Skip to main content
  • Place orders quickly and easily
  • View orders and track your shipping status
  • Enjoy members-only rewards and discounts
  • Create and access a list of your products
  • Manage your Dell EMC sites, products, and product-level contacts using Company Administration.

How to Resolve a No Boot After a Microsoft Update Has not Installed Properly in Windows 8 and 8.1

Summary: This article provides information about how to resolve an issue with your Dell personal computer being unresponsive and not booting after a Windows 8 or 8.1 Microsoft update has not installed correctly. ...

This article may have been automatically translated. If you have any feedback regarding its quality, please let us know using the form at the bottom of this page.

Article Content


Symptoms

Cause

Not Applicable

Resolution

What can happen when a Microsoft Update fails to install correctly?

The incomplete/faulty installation of Microsoft Windows Updates can cause the Windows 8 or 8.1 operating system to crash.

On reboot, it is common to see symptoms such as No Boot, Stuck at the Dell logo splash screen, stuck at the Boot Options splash screen or error messages such as Boot List Missing in the BIOS after the operating system crashes in Windows 8 and 8.1.

The worst-case scenario is that this corrupts the Boot Information Table in the BIOS resulting in a No-Boot situation.

NOTE: Unless you get an on-screen error, you have to give what appears to be a Stuck/Frozen Update Screen MORE THAN 30 minutes before you power the system off. Sometimes it can take this long for the update to complete successfully.

Back to Top


General Instructions to recover from an incomplete update

The first step is to identify how badly your system is affected?

Follow the appropriate method below:

Method I

  1. Can you boot to the desktop or get to Safe Mode?

    • How to boot into Safe Mode on Windows 8 on your Dell PC

      1. If you can boot, or enter Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Networking, then perform the following steps:

        1. Go to the Menu Bar on the right side of the screen or Press the <win logo+X> keys together to bring up a power user menu and click on the search.

        2. Try installing the update again. If this does not resolve your issue, then we must troubleshoot further.

        3. Go to Control Panel/System and Security/Windows Update and on the left panel select View Update History

        4. This gives you the latest updates KB number. With the KB number, you can search for a specific resolution online or you can disable that particular update and reboot.

          NOTE: If you simply remove/uninstall the update, it will attempt to reinstall itself the next time updates are run. (Which is likely to be whenever you attempt to reboot.) You must either disable the automatic update or select to hide that particular update from the update list. Dell Technologies recommends that you leave automatic updates ON for optimum performance and security. For troubleshooting issues with Windows updates, reference the link below for instructions on how to disable automatic updates:
           
        5. If that does not work, then you can have a choice of Refresh or Reset from inside the Windows 8 operating system.

          Refresh Your personal computer

          Refresh is a heavy-duty cleaning of your computer. It leaves your data intact, but it removes programs installed in the classic desktop. You can keep any Metro programs that you have installed from the Windows Store. Personal settings are kept. Personal computer Settings set back to defaults.

          Reset Your personal computer

          Reset is like a factory reset. It brings your computer back to the way that it was when you received it when it was new. All the programs have to be reinstalled and all your data is gone. You must backup any data that you do not want to lose before doing this. You can either remove the files, or you can remove the files and scrub the hard drive. Fully cleaning the drive is more of a security step than a troubleshooting or repair one.

      2. If you cannot get into the operating system at all, then try method II.

Method II

  1. Can you enter the Start-Up Options screen?

    • Using the Advanced Startup Options in Windows 8 on a Dell PC

      1. If you can enter the options screen, then perform the following steps:

        1. Select Troubleshoot

        2. This gives you the choice of Refresh, Reset, or Advanced Options

          Refresh Your personal computer

          Refresh is a heavy-duty cleaning of your computer. It leaves your data intact, but it removes programs installed in the classic desktop. You can keep any Metro programs that you have installed from the Windows Store. Personal settings are kept. Personal computer Settings set back to defaults.

          Reset Your personal computer

          Reset is like a factory reset. It brings your computer back to the way that it was when you received it when it was new. All the programs have to be reinstalled and all your data is gone. You must backup any data that you do not want to lose before doing this. You can either remove the files, or you can remove the files and scrub the hard drive. Fully cleaning the drive is more of a security step than a troubleshooting or repair one.

          Advanced Options

          This takes you through some other options, such as restoring a system image, if you have one prepared

      2. If you cannot get past the BIOS, then try Method III.

Method III

If your issue is at the BIOS level, then follow the example in the next section of the article.

Back to Top


Instructions to resolve the 2012 MS KB QFE 2756872 Issue

Systems Impacted by this issue:
Resolution
NOTE: You need Windows 8 operating system Media or a Windows 8 USB drive or a Direct USB Key to carry out the steps below.
  1. Ensure that the Windows 8 operating system Media is inserted or the Windows 8 USB drive is plugged in before entering BIOS.

  2. Press F2 at the Dell Logo to enter BIOS or System Setup and click Advanced

  3. Set SATA Mode to AHCI

NOTE: If you are using the Direct USB (DUSB) Key, SATA mode must be set to ISRT as the DUSB key contains the ISRT 'inf' file while installing the operating system.
  1. On the 'Boot' tab set 'Boot List Mode' to UEFI

  2. Set Secure Boot to Disabled

NOTE: Use ODD as the Boot Option Name if you are using Windows 8 Bootable DVD or USB as the Boot Option Name if you are using Windows 8 USB Key or Windows 8 Direct USB Key.
Adding a Boot Option when using a Windows 8 Bootable DVD

SLN171014_en_US__61366029830754.Pic 1

NOTE: Do not change the list for Win 8 DVD, USB Key or Direct USB Key.
  1. Click the Add Boot option and follow the instructions as mentioned below:

    1. Navigate to the Boot Options Screen (as shown in the image above).

    2. Press Tab to move the cursor to the next line.

    3. The 'File System List' will automatically be selected depending on the Windows 8 Boot Media used.

    4. Press Tab to go to the next line.

For adding a File Name (EFI Boot Selection)

SLN171014_en_US__81366029859958.pic 2

NOTE: If you select Refresh and it says that the Drive is Locked, choose Reset by going back to the previous options.
  1. Add EFI Directory and then Boot Folder (as shown in the image above)

  2. Select BOOTX64.EFI start-up file and Confirm Changes

SLN171014_en_US__101366029897006.pic 3

  1. Once completed, you have the boot option created in the UEFI Boot Screen in BIOS

  2. Save the changes and exit the BIOS

  3. At the Dell logo press F12 and, select the Boot option

  4. Now you would see the Win 8 Installation Screen asking for Language Selection, Click Next

  5. Click Repair below Install

  6. Select Troubleshoot

  7. Click Refresh or Reset

  8. After the Reset or Refresh Option, you will see the initial Out of Box Setup Screen and then Back on to the Windows 8 Desktop

  9. You must update the BIOS to the latest version available in the Dell Drivers & downloads website. As per the laptop model, select the hyperlink for BIOS Update below.

    NOTE: The system BIOS may get corrupted if the BIOS downgrade procedure is not completed successfully.
    A corrupt BIOS is one of the possible causes of your personal computer unable to complete POST or some times even boot into the operating system.
    If your Dell personal computer or tablet supports BIOS recovery, you can recover the corrupt BIOS by using the BIOS recovery method on your Dell personal computer or tablet. See the Dell Knowledge Base article BIOS Recovery options on a Dell PC or Tablet for more information.
  1. Once the BIOS Update is complete, the system would boot to the Win 8 Metro UI screen

  2. Open the Control Panel, select Programs and then Installed Updates. Check if MS KB QFE 2756872 is installed:

    1. If the above QFE is not found, install it from the link below.

    2. Choose the 64-bit Version (162.8MB).

    3. The system restarts automatically multiple times during installation, avoid pressing any keys.

    4. Once the installation is complete, the system returns to the Windows 8 Metro UI screen.

NOTE: Do you own a Dell laptop? Send your laptop in for in-warranty repairs, and we will diagnose and resolve the problem if you cannot get Windows to boot up. This service is currently available in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Back to Top


Additional Information:

If the information above has not resolved your issue, then you may want to check out the articles listed below:

Are you sure it is an update issue? If not check the links below for further articles on issues that stop your system from starting up:

Back to Top

Article Properties


Affected Product

Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Fixed Workstations

Last Published Date

05 Dec 2023

Version

9

Article Type

Solution