Windows 8.1 Automatic Repair Loop

[gomer309]

Daughter calls me at work to tell me her computer (not sure specifics, I know it's a Dell Ispiron desktop and came w/windows 8 installed) is stuck in an automatic repair loop and she can't do anything.  I did some research, and this seems to be a problem which has surfaced after the latest windows 8.1 upgrade.  All my research points to her needing to use a disk to boot and then there are some steps to follow.  I don't think she has a disk, but i know there are ways to download those, what i can't find, is how to get to the boot screen or menu, or if i insert a disk/usb will the computer boot automatically from those devices?  I know usually hitting f12 or f8 or something like that will do it, but i can't find that works in windows 8.  Any suggestions are helpful.  Thanks

[patio]

In Windows 8 it's Shift +F8 for safemode and the advanced boot menu.

You'll still have to find out how to enter the BIOS however to set the boot order...

[gomer309]

Thanks for the info, after a few attempts I was able to get in and find the bios settings.  got some weird preassesment screen first, but I just tried again and hit f12 and found what I blv I was looking for.  One of the fixes I found on this problem was to change the boot #1 from uefi windows boot manager to the hard drive where the operating system is.  My ignorance shows, cuz I'm used to things like a C drive, but that particular option wasn't listed.  It did list internal ODD devices, and I wondered if that could be the same thing?  This problem seems to have impacted a lot of people and my research doesn't point to one solution so I was going to try that but thought I'd ask if I was on the right path or not.

My daughter is trying to find her product code for windows 8, it's not on her tower and she can't find some of the paperwork which came with the system.  So she may end up calling the manufacture and have them send her a disk, not sure yet.

Anyway, is internal ODD the same as the "C" drive?

Thanks for all the help.

[Geek-9pm]

ODD devices.
Optical Disc Drive
Oppositional defiant disorder
Odd future is a music group

[gomer309]

Thanks for the info.  I tried doing the ODD thing but still went in to the automatic repair loop, so we're gonna work on finding her product key and getting a disk and working from there. thanks for all the help.

[Geek-9pm]

I believe a repair can be done without the product key.
But you already tried that and got a loop.
Still, If you have another computer, you can make a copy of the HDD diagnostics software from Seagate and put it on a CD. It will boot from the CD. Normally the Seagate diagnostic does not destroy data but will identify issues with the hard drive. But it is not sure that it is the hard drive. It might be some other kind of hardware issue.
But here is a link to the  Seagate site. You want the program that can boot and run without the Windows System working.
http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/seatools/
Try the one that says 'Sea Tools for DOS'.
Hope it helps. 

[gomer309]

okay thanks, i'll give it a try.