[RKinner]

What does HDTune say now?

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[BMiles]

[BMiles]

And HDTune now

 

[RKinner]

Search for

msconfig

hit Enter

 

Click on Diagnostic Startup

 

OK

Reboot.

 

Don't know for sure if HDTune can run in this mode but if it does and the spikes are caused by some program this should fix it.

 

You will have to go back into msconfig and check Normal Startup , OK then reboot to get back to normal mode.

[BMiles]

Ok so that didn't work out very well. I'm getting a "something happened and your pin isn't available. Click to set your pin again" but nothing happens when I do click it.

I've tried to get out of it and boot up another way unsuccessfully

[RKinner]

You don't have a password?  I can't believe those idiots at Microsoft took out the ability to use a PIN in this mode.

 

This is not good.  The only way I know to fix it is to use another PC to go to:

 

https://www.microsof...nload/windows10

 

Click on Download Tool Now and follow the instructions on the same page where it says:

 

    Using the tool to create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) to install Windows 10 on a different PC (click to show more or less information)

 

Then you move the USB to your sick PC and boot from the USB (you may need to go into the BIOS Setup and change the boot order so it looks at the USB before the hard drive) then you have it do a Startup Repair.
   

[BMiles]

I don't have another pc. have my old HDD... Would that work?

[RKinner]

Yes assuming the drive still works.  Put it back in and then you can create the USB then put the new drive back in (after testing that you can boot off the USB)

[BMiles]

While I wait for this HDD to actually load... It's slower than getting over this pandemic. Does that mean I won't be able to boot in safe mode and such until a solution to the pin/password is found?

I used to be able to pop in my password whenever booting in any other mode

[RKinner]

I don't know.  I thought there was always a way to enter a password even if the PIN didn't work.  I never use a PIN but I had one laptop that I fixed for a neighbor and ran into the same problem when I went into Safe Mode.  I didn't know the password (and neither did the neighbor) so I just did a Startup Repair using the USB.  Seems like there was an option to use alternative methods of authentification and then it would let you use a password.  In the future I am just going to have people enable the hidden administrator (In an elevated command prompt type: net user administrator /active:yes)
before trying safe mode or diagnostic startup or anything else that might mess with the boot.  The hidden administrator doesn't need a password.

[BMiles]

So I'm really stuck. Startup repair isn't working and when I try to boot any other way off usb, it does the same thing...

[BMiles]

I am able to open command prompt. Not in safe mode or anything, just command prompt under advanced options in the recovery mode

Edited by BMiles, 01 December 2020 - 11:37 PM.

[RKinner]

In Command Prompt can you do:

net  user  administrator  /active:yes

If that works then you should be able to login as Administrator on the next boot attempt.

[BMiles]

This was unfortunately unsuccessful.

[RKinner]

Maybe a system restore from the command line:

 

rstrui.exe