Windows 8 Windows 8.1 stuck in loop

Jubac said:

Dell xps8500

Click to expand...

A 3 year old desktop... if it still has the 16g of ram it started with then it should be able to handle 8.1 but I was not aware they ever had windows 8 pre-installed... have you got a reset disc and how much free space was on the c drive?

Jubac said:

Preloaded with windows 8. Problems started when i downloaded windows 8.1 from store.

Click to expand...

You do mean the free 8.1 upgrade yes... not a retail copy of 8.1?

Jubac said:

Also cannot restore to previous settings anymore. There is one left and it doesn't work??

Click to expand...

In the VERY small print from Microsoft it says you cann't load a windows 8 recovery image over the top of the 8.1 upgrade.

1. have you got another (working) computer that you can attach this hdd to in order to see (perhaps format) it?

2. if it was a windows 8 pre-install then it will have a windows key stored in the bios and a worse case option is to format the hdd and re-install a fresh windows 8 os but a pre-install is not the same as just having windows 8 on it when you payed for it... check your papers first.

3. bottom line is we need more info but you could also put a ubuntu disc in and boot to that.

Hi. Yes I have another laptop that had windows 8.1 loaded. If I created a recovery use from this would it work? Tried the other day it said I needed a 32gb usb if I wanted to create s recovery disk with partitions??

Not sure about this

Also when computer arrived I asked for a disk too. They put In The disk windows 7 Sp1 (is this the same as windows 8?)
Computer has loads of space.

Sorry I'm not too technical!! Thanks for helping me

Jubac said:

Yes I have another laptop that had windows 8.1 loaded. If I created a recovery use from this would it work?

Click to expand...

No mate... your laptop has different parts and a recovery disc from that will just bsod on your desktop.

Jubac said:

They put In The disk windows 7 Sp1 (is this the same as windows 8?)

Click to expand...

No windows 7 and windows 8 are different... we now have to assume the system doesn't have a pre-install i.e a key is needed.

Jubac said:

Computer has loads of space.

Click to expand...

Well thats some good news.

I would:
1. goto the Microsoft server with the working laptop and down load a copy of windows 8... not 8.1.
website = http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/upgrade-product-key-only and the download you want is Link Removed

2. I assume some of the data on this system is to be keept so you have two options now;

a. get a new hdd and replace the old one with it then install windows 8 on the new disc... this is far and above your best option because if you do have a pre-install the windows 8 will not need (or ask for) a key and you can just put the old hdd back in the system as a spare drive after the boot is finished to recover any files you may need off it.


b. take the old hdd out of the system and use some sort of docking bay to read/ back up the data with your laptop.

p.s. I can't see your screenshot mate, my old eyes are not fine print workable.

p.p.s when you get it all working again... invest some time to make a bootable backup image. I use acronis true image but there are free options... don't use any Microsoft backup software as their stuff is shit.

A bootable backup takes about 5mins to recover from and would have fixed this mess... live and learn.

Hi are these photos any better? I actually made a recovery disc. But this doesn't work??

I haven't tried anything else yet? Looking back it appears others are having similar problems? Are there any settings that I could change?? When I took the recovery disk option it was for windows 8. I didn't make one for windows 8.1.

How would I tell if hard drive is knackered? It has been iffy for a while. Previously I could restore. Now I can't at all??

Jubac said:

Hi are these photos any better? I actually made a recovery disc. But this doesn't work??

Click to expand...

But did you use the Microsoft tool to make this recovery disc?
A recovery disc made with the built in Windows backup tool is LESS THAN USELESS because it doesn't work and people then beleave they have a backup... which in fact, they don't.

Jubac said:

When I took the recovery disk option it was for windows 8. I didn't make one for windows 8.1.

Click to expand...

Installing the 8.1 free upgrade voids all your Windows 8 backups... this is by design.

Jubac said:

How would I tell if hard drive is knackered? It has been iffy for a while. Previously I could restore. Now I can't at all??

Click to expand...

I very much doubt there is anything physically wrong with the hdd itself… just that the software is messed up. Still an ata hdd that "clicks" constantly is the only indicator of a failing hdd which can be detected without using diagnostic software… this indicates the pick-up heads aren’t connecting and a hdd doing this should be replaced/ tossed sooner not later.

No clicking my end. Totally at a loss ?? What's my best option? Thankyou for persevering

I don't know if I said the problem is on my desktop

I made backup before I did free upgrade to 8.1. Then loaded all the patches from august 2014. That's when the trouble started!!!

Trying thorough test mode now. Last night it got stuck so couldn't complete. Trying now. Prob not a good time at 2-30 am!!!!

Seems to be stuck in 94%. Perhaps I should leave it overnight??

Could this help!! I purchased this when my old hard drive failed. I then got a new computer xps8500 the one I have now.