[SOLVED] [Win8.1 x64] Win.Update spinning

[BrianDrab]

Do you have a USB drive that you could copy files on to?

 

[Dave S]

yes I have usb drives

 

[BrianDrab]

Great. Boot to the command-prompt and please do the following.

FRST Scan
1. Please download Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your USB drive.
Note: You need to run the version compatible with your system. If you are not sure which version applies to your system download both of them.
Only one of them will run on your system, that will be the right version.
2. Plug in the USB drive into your sick computer.
3. In the command window type the word notepad and press Enter.
4. Notepad opens. Under the File menu select Open.
5. Select "Computer" and find out what your USB drive letter is and then close notepad.
6. In the command window type e:\frst (for x64 bit version type e:\frst64) and press Enter
Note: Replace letter e with the drive letter of your USB drive that you identified in step#5.
7. The tool will start to run.
8. When the tool opens click Yes to disclaimer.
9. Press Scan button.
10. It will make a log (FRST.txt) on the USB drive. Please plug in the USB drive into your clean computer and copy and paste the contents of it into your reply.

Items for your next post
1. Contents of the FRST log.

 

[Dave S]

Scan result of Farbar Recovery Scan Tool (FRST) (x64) Version: 17-04-2017 01
Ran by SYSTEM on MININT-ITC8NCK (17-04-2017 12:02:48)
Running from F:\
Platform: WIN_81 (X64) Language: English (United States)
Boot Mode: Recovery
ATTENTION: Could not load system hive.
The operation completed successfully.
Tutorial for Farbar Recovery Scan Tool: FRST Tutorial - How to use Farbar Recovery Scan Tool - Malware Removal Guides and Tutorials
==================== Registry (Whitelisted) ====================
(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the registry item will be restored to default or removed. The file will not be moved.)
HKLM\...\Winlogon: [Userinit]
HKLM-x32\...\Winlogon: [Userinit]
HKLM\...\Winlogon: [Shell] [0 ] () <=== ATTENTION
HKLM-x32\...\Winlogon: [Shell] [0 ] () <=== ATTENTION
HKLM\...\InprocServer32: [Default-wbemess] <==== ATTENTION
HKLM\...D6A79037F57F\InprocServer32: [Default-fastprox] <==== ATTENTION
HKLM\...26dfa299cadb\InprocServer32: [Authentication UI Logon UI] <==== ATTENTION
==================== NetSvcs (Whitelisted) ===================
(If an entry is included in the fixlist, it will be removed from the registry. The file will not be moved unless listed separately.)

==================== One Month Created files and folders ========
(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the file/folder will be moved.)
2017-04-17 11:57 - 2017-04-17 12:02 - 00000000 ____D C:\FRST
2017-04-16 09:42 - 2017-04-16 21:07 - 00000000 _____ C:\Recovery.txt
2017-04-16 09:39 - 2017-04-16 09:39 - 00000001 _____ C:\BOOTNXT
==================== One Month Modified files and folders ========
(If an entry is included in the fixlist, the file/folder will be moved.)
2017-04-16 09:40 - 2013-08-22 07:36 - 00000000 ____D C:\Windows\System32\migwiz
2017-04-16 09:40 - 2013-08-22 07:36 - 00000000 ____D C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions
2017-04-16 09:40 - 2013-08-22 05:36 - 00000000 ____D C:\Windows\System32\oobe
==================== Known DLLs (Whitelisted) =========================

==================== Bamital & volsnap ======================
(There is no automatic fix for files that do not pass verification.)
C:\Windows\System32\winlogon.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\wininit.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\explorer.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\explorer.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\svchost.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\services.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\User32.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\User32.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\userinit.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\userinit.exe IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\rpcss.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\dnsapi.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\dnsapi.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\volsnap.sys IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\codeintegrity\Bootcat.cache IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
C:\Windows\System32\winsrv.dll IS MISSING <==== ATTENTION
==================== Association (Whitelisted) =============
HKLM\...\.exe: => <===== ATTENTION
HKLM\...\exefile\DefaultIcon: <===== ATTENTION
HKLM\...\exefile\shell\open\command: <===== ATTENTION
==================== Restore Points =========================

==================== Memory info ===========================
Percentage of memory in use: 16%
Total physical RAM: 3970.08 MB
Available physical RAM: 3309.96 MB
Total Virtual: 3970.08 MB
Available Virtual: 3325.55 MB
==================== Drives ================================
Drive c: (OS) (Fixed) (Total:456.37 GB) (Free:456.07 GB) NTFS
Drive e: (2014.09.12_1238) (CDROM) (Total:0.39 GB) (Free:0 GB) UDF
Drive f: (KINGSTON) (Removable) (Total:7.26 GB) (Free:3.89 GB) FAT32
Drive x: (Boot) (Fixed) (Total:0.5 GB) (Free:0.5 GB) NTFS
==================== MBR & Partition Table ==================
========================================================
Disk: 0 (MBR Code: Windows 7 or 8) (Size: 465.8 GB) (Disk ID: D9789CFD)
Partition: GPT.
========================================================
Disk: 2 (MBR Code: Windows XP) (Size: 7.3 GB) (Disk ID: C3072E18)
Partition 1: (Active) - (Size=7.3 GB) - (Type=0C)
==================== End of FRST.txt ============================

 

[BrianDrab]

Your drive appears to be empty?
Drive c: (OS) (Fixed) (Total:456.37 GB) (Free:456.07 GB) NTFS

It appears you tried to do a clean install or something instead of a repair??

 

[Dave S]

I guess so. Things got pretty confusing when the repair did not work. I guess I will have to go ahead with a clean install and do it right

 

[BrianDrab]

That's a bummer. I'm really sorry that happened. Since it's an OEM install, if you have the OEM Windows 8 media you should be able to clean install and be fine.

 

[Dave S]

I agree. I do not have media that came with the PC. I will give it a try. Thanks for all your help.

 

[BrianDrab]

I do not have media that came with the PC

What will you be trying if you don't have the media? Do you have any OEM Windows 8 media?

 

[Dave S]

when I start the install, I am asked to select an install destination. one spot that comes up is drive 0, partition 4 named winret tools and it is a recovery partition. Is this possibly the factory install ? How can I find out? I am at a pause.

 

[Dave S]

scrolling down there are also partition 6 and partition 7 named PBR. 6 and 7 are recovery partitions. Any ideas?

 

[Dave S]

I downloaded an install disk.

 

[BrianDrab]

Yes those are the recovery partition and recovery tools however I would imagine that the partitions are empty because nearly all of the space on the drive is considered free space by windows. We can do another check to be sure if you like but I don't believe there is any data on the drive any more.

 

[Dave S]

let's check

 

[BrianDrab]

Get back to a command-prompt and let me know when you are there.

 

[Dave S]

I am at C:\

 

[Dave S]

AHA thinking back, I remember that at some point I got a message that Dell back-up and recovery needed a new installation or something to that effect. When I wrote down the various partitions, Partition 4 WinRetTools is 500 mb in total with 23 mb free. I did not write down the info for partitions 6 and 7

 

[BrianDrab]

Type the following hitting enter after each.
diskpart
list disk

Tell me what it shows for you. For example it will be something like the following.

 

[Dave S]

disk 0 is Online size is 465 gb, Free is ) B, dyn is blank, and Gpt has an *

disk 1 has no media

 

[BrianDrab]

OK, now type the following hitting enter after each.
select disk 0
list partition

Let me know what it shows. Similar to the following.