NUC8i7INHJA1 repair disk error loop

[Tea]

Hi. I have tried to reset and Startup Repair in Advanced options also not working.
The following keeps looping without stopping.
1. Preparing Automatic repair
2. Diagnosing your PC
3. Repairing disk errors. This might take over and hour to complete.
The screen will show step 1 after 15 seconds.
Windows 10 login screen won't appear.
Do I need to buy and reinstall Windows 10 by USB?
Thanks for answers.

[LeonWaksman]

You may try to repair the boot from command prompt:

1. Boot from your Windows 10 installation USB. You may prepare this USB using Microsoft Media Creation Tool.
2. Select your language preferences and click/tap on Next.
3. Click/tap on Repair your computer at the bottom.
4. Click/tap on Troubleshoot.
5. Click/tap on Advanced options.
6. Click on Command Prompt
7. In the Command Prompt write the following command:

Hit enter after each command:

BOOTREC /FIXMBR
BOOTREC /FIXBOOT

BOOTREC /RebuildBcd

sfc /scannow
chkdsk c: /f /r

8. Close the Command Prompt window by clicking the X in the upper right corner of the Command Prompt window.
9. Select Continue and sign in to Windows

Hope this will help

Leon

[Tea]

Hi Leon
Thanks for suggestion. My screen shows Access is denied after I typed BOOTREC /FIXBOOT
What should I do now? Thanks.

[Tea]

I also find the below after chkdsk c: /f /r
An unspecified error occurred (766f6c756d652e63 470)
and after X:\Sources>sfc /scannow
Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.

Thanks for suggestion.

[n_scott_pearson]

Are you logged into an administrative account?

Try disabling Secure Boot in the BIOS

...S

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @Tea 

Since you are booting from Installation Media, you are logged into Administrative Account. Could be that your drive failed.

In the Command Prompt execute the following commands:

1. diskpart

2. If you get the diskpart prompt, execute: list disk . 

If you succeeded with the above, you should see your drive. If you don't see your drive, check if your drive is recognized in BIOS.

Leon

[Tea]

Hi Leon
Drives can be listed.

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @Tea 

You may return to the last working configuration from Advanced Option Menu. This menu you can reach after booting from Window Installation Media USB:

1. Boot from your Windows 10 installation USB. You may prepare this USB using Microsoft Media Creation Tool.
2. Select your language preferences and click/tap on Next.
3. Click/tap on Repair your computer at the bottom.
4.  Click/tap on Troubleshoot.
5.  Click/tap on Advanced options.
6.  Click/tap on System Restore (use a restore point recorder on your PC to restore Windows).
7.  If prompted, click/tap on an administrator and follow the instruction on screen. Select the restore point form the list.
8.  After few Nexts, click Finish confirmed by Yes - the restore will start.
9.  Your PC will now restart and perform a System Restore. 
10. When the System Restore has completed successfully, click/tap on Restart

If the above will not help,  try the procedure that could work for you. Since you have the Installation Media USB, it is worthy to try. Start with the FIX # 1 

Fix Bootrec /Fixboot Access Is Denied on GPT Drive

Leon

[Tea]

Hi Leon
I followed the steps and still not ok including fix #1. The NUC comes with preinstalled Windows 10 but no Windows 10 image can be found now. Is there a way to reinstall Windows 10 in the NUC??
In the beginning, I switched off the NUC by pressing the front switch because the screen is black too long during startup . MY NUC is usually connecting TV by HDMI cable. Would it cause the boot up process fail afterwards because of the wrong shutdown process?
Thanks for comments.

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @Tea 

Since your system drive is listed, I believe that there should be no problem to reinstall Windows 10. However, you should be aware that since this will be a "clean" installation, you will loose all data and programs stored/installed on this drive. 

"Would it cause the boot up process fail afterwards because of the wrong shutdown process?" No, force shutdown should not corrupt Windows boot. Must be an other reason that caused this failure.

1. I suggest you install Windows using the following method (during installation, better connect your NUC to PC Monitor rather than TV):
2. Please prepare your installation media (you need 8GB – 32GB USB stick), using Microsoft Media Creation Tool. This will install the latest version. You may refer to this tutorial.  
3. Your bios should be set to default settings. Enter bios (press F2 during boot) and then press F9 (Y) to set defaults and F10 (Y) to save settings and exit. I suggest to disconnect the 2.5" drive cable (or remove the 2.5" drive) during the Windows installation, in order to avoid mismatch between System SSD and the 2.5" drive.
4. With the installation media inserted into the rear USB slot, power ON your NUC and repeatedly press F10 to get Boot Menu.
5. In this menu, choose the UEFI option of your Installation media.
6. Follow this tutorial to continue with installation.
7. Probably the installation process will skip over para. 9 and 10, because Windows 10 Product Key is stored in your BIOS.
8. Skip on para. 14 and continue in para. 15. Important, do not format the drive where you want to install Windows, rather delete all existing partitions from this drive, till you see one unallocated space.
9. Press Next and continue with the installation

Leon

[Tea]

Hi Leon
My NUC gets to blue screen with code PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED. I actually did not delete any partitions before reinstallation. There are 4 partitions.
Drive 0 Partition 1 System
Drive 0 Partition 2 (MSR reserved)
Drive 0 Partition 3 Windows (Primary)
This is where I choose to reinstall windows
Drive 0 Partition 4 Recovery
What could be done now? Thanks for helping again.

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @Tea 

One thing more. Once you finished the Windows 10 installation, you should download and install all drivers for your NUC.

The drivers you may find on Intel Download Page for your NUC.   You have to manually download and install the Chipset Device Software as a first driver.  Once you have this driver installed, reboot your NUC and continue with the other drivers (Graphics, WiFi, etc,...). The sequence of the installation is now not important and you must reboot your NUC only once, after the last driver is installed. 

After installing the Chipset Software, you may download and install the Intel Driver & Support Assistant and use it to install all the drivers, instead of doing this manually. I am however, using the manual method.

Leon

[LeonWaksman · Accepted solution]

Hi @Tea 

This code PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED can be result of hardware or software failure. My possibilities to give you remote help are limited. You didn't described in which step of installation you got the blue screen. You didn't described what event proceeded the boot failure.

 If you prepared Windows Installation USB (as explained in para.2 in my post above), boot  from this USB into Advanced Option:

1.  Boot from your Windows 10 installation USB.
2.  Select your language preferences and click/tap on Next.
3.  Click/tap on Repair your computer at the bottom.
4.  Click/tap on Troubleshoot.
5.  Click/tap on Advanced options.
6. Select Startup Repair. This process may take some time.

Leon

[Tea]

Hi Leon
Your suggestion is right. I need to delete the Partition where the old windows located in order to have the new windows up and running. Next step is I will try to upgrade to Windows 11 if the NUC fulfill the requirements of Windows 11. Thanks for your time for all the steps and guidance.
Thank you very much.

[LeonWaksman]

Hi @Tea 

Your NUC can be upgraded to Windows 11. I have NUC8i7INH and I did this. For this upgrade use Windows 11 ISO file (rather than Windows 11 Installation Assistant). Follow the Windows 11 Upgrade tutorial. Start in Step 4 and then go to Step 6.

But important -  before you are starting the upgrade, install all the Intel and AMD drivers as described in my second post post dated Nov 18  above.

Leon