Windows 10 upgrade has broken my laptop - all sorts of issues

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Michelle-is-not-happy

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Dec 19, 2015
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Last week I (stupidly) upgraded to Windows 10. Nothing - absolutely nothing - worked on my laptop, so I reverted back to Windows 8.1. And nothing worked there as well - super slow speeds, dropbox connectivity lost. My expensive Toshiba laptop is now a useless brick.

I have experienced 4 things since the upgrade:
1. A black screen talking about mediakit failing, and then asking me to reboot. As my PC didn't come with OS disks (no disks for that matter), I've been able to get into BIOS (via FN+F2). The laptop was booting from the HHD drive. I reloaded, and got in.

I then saved as much files as possible from desktop.

2. Situation 2 is that I get the blue screen with advanced start options. This is now more rare to get. I've done these things - restarted (which didn't fix the laptop); and restart in safemode, which didn't seem to work as well - the display looked the same, but I was able to get into my desktop, and the performance issues persisted.

3. Now the thing that I'm getting is the repair disk. This has been running overnight, but I get no sense of progress. I have no idea if it's doing a repair, or if it's just stalling (as there's no progress bar). The screen is:
- toshiba logo
- the circular dotted pre-loader thing (it's like a progress bar, but it doesn't give me a sense of completion).
- The message is "repairing disk errors. This may take over an hour to complete"... Aside from getting into BIOS, this is now as far as I can go. Pressing F9 or F11 (with/out FN key) has no effect.

One thing to note is that when I tried to save my files from my desktop, I may have *moved* documents.

I have called Microsoft support, who have been rude, inconsistent with advice and totally useless. I don't want to deal with Toshiba Support, as I have heard horror stories where they keep your laptop for months, and then return it to you exactly the same, asking for $$$ for fixing it.

I'm not a very tech person, so I have been researching possible fixes, but now I have NO IDEA what I have to do.

I don't want to reset my laptop, but will settle for a refresh as a last resort (I don't want to lose my files).

I don't have a OS disk to reboot from.

I am running a repair disk, but I have no idea how long it's meant to take, my HHD is 1 TB and I believe it's SSD (if that makes sense).

Do I let my laptop run repair disk for days? Is it worth taking it to a laptop repair person? Have I lost my data?

Please help!
Thank you
 
Solution
basroil


You should have done it BEFORE attempting anything, and now that you nuked your computer there might not be anything to back up at all! Try using a refresh disk to access safe mode (you already did it once, same steps ) and see if you can copy any files.

If you have another computer, you can also buy an external enclosure for your laptop's disk (unless it's one of those thin ones that don't have disks) and see if you can copy files to the other computer that way. As long as the files aren't overwritten you can recover them with that method.

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basroil

basroil

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Oct 19, 2013
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1) Buy an external disk for backing up your files (you should ALWAYS have one anyway), and back up all your files.
2) Go to the Toshiba website and download the drivers for your machine. If nothing else, download your WiFi drivers (wireless network, etc) and the storage controller drivers (SATA drivers, etc), extract them (but don't bother installing), and remember where you extracted them to.
3) Follow the instructions at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media to make a USB stick with Windows 8.1.
4) Copy the extracted drivers (step 2) to the USB stick
5) Follow the instructions at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media to reinstall windows. Make sure you load the drivers when given the option. You want to select the repair install or install over existing operating system options, using clean install only as a last resort.
6) Before you do anything else, download and install the remaining drivers for your machine from the toshiba website
7) Before installing programs or copying back files, run windows update until there are 0 remaining updates. Make sure you do NOT install "KB 3035583" and instead right click it and hide it.

That should clean up your machine.
 
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Michelle-is-not-happy

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Dec 19, 2015
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Thank you for the step by step, although I'm not very technical - as in, not at all.

How do I back up my files onto an external hard drive if I can't get into my desktop?

Also, if I give my computer to a comp repair guy, will he perform the actions below? I just feel very scared doing these things by myself.

Thank you.

 
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basroil

basroil

Glorious
Oct 19, 2013
8,698
1
46,960


You should have done it BEFORE attempting anything, and now that you nuked your computer there might not be anything to back up at all! Try using a refresh disk to access safe mode (you already did it once, same steps ) and see if you can copy any files.

If you have another computer, you can also buy an external enclosure for your laptop's disk (unless it's one of those thin ones that don't have disks) and see if you can copy files to the other computer that way. As long as the files aren't overwritten you can recover them with that method.


Going to one of those services is literally the dumbest thing anyone can do. Unless you can have them perform everything in front of your eyes, chances are you could have your personal information (credit cards, banking info, etc) stolen, or even have them replace your computer with an entirely different machine! Even if they are 100% trustworthy, data recovery will be extra, and the whole thing might end up costing more than replacing the computer with a new one.

Unless you can't copy the data yourself and it's absolutely necessary, just reformatting and losing the data is usually better than trusting it to a place like best buy.
 
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Solution
medab1

medab1

Honorable
Dec 20, 2012
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10,660
Your computer seems to be pretty messed up. :(
As suggested already-

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

is a good option.

I used the Media Creation Tool to install Windows 10.
Just like the 8.1 tool, I used it to create a Windows 10 ISO file & extracted it to a usb drive & inserted it & clicked on the install.exe to start the installing process.

screenshot_332.jpg


Windows 10 installed.
I didn't like it.
I reverted to my 8.1 Pro WMC via a system image I made on a usb drive using Macrium Reflect.-

http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx

The free version now has the boot time recovery environment available. :)

screenshot_332.jpg


Windows 10 was gone & my original OS was reinstalled with all my stuff.

I had planned ahead in case Windows 10 was a bust.

You said you did not want to lose your files.
If you can copy them to a usb, good.

If not, I suggest finding a way to create install media on a usb with the Media Creation Tool.
Your bios embedded Product Key should work with the new install media. - (Mine did.) - { I use a Microsoft Account }

Once you get everything installed & running good, I suggest you getting Macrium & add the boot time recovery environment & make a full system image so you will be protected in the future from data loss.

This is just the way I do it.
Having a full system backup is a very good idea.
It saves a lot of headaches. :)

Good luck.

 
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