Login just keeps spinning

[ronkar1973]

My HP pavilion just keeps spinning at login.  I have tried the f11 and it says no restore points. I have tried f2 and everything passed.  I have hard reset. Nothing gets past the login screen. What can I do?  I’m mostly concerned about getting my files and photos off. 

[Hawks_Eye · Accepted solution]

Hi @ronkar1973 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I can imagine how frustrating it feels to be stuck at the login screen after trying F11 recovery, F2 diagnostics, and even a hard reset. You’ve already done the right troubleshooting steps, and it’s clear your main concern is saving your files and photos. 

Let’s focus on practical ways to access your data and stabilize the system.

Try Safe Mode

• Power on the laptop and immediately press F11 or hold Shift while selecting Restart.
• Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
• When the options appear, select Safe Mode with Networking.
• If Safe Mode loads, you can copy your files to an external drive.

Use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

• Power on the laptop and interrupt the boot three times (hold the power button to force shutdown).
• On the fourth boot, Windows should enter WinRE.
• Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
• From here, you can use basic commands like notepad > File > Open to browse files and copy them to a USB drive.

Create a Windows installation USB

• On another computer, download the Windows Media Creation Tool from Microsoft.
• Create a bootable USB.
• Insert it into your Pavilion and boot from USB (press F9 at startup to select boot device).
• Choose Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
• Use File Explorer within the recovery environment to copy your files to an external drive.

HP Cloud Recovery Tool (for full system recovery)

• If you want a fresh start after saving files, you can create recovery media using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool.
• Guide available here: HP Cloud Recovery Tool 
• This allows you to reinstall Windows and HP drivers once your data is safe.

Check external access options

• If none of the above works, you can remove the hard drive and connect it to another computer using a USB‑to‑SATA adapter.
• This lets you copy your files directly.

You’ve already shown persistence by trying multiple recovery options. With Safe Mode or a bootable USB, you should be able to reach your files and photos before attempting a full recovery.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye