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SaveAStrayVK
It has been a whirlwind of trying to recover my laptop, and I'm not fully sure where to go from here, so I'm finally reaching out to Support to see if there is an answer.
5 days ago, my laptop suffered a BSOD with the error of "PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR." I did not specifically update anything (I don't know if Windows pushed something) and I was actively using the computer at the time this happened (online game). It started going through a never-ending cycle of restarts and the same BSOD. I went through the options to try to get it to recover on it's own, through Windows Boot Manager (trying to Reset Windows with my files, then Reset Windows and clearing all files). Neither of these ever let me get into Windows.
Over the weekend, I downloaded the file that is supposed to restore the computer to its initial configuration, from Dell/Alienware's website and put it on a flash drive, then used it to boot up the laptop. I was able to boot from the USB, and it reinstalled Windows 8.1 to the laptop and I was able to get into the laptop on Windows 8. However, the computer never recognized the WiFi, so I could not connect to the internet. I updated all of the drivers I could (I downloaded the Dell/Alienware suire of drivers for that laptop from the Dell website), and it still could not recognize the WiFi. So, I downloaded the Windows 10 Install/upgrade to a USB to bring the computer back up to Windows 10 (since some of the drivers were only compatible with Windows 10). I attempted to update the Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 (picking the same partition that the OS is loaded onto, for the upgrade), and it stuck at 96%. I cancelled the install, rebooted and tried again, and left it overnight; it again was stuck at 96% all night. And now, when I try to restart the computer with no USB in (and just go straight to Windows 8.1), it continuosly fails and says "Windows failed to install" and reboots. Forever. I can not get back into Windows.
I have looked at all of the articles that have been linked about "how to troubleshoot Windows 10 install" and other "windows stuck at 96%" issues, but they do not apply in this case. I cannot access the internet even if I wanted to, and I am trying specifically to upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, without knowing whether 8.1 has all the right drivers (since some of the drivers I can get are specifically limited to Windows 10).
I don't really know where to go from here; I do not know how to get back to Windows 10 on this laptop, as I upgraded it to 10 for free (so I do not have a Product Key). I do not know if I can wipe the hard drive (it is SSD) entirely and be able to use the USB Windows 10 install media to be able to go from a completely new hard drive to Windows 10. At this point, I feel my only option is to install Windows 10 on a whole new, clean hard drive, but I don't know how to go about doing that because I upgraded. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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5 days ago, my laptop suffered a BSOD with the error of "PNP_DETECTED_FATAL_ERROR." I did not specifically update anything (I don't know if Windows pushed something) and I was actively using the computer at the time this happened (online game). It started going through a never-ending cycle of restarts and the same BSOD. I went through the options to try to get it to recover on it's own, through Windows Boot Manager (trying to Reset Windows with my files, then Reset Windows and clearing all files). Neither of these ever let me get into Windows.
Over the weekend, I downloaded the file that is supposed to restore the computer to its initial configuration, from Dell/Alienware's website and put it on a flash drive, then used it to boot up the laptop. I was able to boot from the USB, and it reinstalled Windows 8.1 to the laptop and I was able to get into the laptop on Windows 8. However, the computer never recognized the WiFi, so I could not connect to the internet. I updated all of the drivers I could (I downloaded the Dell/Alienware suire of drivers for that laptop from the Dell website), and it still could not recognize the WiFi. So, I downloaded the Windows 10 Install/upgrade to a USB to bring the computer back up to Windows 10 (since some of the drivers were only compatible with Windows 10). I attempted to update the Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 (picking the same partition that the OS is loaded onto, for the upgrade), and it stuck at 96%. I cancelled the install, rebooted and tried again, and left it overnight; it again was stuck at 96% all night. And now, when I try to restart the computer with no USB in (and just go straight to Windows 8.1), it continuosly fails and says "Windows failed to install" and reboots. Forever. I can not get back into Windows.
I have looked at all of the articles that have been linked about "how to troubleshoot Windows 10 install" and other "windows stuck at 96%" issues, but they do not apply in this case. I cannot access the internet even if I wanted to, and I am trying specifically to upgrade from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, without knowing whether 8.1 has all the right drivers (since some of the drivers I can get are specifically limited to Windows 10).
I don't really know where to go from here; I do not know how to get back to Windows 10 on this laptop, as I upgraded it to 10 for free (so I do not have a Product Key). I do not know if I can wipe the hard drive (it is SSD) entirely and be able to use the USB Windows 10 install media to be able to go from a completely new hard drive to Windows 10. At this point, I feel my only option is to install Windows 10 on a whole new, clean hard drive, but I don't know how to go about doing that because I upgraded. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Continue reading...