboard sound card)
Creative Soundcard (not really in use at the time)
Windows Vista 32-bit OS.
LG Blu-ray/HD Drive.

If it is not that please update and run our system utility and post the results
http://static.techguy.org/download/SysInfo.exe

Finally for this post


> i just chose the option when i put the installation CD for Windows 8 in my computer, to install Windows 8


You mean DVD but that of course is not important - where is the installation disc from please - purchased - where from -copied etc.


----------



## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

Macboatmaster has a sharp eye for detail.... I missed the bit about upgrading from W7. I must learn to read more slowly or to add an extra measure of granules to that cup of Java ...

Thanks for spotting the oversight.

T.


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Further to the above - when attempting the upgrade to 8.1 from the Store
You should follow this

*2. Prepare your PC*

There are a few things you should do before you start installing.


Back up your files. Although your files and apps come with you when you update to Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, it's a good idea to make sure that your files are backed up first by setting up File History.
Make sure you have enough free disk space. If you're currently running Windows 8, you need 3,000 MB of available space to install the 32-bit version of Windows 8.1, and 3,850 MB of available space to install the 64-bit version of Windows 8.1. On a Windows RT device, you need 2,250 MB of available disk space to install Windows RT 8.1. For more info, see Tips for clearing drive space on your PC.
Plug in your laptop or tablet. It's important to keep your PC plugged in throughout the update process, because if you lose power before it's done, the update might not install properly. 
Connect to the Internet. It's best to stay connected until the update is done. If you don't, you'll need to connect again to finish setting up later, and setup will take longer.
Get the latest critical and important updates. There are some updates you might need before you can install Windows 8.1. In most cases, the latest updates will be installed automatically using Windows Update. But if you don't have automatic updates turned on and you need to check for updates manually, or if you'd like to check to see when the latest updates were installed, you can do this from Windows Update. For more info, see Windows Update: Frequently asked questions.
*Temporarily turn off your antivirus program. Some antivirus software might interfere with the installation.* After you install Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, remember to turn your antivirus program back on. 
Especially the line highlighted in red AND also you should ensure on a system that started with 7 that all your drivers are up to date - check device manager for any warnings

AND update the Store Before attempting the windows 8.1 
To do that you go to the tiles screen - start screen
and on the store tile if there is a numeral in the bottom right corner that is the updates available for the Store apps that you have.

So in summary please do the following
1.Provide your system spec
2.Where is the install medium from - the one for 8 - a reputable source etc.
3. Check drivers up to date
4. Disable AV - if not Windows Defender - THIS is often the cause of the problem with Windows updates.


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hey guys
Thank you for the replies you came with, but it does not really help me anymore since I have a much bigger problem, I can not even get into Windows now, AND it won't let me do a system recovery either in the recovery settings that I am allowed to enter before my computer tries to get Windows up. Yesterday I tried doing a PC REFRESH, but it could not do it since it did not have enough free space on C. So then I did a disc clean, to try and remove some of the files that was filling up the space, including the old installation files from Windows, and the old Windows files themselves. But that messed it up completely, yeah I know my own fault. Anyway it still does the same thing when trying to light in to Windows, before I get to the login screen it still gives me the same message "failed to configurate Windows updates. Reverting changes. Do not turn off the computer"
Simon I then try the same thing as before, which is a system recovery, but then it gives me this message:
System recovery did not complete. The system files and settings on the computer did not get changed.
Details: System Recovery failed to to run, while the the file system was scanned on E:\
The drive might be damaged. You can try and run System Recovery again, once you have run chkdsk /R on this disc.
There was an unspecified error during system recovery (0x810002004)

So I am going to try and run a comme prompt and a check disc from there, but if it does not help then I think that the only thing to do is to ask for a full PC reset, unfortunately there will be a lot of files getting deleted because of this. 

If you have ANY WAY of knowing another way to get into Windows, please let me know. And no, booting in safe mode does not work. I want to write you my system specifics, but can't really remember a lot of them and I can't really use my computer for the info right now. But it is not a laptop, but stationary pc. And it is not a specific brand PC, it is a firm that is called komplett.dk, that built the PC to my preferences.

Thank you in advance, and have a nice day


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Ii wish i had known that thing a outthink anti virus. I have AVG Antivirus, and that could have been the solution to disable that while installing. Any way as you can read further down, I can'tell really do anything about it know:-(


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

AVG =could have well been the cause

It appears to me a real mess - as if the message - not enough space for a refresh was received then there may well have been insufficient space for the 8.1 upgrade -

Appreciate you cannot post system spec - but please answer question re - where is the 8 dvd from


> You mean DVD but that of course is not important - where is the installation disc from please - purchased - where from -copied etc.





> Where is the install medium from - the one for 8 - a reputable source etc.


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I bought the Windows 8 dvd along time ago, when Windows 8 was first released at a store. There is a 32 and 64 bit version with the purchase. I have tried running the chkdsk, it said that there is not any problems with E, so I don't get it?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

As you cannot access windows and are now in the recovery environment cmd prompt
have you verified which drive letter is allocated to windows 8
at the 
X:\> prompt
type
*bcdedit | find "osdevice"*


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

And when I try running the chkdsk like the system recovery prompt suggested earlier (chkdsk /R) then the command prompt gives me the following message "The type of file system is NTFS. 
Cannot lock current drive.
Windows cannot run disk checking on this volume because the drive is write protected"
I am so screwed.


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

run the cmd I posted please


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I just died and found out something very strange. If I could send you a picture it would be easier but I will do my best to write it to you the way it is.

Windows Boot Manager
---------------------------------------
identifier <bootmgr>
device partiton=E:
description Windows Boot Manager
locale da-DK
inherit <globalsettings>
default <default>
resumeobject <67715539-900a-11e2-8fda-94de80213a81>
displayorder <default>
toolsdisplayorder <memdiag>
timeout 30

Windows boot loader
---------------------------------
identifier <default>
device partition=E:
path \WINDOWS\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 8
locale da-DK
inherit <bootloadersettings>
recoverysequence <current>
recoveryenabled Yes
allowedinmemorysettings 0x15000075
osdevice partition =E:
systemroot \WINDOWS
resumeobject <67715539-900a-11e2-8fda-94de80213a81>
nx OptIn
bootmenupolicy Standard


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

PLEASE do as I ask, otherwise I will have to leave it with you
You have NOT run the cmd I asked you have run a bcdedit cmd


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

And now I have to leave it for a couple of hours, sorry but I have to go out the door. But I will return to it later. If you have a solution in the meantime, I would really deeply appreciate it. Thank you very much in advance But I have to say, it does NOT make any sense that Windows 8 is on the E drive, since it installed it to the C drive "on top" of Windows 7. And I actually had to move some documents and pictures from C to E in order for the C drive to have enough free space?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I typed "bcdedit" so was that not what you asked? But I am very sorry if I did it wrong, I am trying to do the best I can


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I am seriously really sorry, and you have been a great help so far


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Re your post 15 - the drive letter is often changed in the windows recovery environment
The X drive is a drive loaded in ram
It looks as though the drive letter has been changed to E
If you were able to boot into windows - it would NOT then be E - it would be back to C - providing all that has changed it is the recovery environment

Re your post 16 - NO you can with respect see that the cmd was not bcdedit

It is clearly 
*bcdedit | find "osdevice"*

*HOWEVER *lets presume it is allocated E

from the recovery cmd prompt on the X:\ etc

type

E:
press enter

then type

chkdsk /r

press enter

what please is the response


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay I actually had to type "find osdevice" i did not know that. Anyway I will try it when I come back home, I had to leave, a talky kind of sucks but there is a family emergency.


----------



## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

Mikkel1990,

I've edited two of your posts for inappropriate language. Even if profane words are starred out by the board filters it's not acceptable to use them. Please be more careful in the future and keep in mind that this is a family friendly site. Thanks for understanding.


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I am back at the computer, and I ran the command you said, it gives me the following message:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
Cannot lock current drive.

Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Chkdsk may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.
Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? <Y/N>


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Of course, I am so sorry. I will be more attentive in the future, so it does not happen again


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

force dismount
you cannot be any worse than you are now


----------



## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

Mikkel1990 said:


> Of course, I am so sorry. I will be more attentive in the future, so it does not happen again


Thank you. We do appreciate it.


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay I will force the dismount, but in the mean time would you mind telling me what dismounting a drive actually means/entails?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

It will kill any current processes running on the drive
There are of course no guarantees in this situation that it will be successful
However as I said - you can hardly be worse off than you are at the moment


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay fair enough. Well it is done with that now, do you want me to write you what it says, or just move on with something else?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I need to know what the response was - please


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay it completed five stages in total, and the end result is as follows:
Windows has made corrections to the file system.
No further action is required.

117218303 KB total disk space
100218016 KB in 346828 files.
255624 KB in 69062 indexes.
0 KB in bad sectors
629963 KB in use by the system.
65536 KB occupied by the log file.
16114700 KB available on disk.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
29304575 total allocation units on disk.
4028675 allocation units available on disk
Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50

E:\>


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

exit out of recovery prompt reboot as normal and see what the result is please


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Nope I am sorry but it comes up with the same problem. Failed to configure Windows updates, bla bla bla?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Have you got anything besides the monitor, mouse and keyboard connected to the computer
If so shut down - disconnect any external drives or indeed anything else you have connected and then reboot
If before that screen appears you have the post screen and there is a 
boot options - press and then could be F12


Press that and see if there is an option of windows boot manager as against recovery


The problem appears to be that Windows is stuck in booting to recovery


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

You have any other ideas, or should I just move on to the last way out, which is completely remove and reinstall?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay give me a sec. Sorry didn't see your last message, my tablet is not good at loading the page all the time


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Oh and just a quick question while I do that. Do you have like a Skype account or something, cause that would make this process a whole lot easier, but only if it's somen you have the time to and want to do?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

All help must be here in the forums


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

In my boot menu when I pressed For, I can choose between the following:
Hard disk
CDROM
USB-FDD
USB-ZIP
USB-CDROM
Legacy Lån
Realtor PXE B08

And no I don't have anything else plugged in


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay fair enough, no worries we can do it in here then


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Is the windows 8 dvd in


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Yes it is


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Want me to boot from it?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

???


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Yes or no... Boot from Windows 8 dvd?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

With respect I have other jobs to do - *you cannot expect immediate response* 
so it is no use posting 
??? 
because I have not replied for a few minutes

Boot to the DVD

go back to the cmd prompt and type this

bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled NO

press enter

it should reply 
operation completed successfully
note please the { } are the ones on shift to right of letter p

then exit out of cmd prompt and reboot to hard drive


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Sorry. I am on it, and I really appreciate you helping me out


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Sorry but my keyboard is a little different. I have the { } on it, but when I try putting green them in the cmd, it lwon't do it. It says that the boot configuration data store could not be opened. I have tried it different ways as well, same result?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

what does this mean please



> but when I try putting *green* them in the cmd


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Sorry, typo. This tablet is kind of weird sometimes. Anyway what I meant was, when I put the command in that you wrote, it won't do it, and it just gives me the message that I replied with before. This is not easy?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

change the prompt to E:


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

This is what I got when I as you can see made the command you wrote?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Already did, it's the same. Want another picture?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

from the X:\>


prompt type please


bcdedit


what do you then get please


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I get the boot configuration data store could not be opened?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Go back to the cmd prompt
and run the 
chkdsk /f


cmd again
if it responds with the same message
do you wish to dismount - all open handles will be closed
this time click N


do you then receive another message please


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Taking a picture, hold on


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

And there we go, although I did it on E: not on X:
If you want me to do it on X: just tell me and I will try that as well?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

If I do it on X: it just gives me the following message:
Cannot lock current drive.
Windows cannot run disk checking on this volume because it is write protected


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

We already know that I have explained it before
The X is a ramdrive created for the purpose of the recovery

What I cannot understand is that the image you have just sent is the chkdsk cmd with previous results above from some previous chkdsk where there is only 597KB available

So where have you been typing the bcdedit cmd - by that I mean in which cmd window - if you look at this one it is headed Administrator X:\Windows etc.

A reason for the bcdedit reporting the boot configuration data store could not be opened would be if you were NOT in an admin cmd prompt
HOWEVER the message would then include

ACCESS IS DENIED

*Please take your time reading carefully what I am asking.*


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Well I can get to these recovery options in 2 different ways.
Number 1 is to boot from the DVD (That is where we are now) and get to the command prompt, amongst other option's. 
Number 2 is to start my computer, then before we start booting in to Windows, on the first screen I get actually there is at the bottom of the screen 3 different options. 1 is that I can press F12 to go into the boot menu. 2 is that I can press DEL to enter the BIOS setup. 3 is to press F9 and go to what it calls Xpressrecovery. When I do that, it gives me more or less the same screen as the number 1 option, although with a little more options to choose from than with the number 1 option.
I hope this answers your questions good enough, , as I really did take a great deal of time to read and understand them?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I can reboot and take a picture of the boot/startup screen and the screen after I press F9 if you want it?


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

So which one were you in when you used the bcdedit cmd at first


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

What I am trying to ask is
Have you been using the recovery environment cmd prompt from the Windows 8 DVD all the time
OR have you been using one from the F key menu previously when you ran the bcdedit and the chkdsk


AND which of those were you in when it would not open bcdedit


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I have been using the F9 Xpressrecovery all the time, until just before when you asked me to boot from the DVD. So all the other stuff, the bcdedit and everything was in the command prompt in the Xpressrecovery thing.


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I have to sign off shortly

IT MAY BE worthwhile to let that chkdsk run on reboot by typing Y on that last cmd

1. Try booting it without the windows DVD in

2. If that is no good try booting from the windows dvd
repair your computer
advanced options
and try startup repair

see the entry 
Booting to Recovery Environment with Windows 8/8.1 installation media or Recovery Drive/System Repair Disc

here on this link
https://www.winhelp.us/repair-your-computer-in-windows-8.html

then if that startup repair is no good
try the refresh


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Well I already have tried pretty much all I
of it, but it still won't get into Windows, due to the Windows update problems. Then it won't revert the changes, and just sits there for hours and never moves on. I will try the stuff you wrote though, report back, and again thank you very much for the assistance. Have a nice evening/night


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

If none of it works go back to the WINDOWS 8 DVD
Go to cmd prompt

change the prompt to
E:
type

dir /ahs

press enter
NOTE it must be typed at the 
E:\> prompt and not at the X
or the E:\Windows\System32>

Please post what it reports - a photo will do

If the BOOTMGR file is not there
then change to a 
C: 
so that you then have
C:\>
and type that cmd there.

At the moment besides the problem of the - update loop I am puzzled by the response in the recovery cmd prompt from the DVD and the recovery cmd prompt from express recovery or whatever.

HAVE you changed anything in setup
That bcdedit we had for windows 8 is NOT a bcdedit from a UEFI / GPT install

as if it was the windows boot loader on post 13 would have an efi partition - not just 
*path \WINDOWS\system32\winload.exe*

*instead it would read*
path \Windows\system32\winload.efi

BUT somehow the present responses we have tend to suggest that we are looking in the wrong place for the boot configuration data


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hey. That was a lot of info and questions, however just wanted to say that NO I have NOT changed anything in the setup. I had Windows 7 on my machine, put the Windows 8 dvd in, installed Windows 8 on my C drive, which is a SSL drive by the way, and I chose the installation that let me keep my files, settings, and all my other stuff from Windows 7. Then it installs, I want the Windows 8.1 update, it tells me that I have to go to Windows update and install updates before i can download and install the 8.1 update. I then go in to the Windows update part of the PC settings, I ask it to download. It then downloads, then it asks me if I want to install, I click yes, it logs out and go out of Windows, starts to I stall the Windows updates, gets to a certain percent, then comes with the message as I describes earlier. Before I was able to go into the Xpressrecovery thing, select system recovery, choose the only recovery point there was, and then it recovered to before I tried installing the updates. But then because I wanted to find a solution to this update installation problemishes, I wanted to do a PC REFRESH. But it would not allow me to do that because there was not enough room on the OS drive C:
So I then try and make a disc clean up, and I am almost certain that is what messed it up. I asked the disc clean to clean up old Windows installation files, AND the old Windows files themselves (the ones you normally find in the Windows.old folder o the C drive)
That is THE ONLY THING that changed from before when it could do the system recovery succesfully and until now when it can't.

I will try the instructions you gave me tomorrow, although I can not see what any of it has to do with the booting of Windows it self, since it seems that there is no problem with booting Windows, other than the fact that it get's stuck in trying to revert the changes of the Windows updates?
I will write to you what happens when I try your instructions tomorrow. Until then have a nice night/morning, thank you very VERY much for all the help so far, and sleep well when you get to it


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

But yeah I think you are right in your thought, we are looking in the wrong place for what we need?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Hey so I am now trying the things you wrote, and I am doing for E: and C:
I will post a photo for both the results.


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

This is what shows when I did it for E:
I can not see the BOOTMGR file here?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

This is a photo for the same cmd, but for the C: drive.

Now I am not the expert here, but it seems to me that C: has more or less nothing to do with what we are looking for, let alone anything else...? This does not make sense?


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Sorry I see the BOOTMGR file on the E: prompt now, it's there


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

Go to E prompt
type dir


press enter


is windows DIR listed


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Give me a minute, I just need to start it up again. I had closed it down, stupid:-(


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

I made the dir command on E: this is the result.


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

OK

I have read your post 67 but it does not actually tell me what you have tried
1. Have you run that chkdsk on E: by clicking NO on dismount and Y on retstart and then on restarting seeing if it runs chkdsk - not of course booting from the DVD on restart
If you have NOT that is the first job for this session

2. You may not with respect think that the startup repair/ automatic repair is applicable but I can assure you it is

If your Windows 8 system gives you a message *Failure configuring Windows updates, Reverting changes, Do not turn off your computer* message

If your computer gets into an endless reboot loop, try to get into advanced boot options. Here you can open a command prompt windows or system restore or perform an automatic repair

So if the chkdsk does not help go to my post 64 open the link
scroll down to the entry shown and then follow the procedure through to this
Step 1 - Automatic Repair and Startup Repair in Windows 8 and 8.1

and TRY IT - please - whether or not it works is yet to be seen but your surmise that it is not applicable is wrong


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay the i will go for the chkdsk now, but just want to make sure that the full command is:
E:\> chkdsk /r

Or is it the one called chkdsk /f /x


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

So first of all, solution number 1 does NOT work. I ran the command chkdsk /r, said NO to dismount, and YES to run on reboot. I the turn off the computer, turn it back on but no chkdsk gets performed. Now looking the link you went me over again to try the automatic repair and will post pictures to keep you posted.


----------



## Mikkel1990 (Feb 11, 2010)

Now when I try booting get either into the Windows 8 dvd, or the Xpressrecovery environment, I ONLY have the automatic repair option, and it does not work.


----------



## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

It is I am afraid a lost cause
Either take out the drive and connect it usb in an enclosure to another computer and recover any data you need 
OR
go cmd prompt
type 
notepad.exe


if notepad opens
click File tab
click Open
on the window that opens
to the right of File name is a box - File type - documents 
use the drop arrow 
change that to
All files
leave encoding as is 
leave file name blank
now on the left pane clicking Computer
you can then open your user folder and then your docs folder can be copied
right click and click send to


WITH a flash pen connected before you start this procedure you should then be able to send to flash pen


Using that method although a lot slower than the first method you should be able to get your data


Do not close the notepad window or the open dialogue box until you have recovered all


Good luck with it 
Sorry I could not sort it out for you
As I said - I think we started with a little bit of a mess.


----------

