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Question
Tuesday, September 18, 2018 11:40 PM
I've a PC stuck on start-up with "rotating dots" that have spun for hours!
All auto-repair, restore and reset options have failed, so I created a bootable USB using the MediaCreationTool, rebooted from the USB and reached the page giving two options: 'Upgrade', to retain all files and apps, and 'Custom' for a clean install that deletes all files and app. I selected 'Upgrade', having spent the whole day searching the web and finding articles/videos stating that 'Upgrade' should be selected if you want to repair/replace an existing Windows 10 Pro installation and you do not have the product key: Presumably the replacement OS would detect the product key of the originally version and adopt it for the new installation.
On clicking 'Upgrade' I got the following message:
"Compatibility Report. The upgrade option isn't available if you start your computer using installation media. If a copy of Windows is already installed on this computer and you want to upgrade, remove the installation media and restart your computer. After Windows has started normally, insert the installation media and run Windows Setup."
There are two problems here. First, strictly speaking, I don't want to 'upgrade' anything. I just want to repair/reinstall Windows 10 over an existing (corrupt) instance of the same. Second, Windows does not 'start normally', so how can I ever reinsert and run the installation media? If it 'started normally' I wouldn't have a problem in the first place! Is it referring to setup.exe on the bootable USB and expecting me to run it from the 'Command Prompt' advanced recovery option, which I can access by holding the power-switch for five seconds until the computer shuts-down, and doing so three times?
Alternately, am I expected to pay for another copy of Windows 10 Pro (even though it was bought previously), or is there still some way I can reinstall it without having the product key (FYI. The PC is a Dell Optiplex 390 desktop that was originally supplied with Windows 7 Pro, the product key of which is written on the Microsoft authentication label attached to the casing. It must have been 'upgraded' to Windows 10 Pro at some point before coming to me for repair).
Any help will be very much appreciated. Thanking you in advance.
All replies (4)
Saturday, September 22, 2018 1:44 AM
S.Sengupta,Microsoft MVP Windows and Devices for IT, Windows Insider MVP
Saturday, September 22, 2018 3:39 AM
1) Power on the computer and immediately power off when you see the Microsoft icon.
Power on the computer again and immediately power off when you see the Microsoft icon.
Power on the computer again and allow it to boot into the computer's Windows advanced troubleshooting menu.
Once in the menu select either reset save files or reset remove files, whichever is preferred.
This should allow you to fix problems that you are having with windows.
2) In the event you cannot boot into the compute's Windows advance troubleshooting menu you can clean install Widows 10 using a Windows 10 iso.
3) Find a flash drive that you can format ( > or = 8 GB)
4) On any working computer create a bootable Windows 10 iso:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
5) Insert the Windows 10 iso into any USB port on the problematic computer.
6) Repetitively click the applicable F key to boot to the external USB HD:
http://www.disk-image.com/faq-bootmenu.htm
7) It may take 5 - 10 minutes for the iso to load while viewing the Microsoft Windows icon
8) In the left lower corner it should display repair your computer. This is the method to perform startup repair, system restore, boot repairs, registry repairs, drive file system repairs, etc. If you want to clean install windows then instead of clicking on repair your computer, click on install in the center of the screen.
9) Delete all partitions > create an unallocated drive > reinstall windows (perform windows updates after the clean install has completed)
10) Follow the txt and images in this link:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-clean-install-windows-10-a.html
Saturday, October 6, 2018 1:18 PM | 1 vote
Thank you for your reply and for that of all others who have tried to help with this problem. Alas none of your suggestions corrected the problem.
I eventually installed a new copy of Windows 10 on a new hard disk, installed it in the machine and still got the same "rotating dot" problem. The power supply and RAM checked-out okay, so I finally concluded there was some other hardware fault, perhaps with the motherboard, and we decided to replace the machine, given it was several years old and already had a faulty Ethernet socket on the motherboard.
Again, thank you all for your help and I apologize for my delay in replying until the matter was finally concluded with the owner.
Best Regards and Thanks Again.
Saturday, October 6, 2018 1:22 PM
Please see my concluding remarks at the end of this thread. Thanks again to all who contributed replies.