This topic is locked
Hoping to keep my files, otherwise I woulda just full wiped and reinstalled by now.
Windows 8.1 64
i7-4790K (not overclocked, never was)
Z97-HD3 mobo
16BG RAM
One SSD is all I have and I never made a second partition or anything like that but it seems there is one (read later).
I lost internet which happens about once every 2 months, I usually replug the router from the wall and it's fixed in 3 minutes. This time it didn't. Other PCs on the router have internet. I tried a bunch of basic things like unistall network adapter, reinstall, update driver etc, nothing worked. So I tried REFRESH YOUR PC WITHOUT AFFECTING YOUR FILES. Now I can't get windows to open.
I'm unsure if it was after or right before losing internet, recently I ran disc cleanup (or defrag or something like that in Action Center toolbar icon, I think it may have been right after loosing internet that I checked action center which I normally don't but maybe was looking for an internet solution, and noticed it said it wasn't cleaned in a long time or ever.
I get either of the two titled errors. I tried many video and webpage tutorials but nothing worked.
I also paid $20 for neosmart easy recovery essentials (ERE) which has a whole big article for the LOCKED fix but ERE just gives me a frozen screen and their other cmd commands did nothing. I burned the ERE ISO twice to make sure, and did it on slowest speed, have burned ISOs before (DBAN) no problem but ERE is a frozen screen for me. Also with the ERE disc in, I can't often turn the PC off (only way I have is to hold power for 3 seconds) and it always reboots itself too if the disc is in.
ERE has a VGA mode I can quickly select, otherwise is chooses the first option and gives a frozen solid grey screen. If I choose VGA it does quickly scroll through a bunch of stuff but then freezes at the end. I gave it about 10 mins frozen then hard OFF'd the PC. VGA mode was scrolling a bunch of stuff I don't understand like 'marker problem from config line' 'current version of pixman' 'X.org X server 1.18.4 release date''X protocol version 11' etc. Anyway, $20 ELE gets horrible reviews but I gave it a shot.
When I boot from the OEM 8.1 disc, I choose REPAIR, not INSTALL (would wipe files).
From there I can TROUBLESHOOT> REFRESH YOUR PC = error: "THE DRIVE WHERE WINDOWS IS INSTALLED IS LOCKED. UNLOCK THE DRIVE AND TRY AGAIN."
TROUBLESHOOT > ADVANCED OPTIONS > SYSTEM RESTORE = error: "YOU MUST SPECIFY WHICH WINDOWS INSTALLATION TO RESTORE".
TROUBLESHOOT > ADVANCED OPTIONS > SYSTEM IMAGE RECOVERY = error: "COULDN'T FIND A SYSTEM IMAGE" (I don't think I've made one actually).
TROUBLESHOOT > ADVANCED OPTIONS > STARTUP REPAIR = error: "COULDN'T REPAIR YOUR PC".
There also UEFI FIRMWARE SETTINGS but I know nothing about that and didn't see it mentioned in tutorials.
I almost never had to mess with cmd either but I did a lot of tutorial commands in there but nothing fixes anything.
If I boot without the OEM disc or anything in tray, I get" error "SETTING UP A FEW MORE THINGS" and it freezes at 3% "COULD NOT COMPLETE INSTALLATION".
Somehow a couple times I managed to get that part to go %100 but then it errors at like %95 when finishing up another step.
If I follow this 16:48 video for the DRIVE IS LOCKED error,
Drive Where Windows Is Installed Is Locked UEFI Mode FIX [Tutorial] by MDtech
I get to about the 5:01 mark ^ but then afraid I'll wipe something if I proceed farther. It shows I have
TYPE SIZE OFFSET
Partition 1 Primary 350MB 1024KB
Partition 2 Primary 223GB 351MB
By the way, I can't ever get cmd to restart the PC, some tutorials say make it restart to complete the commands, but it won't restart if I try Shutdown /r, shutdown /r, Shutdown -r, Shutdown /r /f, shutdown /r /f, shutdown -r -f. \ or / etc.
Also, sometimes my cmd starts with C:\> or X:\Sources>. I can toggle it by typing C: or X: but unsure if it matters. Some tutorials were showing something like c:\system32 though which I haven't seen on mine.
This 6:07 vid from LotusGeek "the drive where windows is installed is locked unlock the drive and try again"
His cmd is showing system32, again, mine doesn't.
If I follow his steps, at 2:27 after "bootrec /scanos" it shows I have TWO total identified windows installations. I never willing made a partition or know how, but maybe something recent caused this, if it matters. 1 is D:\Windows, 2 is D:\Windows.old\Windows
Then I do "bootrec /rebuildbcd", it says 'total identified windows installations" 1. [1] D:\Windows "add installation to boot list? YES(Y) No(N) ALL(A)".
I tried A, it said "requested system device can not be found". I tried Y, it then shows [2] .old\Windows I select Y again = "The requested system device can not be found'.I then cmd 'exit' as instructed but I don't have his option to CONTINUE TO WINDOWS 'and it should be fixed'.
I did chkdsk c:/f = 'windows scanned the system and found no problems'.
I really have no idea how to fix this without wiping out all my un-backed up data, if it's even possible. I have my most important stuff backed up but a whole bunch I didn't. For now I'm a) upgrading to windows 10 and b) backing up things to a cloud/external every week or two.
By the way, I run spybot and defender scans daily and only found one or two things in like 10 years and I haven't had any malware or virus problems that I know of and hadn't been downloading or clicking anything out of the ordinary before this happened. But possibly it's some sort of malware?
Please help if you can, thanks!!
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