Windows 8.1 won't boot! Can't access anything!?

So, recently my computer, a Lenovo Y510P laptop running Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit, began having internet issues. I get fed up with it, and decide to fix it, as I usually do. I try to boot into safe mode, but for some reason, it won't respond to either F8 or Shift-F8. "No problem, " I say, having used msconfig before,"I can work around this."

So I load msconfig, check the minimal boot box, and restart. Big mistake.
Since restarting, my computer will no longer boot in any form at all, be it in safe mode or otherwise. All it does is display the standard Lenovo boot screen, which promptly fades to black after a second or so.

Please help! My backups are out of date, and Lenovo wants $200 just to try and help me!

what is happening exactly on boot up?

When you say that the computer won't boot at all, what do you mean exactly?

 

Does the computer respond at all when pressing the power button?  Do you hear a series of beeps shortly after startup?  Do you see the Lenovo screen, but then it simply goes black after that?

When you say that the computer won't boot at all, what do you mean exactly?

 

Does the computer respond at all when pressing the power button?  Do you hear a series of beeps shortly after startup?  Do you see the Lenovo screen, but then it simply goes black after that?

I mean, the computer does respond, the Lenovo screen appears, the windows 8 loading screen "rotating dots" appears under it, then all fades to black and I literally can't do anything else, save turn the computer off.

No beeps, nothing else. That's all that happens.

I know that won't help your booting issue, but that will keep you from having to futz around with the msconfig next time.

Under Windows 8, they have a "Secure Boot" configuration that prevents booting from CD/DVD.  To boot to safe mode, enter this command (no quotes) at an elevated command prompt:

"bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy"

To return it to Windows 8 default, enter this command (no quotes) at an elevated command prompt:

"bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard"

On my system, before I used a boxed copy of Windows 8.1, if I pressed F12, you could get eventually to a place where you could tell it to boot to safe mode.  Now that I don't have that option.

 

Oh yea, also consider uplugging your computer for 24 hours, and also removing the battery, if it's a notebook/laptop.  That might reset the EUFI / bios.  Just a guess.

I had a person come to me with a issue like this. It could be a stuck or corrupt update and the pc was shut down before it could apply the updates. Pressing F8 repeatedly that seemed to reset it and it will startup again where it left off.

Thanks anon, I'll keep that in mind for all future occurrences.

But tech, the process you just described will put the computer into safe mode. It requires that the computer be functioning on at least a basic level, which mine unfortunately is not; I've already tired that, sorry.

But update; leaving the battery out for a day has gotten nowhere. Dammit.

I have to wonder why the computer is doing this. Do you think safe mode could be damaged somehow? I mean, booting into it using the windows-approved method has consistently failed, and I can't help but wonder if editing msconfig forced it to always try to boot in the non-functioning safe mode, or at least until I change msconfig back. Any thoughts? Maybe there's a way to revert the program back to pre-edit state?

I forgot to say... the "bcdedit" command is permanent, and until you recover your system (e.g. recovery partition or CD action), you don't need to issue it every time you want the safe mode.

Thanks anon, I'll keep that in mind for all future occurrences.

But tech, the process you just described will put the computer into safe mode. It requires that the computer be functioning on at least a basic level, which mine unfortunately is not; I've already tired that, sorry.

But update; leaving the battery out for a day has gotten nowhere. Dammit.

I have to wonder why the computer is doing this. Do you think safe mode could be damaged somehow? I mean, booting into it using the windows-approved method has consistently failed, and I can't help but wonder if editing msconfig forced it to always try to boot in the non-functioning safe mode, or at least until I change msconfig back. Any thoughts? Maybe there's a way to revert the program back to pre-edit state?

Holding Right Shift key pressing F8 should get you into recovery options. If not then you have to boot off a disc and get into a recovery console that way.

If the shift F8 option that technonymous suggested does not get you into recovery options it may be possible to edit the registry offline to let the computer boot back into normal mode. Does the computer have a dvd drive or only USB?

It does have a disc drive. But my computer came with no recovery disc.

Oh wait, there's a virtual recovery the computer has, called OneKey. Will that work? I don't want to revert my computer to factory, I have important files on it...

Onekey will revert back to the day of purchase. You can transfer the files using a linux distro like Puppy linux or FATdog64 which can boot if Secureboot is enabled and with a EFI partition. I believe your disk is GPT. Once the files are transfered you can then do the onekey restore.

 

Another option is to boot with a CD disk that can edit the registry to make your system go into normal mode instead of safe mode. This is a safe option since the computer does not boot anyway.

 

In order to do this you will need to download the Kaspersky Rescue Disk iso. It has a Registry Editor that can edit your registry if Windows does not boot. This may or may not work depending on if you have the registry key we are looking for. You will need to burn the iso image with Imgburn or any burning software that can burn images. If you decide to install Imgburn make sure you opt out of any additional software or toolbars. You may have to disable Secureboot in BIOS in order for the Kaspesky Disk to boot. If it does boot, you can also use the File manager to transfer your important files to a USB drive. You do not have to run the Antivirus section of the disc.

 

Once the Rescue Disks boots, launch the Registry Editor and navigate to the following registry key.

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Option]

 

You should have the option subkey under the Safeboot key. It should also have a dvalue of

 

"OptionValue"=dword:00000001

 

If you have this dword value under the Option subkey, change the dword value to

 

"OptionValue"=dword:00000000

 

By doing this, it will stop safemode from booting and should boot you to normal mode.

Edited by JohnC_21, 25 February 2014 - 02:23 PM.

Onekey will revert back to the day of purchase. You can transfer the files using a linux distro like Puppy linux or FATdog64 which can boot if Secureboot is enabled and with a EFI partition. I believe your disk is GPT. Once the files are transfered you can then do the onekey restore.

 

Another option is to boot with a CD disk that can edit the registry to make your system go into normal mode instead of safe mode. This is a safe option since the computer does not boot anyway.

 

In order to do this you will need to download the Kaspersky Rescue Disk iso. It has a Registry Editor that can edit your registry if Windows does not boot. This may or may not work depending on if you have the registry key we are looking for. You will need to burn the iso image with Imgburn or any burning software that can burn images. If you decide to install Imgburn make sure you opt out of any additional software or toolbars. You may have to disable Secureboot in BIOS in order for the Kaspesky Disk to boot. If it does boot, you can also use the File manager to transfer your important files to a USB drive. You do not have to run the Antivirus section of the disc.

 

Once the Rescue Disks boots, launch the Registry Editor and navigate to the following registry key.

 

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Option]

 

You should have the option subkey under the Safeboot key. It should also have a dvalue of

 

"OptionValue"=dword:00000001

 

If you have this dword value under the Option subkey, change the dword value to

 

"OptionValue"=dword:00000000

 

By doing this, it will stop safemode from booting and should boot you to normal mode.

Does that Kaspersky rescue disk have a console that has windows tools? If he can just get into console from there you can do a lot. Repair the mbr, fixboot, rstrui.exe or restore the backup manually.

 

Once everything is back to normal I suggest making a system repair disc since you have none. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/create-a-system-repair-disc

Edited by technonymous, 26 February 2014 - 11:39 AM.

It just has a offline registry editor, file manager , and antivirus. I figured the file manager would at least get his important files off the drive. The more I see of Windows 8 the less I like it. IMHO.