Your system is new enough that it likely does not support Legacy/CSM boot at all - this is rapidly disappearing from all new systems and will likely be completely gone by the end of 2020. It's not needed to do the installation either anew or by a license key insertion.
It won't boot now though, it goes through the process of the initial out of box experience then reboots and cannot find a boot device. Maybe the drive is knackered.
No, I can now boot into Windows if I delete the boot manager path in the bios, however, after a reboot it puts the path back in. It's obviously not a solution but I think there will be a quick fix.
I've done a system restore but it still won't see the boot device. The problem is the bios, I disabled smart boot and it hasn't booted since then unless I remove the boot manager path from the bios. It will then boot once but after a reboot the path is back and it won't boot. I have no option to choose a device as my default boot device as it's handled by the awful windows boot manager. I've tried changing the path in WBM but it still doesn't boot.
Smart boot is bow greyed out so I cannot enable it again, this is an appalling bios. I've downloaded and installed the bios again but the settings are the same.
ejn63
10 Elder
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30.7K Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 11:00
All you need to do is enter your license key for Windows 10 - it will simply unlock the Pro features of the existing Windows installation.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12384/windows-10-upgrading-home-to-pro
Your system is new enough that it likely does not support Legacy/CSM boot at all - this is rapidly disappearing from all new systems and will likely be completely gone by the end of 2020. It's not needed to do the installation either anew or by a license key insertion.
nyc10036
4 Operator
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5.6K Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 11:00
You should have the option to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro from within WIndows 10 Home. I have seen it though I haven't done it.
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John Harwood
6 Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 11:00
It won't boot now though, it goes through the process of the initial out of box experience then reboots and cannot find a boot device. Maybe the drive is knackered.
John Harwood
6 Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 11:00
Too late now
nyc10036
4 Operator
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5.6K Posts
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August 19th, 2020 12:00
@John Harwood
Try to run Dell Diagnostics at bootup by tapping F12 repeatedly.
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John Harwood
6 Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 12:00
I can get it to boot into Windows if I delete the following line from boot manager \efi\microsoft\boot\bootmgfw.efi
If I reboot though it puts the line back in and can't find a boot device. It's the worst bios I've ever seen.
ejn63
10 Elder
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30.7K Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 13:00
That would be very odd for such a new system. I think rather than deleting the boot entry, what you want is to have it point to: \EFI\Boot\bootx64.efi
ejn63
10 Elder
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30.7K Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 13:00
It may be simpler to reinstall Windows.
https://www.dell.com/support/article/en-us/sln299044/how-to-download-and-use-the-dell-os-recovery-image-in-microsoft-windows?lang=en
nyc10036
4 Operator
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5.6K Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 13:00
@John Harwood
Apparently that's how UEFI works.
I haven't done much with UEFI since my PCs are older.
Seems as if you hard drive is toast.
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John Harwood
6 Posts
0
August 19th, 2020 13:00
@nyc10036
No, I can now boot into Windows if I delete the boot manager path in the bios, however, after a reboot it puts the path back in. It's obviously not a solution but I think there will be a quick fix.
I've updated the bios but it's just the same.
John Harwood
6 Posts
0
August 20th, 2020 01:00
@ejn63
I've done a system restore but it still won't see the boot device. The problem is the bios, I disabled smart boot and it hasn't booted since then unless I remove the boot manager path from the bios. It will then boot once but after a reboot the path is back and it won't boot. I have no option to choose a device as my default boot device as it's handled by the awful windows boot manager. I've tried changing the path in WBM but it still doesn't boot.
Smart boot is bow greyed out so I cannot enable it again, this is an appalling bios. I've downloaded and installed the bios again but the settings are the same.