mikeymikec
Lifer
System restore / startup repair / full chkdsk had already been tried on the laptop. A (non-optional) Windows update was the apparent trigger for the problem.
Life would be easier if the F8 startup options remained exactly as they were in newer versions of Windows after 7. I tried the bcdedit change that is supposed to make the early startup menu be available by pressing F8, but all I got was a momentary flash showing it before Windows started trying to boot again in normal mode.
I kind of managed to get safe mode to start through the repair console then telling it to run safe mode from there (the UI options under advanced troubleshooting, IIRC), but things got even more interesting when Windows Update kicked in before the machine had finished booting to 'revert changes' then immediately rebooted without allowing me access. Luckily that did the trick, but if it hadn't (or say Windows Update had got itself into a fail loop), I think my patience would really have worn thin.
I'm running it through dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth before connecting it to the Internet, then I'll get it to connect and do a Windows update check, and hopefully it won't shoot itself in the foot again.
Life would be easier if the F8 startup options remained exactly as they were in newer versions of Windows after 7. I tried the bcdedit change that is supposed to make the early startup menu be available by pressing F8, but all I got was a momentary flash showing it before Windows started trying to boot again in normal mode.
I kind of managed to get safe mode to start through the repair console then telling it to run safe mode from there (the UI options under advanced troubleshooting, IIRC), but things got even more interesting when Windows Update kicked in before the machine had finished booting to 'revert changes' then immediately rebooted without allowing me access. Luckily that did the trick, but if it hadn't (or say Windows Update had got itself into a fail loop), I think my patience would really have worn thin.
I'm running it through dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth before connecting it to the Internet, then I'll get it to connect and do a Windows update check, and hopefully it won't shoot itself in the foot again.
