Windows 10 Update - Caused Loop (Need a Computer )

[kyphysics]

I have an ASUS X540S (a cheap $199 priced) laptop and it asked me to do an update a few days ago. I agreed and left it running to go to dinner. When I came back, it was in some weird screen asking me to select a language. I chose English and the next thing I know it was in some sort of loop. I'd see the same screens over and over and over again regardless of what I did.

That is...until I selected an option that asked if I wanted to go to a previously installed version of Windows (or something like that). I did that and then my laptop loaded up a bizarre BARE BONES screen (whether in my administrator account or secondary account). I could see what looked like a desktop, but there were no apps. There was like NOTHING except an empty desktop.

After some Googling online today, I believe I may have encountered the infamous April Windows 10 Update:

article: https://windowsreport.com/windows-10-april-update-intel-ssd-issues/

After the Remote Desktop issues, we continue our Windows 10 April Update bug series with a new problem, this time concerning Intel SSDs. Many users who tried to install the latest Windows 10 OS versionexperienced UEFI screen reboot issues or constant crashes.

These problems blocked the update process and made computers unusable. As a result, Microsoft decided to block the Windows 10 April Update on machines with certain Intel SSDs.

When attempting to upgrade to Window 10 April 2018 Update select devices with certain Intel SSDs may enter a UEFI screen reboot or crash repeatedly.
Microsoft is currently blocking some Intel SSDs from installing the April 2018 Update due to a known incompatibility that may cause performance and stability issues. There is no workaround for this issue. If you have encountered this issue, you can roll back to Windows 10, version 1709 and wait for the resolution before attempting to install the April 2018 Update again.

I've since been using my dad's iPAD for my summer job and doing internet activities. I can't go on much longer, because he needs to use it too. I could spend time trying to fix this stupid laptop problem, but my parents also offered me $300 to buy a new one. I have a little over $300.00 in the bank to my own name right now too.

Questions:

1.) Has anyone encountered this issue and been able to fix it EASILY?
2.) If I buy a new laptop/tablet, is it true that Apple tablets or notebooks are better than PCs in terms of stuff like this happening and not crashing as much? Seriously, I go through PC laptops every 2.5 - 3 years, due to some stupid crash or malware. My parent's iPADs never seem to have any issues at all, despite costing more.
3.) Since the loop seems to be affecting mostly Intel processors, should I just buy a PC laptop with an AMD brand?

I'm thinking of just buying an iPAD. I need something ASAP, because in addition to an important internship I'm doing, I have to prepare for a ton of academic stuff later this summer. I need reliable computing.

 

[jedishrfu]

Businesses cycle their machines every 3 years or so as that is the optimal time to do it before maintenance, updates and speed concerns become an issue.

I think you will have to completely wipe your machine and reinstall from scratch to be sure you've eliminated the malware. Personally, one option I'd consider is moving to Ubuntu Linux. It has many of the equivalent Windows apps such as LibreOffice that's functionally comparable to Microsoft Office.

With this particular virus, you may have to do more to ensure that it hasn't affected BIOS or any firmware. You have to research that though to see how others accomplished the removal.

I sure hope you've backed up your personal files. If not you might consider using Knoppix (a CD / USB bootable Linux) which would give you some access to your hard drive.

iPads are great but you need to take stock of the app that you use today on Windows 10 and determine if there are iPad equivalents. Of course, your games will be different too.

A Chromebook might be an option too but again you have to check your windows apps and see if there's an equivalent.

 

[kyphysics]

Businesses cycle their machines every 3 years or so as that is the optimal time to do it before maintenance, updates and speed concerns become an issue.

I think you will have to completely wipe your machine and reinstall from scratch to be sure you've eliminated the malware. Personally, one option I'd consider is moving to Ubuntu Linux. It has many of the equivalent Windows apps such as LibreOffice that's functionally comparable to Microsoft Office.

With this particular virus, you may have to do more to ensure that it hasn't affected BIOS or any firmware. You have to research that though to see how others accomplished the removal.

I sure hope you've backed up your personal files. If not you might consider using Knoppix (a CD / USB bootable Linux) which would give you some access to your hard drive.

iPads are great but you need to take stock of the app that you use today on Windows 10 and determine if there are iPad equivalents. Of course, your games will be different too.

A Chromebook might be an option too but again you have to check your windows apps and see if there's an equivalent.

Wow. So you definitely think it's a virus from what I wrote? I was hoping it was an infinite loop caused by an incompatible Windows 10 update (as suggested in the article I posted).

Although, to be clear, I don't recall reading others who reported this issue having the "blank" desktop issue I had when I chose to use an installed operating system (from the "looped" menu options). But prior to selecting that option, the issues were pretty much identical, I think, to what others reported with an infinite loop at the UEFI screen when loading up the machine (post-Windows update).

I guess my skepticism on the malware part would be why did the loop (and the blank desktop) occur ONLY after I agreed to update Windows when the update permission prompt came on my screen? Before that update, I had no signs of malware. Nothing fishy was going on. Then, all of a sudden, my computer screen sudden turns completely blue and is in full screen mode asking if I wanted to update Windows 10 now (or wait later)...hmmmm...could the update screen itself have been a "fake" and my clicking to update actually initiate some malware? ...Otherwise, it's definitely weird that the malware only activated after that Windows 10 update...I would have just thought it was an update with incompatible code otherwise...

Very tech illiterate here, so feel free to educate/correct me! Appreciate your thoughts and time on this!

 

[rokytnji]

https://windowsreport.com/boot-loop-windows-10-april-update/

My Windows 7 Enterprise in on one hard drive. My Linux install is another hard drive. I only break out the Windows drive when proprietary software/hardware interfaces need to be ran. Other wise. It stays in the laptop bag. I roll mainly online with Linux. I also get my work done using Linux.

Just in case you get adventurous but don't want to wreck your Windows 10 drive.

 

[sysprog]

I have an ASUS X540S (a cheap $199 priced) laptop and it asked me to do an update a few days ago. I agreed and left it running to go to dinner. When I came back, it was in some weird screen asking me to select a language. I chose English and the next thing I know it was in some sort of loop. I'd see the same screens over and over and over again regardless of what I did.

That is...until I selected an option that asked if I wanted to go to a previously installed version of Windows (or something like that). I did that and then my laptop loaded up a bizarre BARE BONES screen (whether in my administrator account or secondary account). I could see what looked like a desktop, but there were no apps. There was like NOTHING except an empty desktop.

After some Googling online today, I believe I may have encountered the infamous April Windows 10 Update:

article: https://windowsreport.com/windows-10-april-update-intel-ssd-issues/I've since been using my dad's iPAD for my summer job and doing internet activities. I can't go on much longer, because he needs to use it too. I could spend time trying to fix this stupid laptop problem, but my parents also offered me $300 to buy a new one. I have a little over $300.00 in the bank to my own name right now too.

Questions:

1.) Has anyone encountered this issue and been able to fix it EASILY?
2.) If I buy a new laptop/tablet, is it true that Apple tablets or notebooks are better than PCs in terms of stuff like this happening and not crashing as much? Seriously, I go through PC laptops every 2.5 - 3 years, due to some stupid crash or malware. My parent's iPADs never seem to have any issues at all, despite costing more.
3.) Since the loop seems to be affecting mostly Intel processors, should I just buy a PC laptop with an AMD brand?

I'm thinking of just buying an iPAD. I need something ASAP, because in addition to an important internship I'm doing, I have to prepare for a ton of academic stuff later this summer. I need reliable computing.

I suggest that you do as follows:
1. Backup copy all your personal files to external media (DVD, flash, or USB HDD).
2. Run "restore factory settings" -- usually this can be done via pressing F9 during startup and following the prompts -- if not, check here: https://www.asus.com/en/support/FAQ/1013065/ -- this process uses the Asus recovery partition to put back your OS and apps.
3. Restore copy your files from the external media onto the Asus machine.

 

[kyphysics]

I suggest that you do as follows:
1. Backup copy all your personal files to external media (DVD, flash, or USB HDD).
2. Run "restore factory settings" -- usually this can be done via pressing F9 during startup and following the prompts -- if not, check here: https://www.asus.com/en/support/FAQ/1013065/ -- this process uses the Asus recovery partition to put back your OS and apps.
3. Restore copy your files from the external media onto the Asus machine.

Unfortunately, the f9 option didn’t work,nor could I follow those other steps, because now I cannot even get to the desktop or smart menu. It,s lock my laptop is getting worse and worse.

Could this be due to Russian malware the FBI warned Americans about this week? They told citizens with routers to reset them, change security stuff, and do updates on them.

 

[kyphysics]

Maybe the Russians got to my puter. Sad

 

[sysprog]

Unfortunately, the f9 option didn’t work,

1. Exactly what did it do when you tried F9 (assuming you tried pressing f9 during the Asus splash screen immediately after power on)? Have you tried powering down, then pressing and holding F9, and while continuing to hold F9 down, powering up, without releasing F9 until something past the Asus splash screen happens?

2. If the answer to 1 is "nothing", have you tried F2 (BIOS setup) or F8 (to get to Safe Mode) or F10 (to allow boot from another device) and if you have, with what results?

If you can get to BIOS setup via F2, try turning off Boot Booster (if it's there on your machine), and then save settings, power down, and try F9 during power up again:

3. Please describe what you still CAN get the machine to do.

Could this be due to Russian malware the FBI warned Americans about this week? They told citizens with routers to reset them, change security stuff, and do updates on them.

From the proximity to the update, I think that something that went wrong with the update is more likely the culprit than is the recently announced router malware.

 

[kyphysics]

If the answer to 1 is "nothing", have you tried F2 (BIOS setup) or F8 (to get to Safe Mode) or F10 (to allow boot from another device) and if you have, with what results?

If you can get to BIOS setup via F2, try turning off Boot Booster (if it's there on your machine), and then save settings, power down, and try F9 during power up again:
View attachment 226526

3. Please describe what you still CAN get the machine to do.
From the proximity to the update, I think that something that went wrong with the update is more likely the culprit than is the recently announced router malware.

Nothing happened when pressing f9 after and / or before (and holding down thru power up) powering up. It just went to Preparing Windows blue screen (after the ASUS “splash screen). Then it went to an account login screen. Actually right before the login screen and after preparing windows msg, I saw this message:

sihost.exe - System Warning
Unknown Hard Error

But after getting to login I can,t login now...just a spinning circle...one time I did get past this screen and could see the start menu bar and tried to click on it...then everything went black...just my mouse cursor was seen on black empty screen forever..".i shut it down after that using control alt delete and shut down afterwards.

Edit: I’m now trying F2...

 

[kyphysics]

Will get back to you when I have more time sysprog. I’ll try the f2 stuff.

 

[sysprog]

Will get back to you when I have more time sysprog. I’ll try the f2 stuff.

Please also check this thread: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...rd-error/52a24a33-499c-4ff0-a880-9de55d211898

 

[kyphysics]

Please also check this thread: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...rd-error/52a24a33-499c-4ff0-a880-9de55d211898

F2 didn’t work, bc no boot booster shown under boot section.

Ordered new laptop via internet...should arrive end of week...using sister’s laptop and parent’s iPad in meantime.

Out of curiosity, has anyone brought a laptop to a computer fixit store? What do they charge for stuff like this? Not that I,m thinking bout it. Jus curious for possible future solution. For current laptop, I don’t have time to fix it. Too busy with summer work and other stuff. But ty all for at least trying to help...in the end a new one is the fastest and safest fix for me.

 

[Svein]

With ASUS things I repeatedly press DELETE from powerup until something happens. That should get you into BIOS/UEFI at least.