Upgraded from windows 8 to 10.

[Pain53]

My desktop came with windows 8. Microsoft upgrade my PC one night about a year ago through the internet. Now my PC will boot into a blue screen saying my computer has a serious problem and it will restart but it freezes at that screen. If I hold the power button and shut it down and try to restart, a blue screen comes up with "WDF_Violation". The PC then goes into self repair and diagnosis. I tried to use the wiindow 8 recovery partition and recover to window 8 but the F-11 doesn't work cause the window 10 upgrade does something to the recovery F-11. I didn't make the recovery disks thinking I wouldn't need them. Made the recovery boot disc using the command prompt but that doesn't work either. Used the F-2 to test the hardware and the hard drive "DST Short Test" shows failed. Can not boot into the safe mode. The only thing I can do is use the command prompt from the diagnositc screen. I am trying to figure a way to start the recovery partition 😧 and recover the windows 8. Anybody have any suggestions of how I can get my PC back up and working?

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

Normally when a hard drive fails the short DST, it means the hard drive needs to be replaced.

So, the only suggestion I can offer, would be to replace the hard drive.

Before you do that, you can always try to clean install W10 on the current HDD for free by using the Media Creation Tool at the link below.

If it doesn't install, then you can be pretty certain the HDD is no good anymore.  Replace the HDD and reinstall W10.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

The tool will give you the option of making a bootable W10 USB installation flash drive, or you can save an ISO file which you later burn to a DVD, using your DVD burning program's burn ISO option.

When you get to the part of the installation script where you are asked to enter a product key, select the 'I don't have a product key' option (Skip), and W10 will install and automatically activate once you are connected to the internet.

Then you can install the drivers and available software from your PC's support page...

[Pain53]

Thanks for the response. I downloaded the windows 10 and installed. Not long after completing the install, I got blue screen about windows having a problem and needs to be restart and froze up. I will decide later if i want to spend the money on a new hard drive or just a new computer. Your suggestion was right on. Thansk and Kudos to you.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.