Unable to refresh, reset Win8 or boot in safe mode

Ten days ago, I upgraded Windows 7 to Windows 8 ("What are you waiting for"-email from Microsoft).

Within 6 days, I needed to refresh Windows 8 twice because of some crashes. After the second time "refresh", and reinstalling numerous updates for Win8, I turned the computer off. Next morning, after I successfully got the my Desktop screen, a message popped up saying, that my “Outlook driver had some errors and I needed to restart computer”. After I restarted my computer, Windows went through “Scanning hard drive and repairing” process.

Suddenly, I got a message that Windows could not repair the errors and will be automatically restored to a previous state. After about 40 minutes, I got a message that Windows could not be restored to a previous state. I got an option to go Advanced Options.

Several times, I've tried and failed to refresh, reset my Windows 8 or boot in safe mode. I even tried to run chkdsk in MS-DOS. It failed with a note, saying something about “could not transfer log ...50”. Sorry, I don't remember the exact words.

I tried to repair my Windows 8 by using USB Flash Drive, but got a message saying that my hard-drive is locked. Over-the-phone Microsoft technicians could not help me.

I decided to do a “clean-install” of Windows 8 on the same computer that had Win8 installed.

I got a message, saying something “Windows cannot be installed on GPT drive, only on MBR”.

I needed to reformat my hard drive – to loose everything – and only then, I was able to reinstall Windows 8.

Why I could not refresh my Windows 8?

 

Before formatting, you could recovery your data with a disk system as Lazesoft Recovery, Wondersharelive, Parted Magic...

 

I could not boot into safe mode, or into ANY of those given 9 modes.

 

Yeah, that sounds like a nightmare alright. This is when a good and hopefully recent image is indispensable. Next time, after you reinstall, use the built-in windows imaging or a free one perhaps, like Macrium Reflect Free, and make an image right away. You'll be glad you did...

PS - I'm assuming there is no failing hardware or anything causing the crashes and problems.. if there is, then it will just happen again no doubt.

 

I was mesmerized by the effortless way to refresh Windows 8 first two times and did not make a new recent image.

 

Sounds like secure boot locked your hard drive.

Even if you had an image of your hard drive you would probably have to turn off secure boot first and then restore that image at least that's been my experience with image restores and secure boot. That would make for a good question to others here. Has anyone been able to use imaging software and not turn off secure boot? Dell Professional Backup and Restore is the only program where I didn't have to turn off secure boot before restoring.

I think a person needs to be in the administrator account to refresh the computer, but I'm not sure about that. I usually just restore with an image.

 

In the past years I have read many times upgrade installation (from certain version to newer) is not recommended to be done. And I tend to avoid it. The first time I did one it was a nightmare. The same things happened later most of the times. I have done two/three upgrades from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 8 - all went perfectly well but I must note that the Windows 7 Pro was fresh install with nothing else, then Windows 8 Pro installed. However, most times I have made some upgrade from old non-fresh OS version to newer version (e.g. XP to Vista, Vista to 7) the results were not good.

 

If you restore using a WinPE 4.0 (based on Windows 8 ) it shouldn´t be necessary, I suppose.

 

As I said before, I bought my computer with Windows 7 three months ago and received that Microsoft $14.99 special upgrade to Windows 8. After I purchased a new laptop with Windows 8 installed, I decided to upgrade a "perfectly running" Windows 7 computer to Windows 8, because
Microsoft Upgrade Assistant assured me that it will be very easy to upgrade.
I did not expect so many issues.

 

Thanks, I'll have to try it.

 

I don't think you are alone. From what I have read in various forums the past month or two, some people are having issues here and there that sound a little bizarre. But then again, that's probably to be expected with anything new, at least for a while, until things get ironed out.

I had no problems whatsoever with the previews, but then again, I did a clean install.

 

Just tried it with Macrium Reflect free with WinPE 4.0 and secure boot/UEFI doesn't even recognize the DVD is there to boot from. I would have to turn secure boot off.

 

Does anyone here knows how to "turn off secure boot"

 

You have to go into BIOS and look for secure boot options.

 

The built in Windows 8 recovery options suuuuuck. I had issues with my desktop machine the first time I installed Windows 8 and it was unrecoverable. I could see the files if I booted with a Windows 7 disk, but that of course would not repair Windows 8. I had to reformat. Use of a 3rd party backup solution is pretty much required if you want be be able to fix Windows 8, at least from my experience.

 

At the Microsoft forum, I've found, probably, the best answer about some problems when trying to refresh Windows 8 on a computer with the locked hard drive:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...-my-hard/778c5115-c7bd-4319-8717-2af196733306
It was too late for me.

One unhappy Windows 8 customer, DJLAD said:
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Ok, I fought with for two days with everyone under the sun trying to figure it out. Here is what I know.
1. All the data is there - nothing is missing.

2. this has nothing to do with bit-locker or encryption.

3. DISKPART cannot see the file allocation table.

4. the HARD DISK DRIVER IS MISSING OR CORRUPTED - CAUSED BY WINDOWS UPDATE SOMEHOW - I DON'T KNOW?

If you take the drive out an put it in another computer it will work fine.
you need to be able to load the HP or other computer Manufacturer Disk Driver for windows-8 to the machine through selected boot up sequence.

some STARTup windows-8 systems will NOT ALLOW you to load a driver under repair circumstances. If you can load the driver you can recover your windows-8 without a refresh. If you cannot load the driver, you can save your data by putting the drive into another machine and copying it out. Then do a fresh install. You can also try a WINDOWS 8 INSTALL DISK AND LOAD THE DRIVER and see if you can do an upgrade. I didn't have that luck, as I learned the hard way.

My situation was an HP ENVY 4 with windows 8

1. windows-update sequence

2. NO BOOT

3. no REPAIR or RECOVER, or REFRESH (NO HARD DISK DRIVER TO DO THAT WITH)

4. took drive out and saved and fresh install (IF I KNEW ABOUT THE DISK DRIVER - I COULD HAVE SAVED THE DAY)
Found out later --- driver was missing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Desktop PC lesson: buy a copy of Rollback RX and install it. It will save you from a borked install so you don't have to reinstall Windows. Going back in time is a lot cheaper and less stressful than having to reinstall everything! Live and learn.

 

That's why I have Windows 7. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! And if I have no use for the Metro UI on a desktop PC.

 

Ditto... after reading about various Win 8 issues for the past few months, I am really glad I didn't yield to the temptation to buy it... I think 7 is the best we're gonna see for quite a while...

 

After two weeks with Windows 8, I find it as the least stable OS

My two weeks with two Windows 8 computers - one computer and one laptop.

It's my very short story about Windows 8.

Three months ago, I purchased a new computer with Windows 7 for my work . It has Intel Core i7-3770 and 8.0 GB RAM. During those months, I had ZERO issues with my computer. After receiving numerous e-mails from Microsoft "Update to Windows 8. What are you waiting for?", I decided to go for Windows 8. First upgrade failed, but on the second attempt, I successfully joined the "Windows 8 users" club.

In short, within two weeks, I've refreshed my computer twice. The very next morning after my second refresh, the computer informed me that Outlook had some kind of error and asked me to restart and repair it. That was my last time I saw my Desktop window. Nothing helped. Could not refresh, repair, boot into safe mode, run MS DOS. Nothing was working. Could not even reset. My CD-drive was locked and not visible on BIOS. After contacting Microsoft, I downloaded Win 8 and, only using my USB Flash Drive, I was able to do a clean install of Windows 8. I'm not going to complain about the HOURS WASTED to reinstall, update, recover, etc., after two refresh and one clean install of Windows 8.
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?p=2171977#post2171977
By the way, two days after the clean install, I needed to manually shut down my computer 4 times because my computer was "frozen". I could not get Task Manager or any program to work. I could get Charm bars, but my computer did not react after I clicked on the Power Icon . No way to turn my computer off.
I don't know what to expect in the very near future from my computer.

Two weeks ago, I purchased a new Windows 8 laptop. Twice I needed to refresh my brand new Toshiba laptop. After the second refresh, my laptop started having difficult times to start. It used to take about 5 minutes to boot. All my issues were sent to Microsoft. I decided to revert my laptop to a previous "Clean State with All Microsoft Updates" restore point. After that restore, only after numerous login attempts, I used to be able to get to my Desktop windows. My laptop was very sluggish. After contacting Toshiba's customer service, I decided to return my laptop, and replace it with a Sony laptop.

I have worked with Win98, Windows 2000, ME, XP, Vista, and Windows 7. In my personal opinion, Windows 8 OS is the least stable operating system made by Microsoft. I've dealt with a lot of hardware failures, with malicious files, but nothing could compare to Windows 8 troubles.

WINDOWS 8 IS NOT WINDOWS 7 JUST BETTER.

I will not recommend my boss to upgrade our work computers to Windows 8. NO, NO, NO.

I think, Microsoft's obsession with Metro Interface for tablets and mobile phones, is the biggest culprit.

 

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=340276

The only two things that unite ALL THREE WINDOWS 8 COMPUTERS with PROBLEMS are:
1. WINDOWS 8, and
2. BITDEFENDER WINDOWS 8 SECURITY ANTIVIRUS.

No other similarities.

Could it be BitDefender the CULPRIT?

 

Some security software can certainly play a role in causing the symptoms you've experienced.

 

Yep, I finally had to remove AIS 7 because of lockups and slowed internet.

 

Strange drive problems until you re-partitioned? That sounds more like the partitions got corrupted.

I've had very similar experiences after formats using the same partitions. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. I've also had it happen with new partitions as well.

I'd still run some rigorous tests on the drive just to make sure that it's not dropping sectors or something (once a drive starts dropping sectors, it often continues to do so). HDTune is a good freebie.