Cannot boot from HDD, USB or CD after fresh installation of Windows 10

[Martin Zahariev]

So I decided to reinstall Windows 10 since my computer was very slow and pretty much froze after 15-20 seconds every time I turned it on. I thought reinstalling it would fix the problem and it looked like it did after the reinstallation so I started installing my software. When I went to restart my pc after installing some software the computer froze on loading screen and didn't load even after 30 minutes. Then I restarted it again and it led me to automatic repair. I tested all of the options there, all of them gave me errors, so nothing worked. I also tried to boot the pc in safe mode but it led me to automatic repair again. I tried to boot from usb and from cd, but everything always leads me to automatic repair. I was in an automatic repair loop before but reinstalling the system fixed the problem. Now I cannot even boot from USB to reinstall windows to fix the issue. Every single thing I try to do leads me to automatic repair. I'm suspecting this is some kind of hardware issue, specifically hard drive issue but I am not sure. What is the issue and what can I do about it ? Any help is very much appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Martin Z.

 

[Colif]

is this a brand name PC or custom? If brand name, what make/model? If custom, what motherboard? need to know some details like that to help you fix it.

It is possible we need to change a setting in BIOS to let you boot off USB

30 minutes to boot sure gives impression problem might be hardware

 

[Martin Zahariev]

is this a brand name PC or custom? If brand name, what make/model? If custom, what motherboard? need to know some details like that to help you fix it.

It is possible we need to change a setting in BIOS to let you boot off USB

30 minutes to boot sure gives impression problem might be hardware

It is a brand name PC, ASUS M11BB - https://www.asus.com/Tower-PCs/M11BB/ . Also I want to point out that it didn't take 30 minutes to boot the pc up. I just waited 30 minutes and then gave up on waiting for it to boot. So I pretty much never had the success to turn it on since the issue appeared.

 

[Colif]

i wish one of the manuals actually showed the bios screens - http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Desktop/M11BB/XX09_E8851_M11BB.pdf as it makes it hard to work out what bios you have, does it have something like aptio at top of the bios or insyed?

auto repair eventually offers advanced options. should take that then choose troubleshoot/advanced/start up options
if start up options is a choice, hit the restart button
choose a safe mode (it doesn't matter which) by using number associated with it.
PC will restart and load safe mode

 

[Martin Zahariev]

i wish one of the manuals actually showed the bios screens - http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Desktop/M11BB/XX09_E8851_M11BB.pdf as it makes it hard to work out what bios you have, does it have something like aptio at top of the bios or insyed?

auto repair eventually offers advanced options. should take that then choose troubleshoot/advanced/start up options
if start up options is a choice, hit the restart button
choose a safe mode (it doesn't matter which) by using number associated with it.
PC will restart and load safe mode

I do not see anything like aptio/insyed at the top of the bios and by the way the bios I have is the UEFI Bios Utility:
Easy Mode - http://www.ybet.be/hard1ch23/uefi.JPG
Advanced Mode - https://www.eightforums.com/attachments/tutorials/16315d1360421957-secure-boot-enable-disable-uefi-130209143533.png
Also, booting the computer in safe mode is impossible, because every time I get to the point of choosing the safe mode, the computer starts booting, but again, it freezes on the windows logo while booting and eventually (after at least 15 minutes) it displays this error: https://images.scdn8.secure.raxcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1-2.png

 

[Colif]

okay, i saw some screens like the second one, curious if you have fast boot enabled as in some PC that will make BIOS ignore all USB devices except KB/Mouse at start up

does the screen advanced options lead to look like this? https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2294-boot-advanced-startup-options-windows-10-a.html

See if this helps
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
follow this page: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-rebuild-the-bcd-in-windows-2624508

is there a choice called Use Device? If so, you could put USB into PC, choose use a device and select USB from list and PC should boot off it. (not that it helps unless you can't fix BCD and need to reinstall again)

 

[Martin Zahariev]

okay, i saw some screens like the second one, curious if you have fast boot enabled as in some PC that will make BIOS ignore all USB devices except KB/Mouse at start up

does the screen advanced options lead to look like this? https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2294-boot-advanced-startup-options-windows-10-a.html

See if this helps
choose troubleshoot
choose advanced
choose command prompt
follow this page: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-rebuild-the-bcd-in-windows-2624508

is there a choice called Use Device? If so, you could put USB into PC, choose use a device and select USB from list and PC should boot off it. (not that it helps unless you can't fix BCD and need to reinstall again)

I've tried with both fast boot on and off, but that doesn't seem to make any difference. In both cases I am able to detect the USB but booting from it leads to Automatic Repair.

The screen advanced options are exactly the same on the link you sent, as the ones I have, yes.

Rebuilding the BCD lead to no success, also there is no option called Use Device.

 

[Colif]

Need to turn secure boot off as well or it won't see USB or DVD

So since its a fresh install I assume there is nothing on C you really need to save? That error is a very odd one to see on a clean install - its fairly odd to see in general but more so after you just installed windows. What software had you installed on it?

I wonder if it is the hdd after all. it is hard to tell from where we are. could see if this boots at all - http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/ - I know we don't need anything off C but booting another OS could tell us if its hardware or just windows being the problem

 

[Martin Zahariev]

Need to turn secure boot off as well or it won't see USB or DVD

So since its a fresh install I assume there is nothing on C you really need to save? That error is a very odd one to see on a clean install - its fairly odd to see in general but more so after you just installed windows. What software had you installed on it?

I wonder if it is the hdd after all. it is hard to tell from where we are. could see if this boots at all - http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/ - I know we don't need anything off C but booting another OS could tell us if its hardware or just windows being the problem

I was able to boot Ubuntu from USB and access my hard drive the way it was described in the guide you sent me. So I guess the problem is not really with the hard drive, but windows ?

 

[Colif]

Do you have AMD GPU or Nvidia? PC can have either so I had to ask.

So if its just windows, it must be a driver... since drive was just reinstalled onto, there is nothing to lose on it?

download dban and make a USB with it. boot PC from it and wipe hdd... easier ways to do this but PC won't boot off Win 10 USB, so this only choice.

Once hdd blank, how old was the installer you used to install win 10? If you don't have a new installer, on another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

Fresh install win 10, when you reach the screen asking for licence, click "I don't have a key" and win 10 will continue to install and reactivate once finished.

Once windows on PC, run windows update. Restart PC a few times and see if you get same problem again.

I am still not 100% sure its just windows but its hard to tell if PC won't boot at all. You might want to run something like HDTune on the hdd once windows works again, the slowness and freezes could be a drive or just an old driver.

 

[Martin Zahariev]

Do you have AMD GPU or Nvidia? PC can have either so I had to ask.

So if its just windows, it must be a driver... since drive was just reinstalled onto, there is nothing to lose on it?

download dban and make a USB with it. boot PC from it and wipe hdd... easier ways to do this but PC won't boot off Win 10 USB, so this only choice.

Once hdd blank, how old was the installer you used to install win 10? If you don't have a new installer, on another PC, download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

Fresh install win 10, when you reach the screen asking for licence, click "I don't have a key" and win 10 will continue to install and reactivate once finished.

Once windows on PC, run windows update. Restart PC a few times and see if you get same problem again.

I am still not 100% sure its just windows but its hard to tell if PC won't boot at all. You might want to run something like HDTune on the hdd once windows works again, the slowness and freezes could be a drive or just an old driver.

Erasing my HDD with dban and then reinstalling windows was a long process but IT WORKED! Everything worked fine after I installed Windows on the blank HDD. I restarted the computer multiple times and there are no issues, I took my time to check to see if the problem was actually fixed but after 6 hours of using the computer and restarting it multiple times, all issues seem to be fixed. Thank you very much for your help, I appreciate it a lot. I was going to waste money on new hard drive but you helped me save some money, thank you very much man!