How long should I wait for Startup Repair to complete its work?

[wackyjobber]

On the morning of Nov. 13, I opened my 2014 HP Envy TouchSmart 17" notebook to find it locked in a Windows Automatic Repair loop. I ran boot diagnostics and received short DST failure code QC601S-785A9W-MFGH7F-60VE03. This was a first-time lockout occurrence, and I think that Microsoft updated my Windows 10 the previous night (I can't get into the Windows GUI to find out). I learned from this Website that a short DST failure could be caused by many things, so I did some further diagnosis on my HDD. I ran chkdsk /f /r on C: drive, and found no significant problems. Windows fixed minor issues, then I ran diskpart sel disk 0, list partition and list volume, and learned that my C: drive is a GPT drive, and all volume partitions are healthy. I also noticed that my HP Envy HDD is happily communicating with the network backup drive (WD MyBook Live), even though I cannot access the Windows GUI. Since the HP Recovery utility was unable to help with repairs, I downloaded "Windows 10 bootable Media Creation Tool for another computer" to a USB drive on this notebook, and booted up the HP Envy with it (the Envy would not boot to the internal HP Recovery Tool). My plan was to get into a recovery mode Windows 10 GUI so I could access some Windows 10 configuration tools, but when I found a Startup Repair option in the Media Creation Tool recovery selections, I decided to try it again. I started that repair about 13-1/2 hours ago, and it still seems to be running. Right now, I'm looking at a black screen with an arrow cursor that I can move with my mouse, and a normal rotating "working" circle attached to it that randomly blinks on and off fairly rapidly during rotation, while the upper edge of my normally-hidden task bar blinks on and off in a separate random sequence at the bottom of my screen (the whole taskbar is not visible). I have the following four questions: 

1. How long should I let Startup Repair run before I give up on it and take my chances with a Windows 10 clean install?

2. If I shut down Startup Repair before it is finished, would I risk data corruption?

3. If I stop Startup Repair, how should I do it with the least risk to my system?

4. After Startup Repair is finished (one way or the other), I will first try to reboot normally. If that still doesn't work, any recommendations for next steps? I'm a little leery about trying a Windows 10 clean install from the USB drive before I have GUI access to the installed Windows 10.

[banhien]

@wackyjobber 

It is much better to ask Microsoft team. My answers

• A1. Depending on how seriously of the problem(s), it can take 5 mins to days or will come back and try the loop again and again.
• A2. Depending on what it is doing (in the dark) therefore no way we can tell. But Windows 10 is better now therefore files corruption is minimum. Again if due to physical hard drive problem, we would not tell
• A3. ditto
• A4. You can do a clean install Windows 10 and keep your data/files (if not due to HDD damages).

Regards.