XPS 8390, default HDD partition arrangement.

Windows 10 has its own partition, but there are several other partitions, not just a single partition. There is a WINRETOOLS partition (450MB NFTS), 500MB EFI System Partition, OS (Windows) partition (Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary), and 500MB NTFS OEM partition.

Well all that depends on what is wrong, !

did you boot w10 THREE time to do the magic, , 3 times failed , automatic self repair, all w10 do that.

that is first.

then run eSPA,  Diagnositics,  power on cold , hammer f12 and splash and see F12 screen click diagnositics

first.  just to make sure too that the HDD is still ok,,  it must pass, or any new OS will fail for sure.

Thanks Vic384

I made a wondows recovery disk (USB) when we got the PC the end of 2018, it was then on version 1809 of Windows 10. When I went into troubleshooting / advance options etc from failed bootup, I think I saw the option to Reinstall WIndows with 2 options 1) to keep data files, 2) to effective delete all files and fresh install.

When I tried a reboot using my USB windows recovery disk via F12, I don't think I saw the first option to keep data files. Does that sound "right" ? In which case if I re-install wndows I'm going to have re-install everything, data included.

Can't check troubleshooting / advance options now I'm afraid, as I'm still running the eSPA on the HDD.

Hi Savvy2,

Thanks for your feedback

I did NOT boot 3 times when I posted this, but was just doing so when I read your post on my phone. Dell SuppportAssist started up. It detected OS_BOOT_FAILURE. It then went into diagnostics checking Partition Table, Boot Files and Windows Health. No isssues were detected.

It restarted PC in the familiar loop:. On boot up "problems detected", does diagnostics, attempts & fails Automatic Repair, Dell SupportAssist then kicks in again etc.

HDD seems OK, as I have accessed the command prompt (no access via safe mode), run notepad.exe that allows you to open up a "mini windows explorer" so that I could copy to USB hard drive any files from the last 3 weeks that were not in the last monthly backup, so the HDD is working, though of course I appreciate some sector might not be.

I ran the eSPA Diagnotics, the DVD, Fan, CPU and initial Memory tests were all fine. I have let it continue to do the full memory test, but it will be aroun 3 hours 45 mins for that to complete.

Previous to my posting I had tried a system restore, it failed to complete, no files or upates were therefore made. I tried to role back both previous feature and quality, got message that is was unable to even start doing those.

I had looked into bootrec, FixBoot for the BCD etc via Command Prompt,  but got access denied. Command Prompt takes you ot X:\windows\system32 rather than C: so I had assumed windows was in a seperate partition.

I also contemplated doing a Windows Registry backup on the Default, SAM, Security, System and Software files but there were no backup files in x:\windows\system32 config\RegBack only 2 directories "." and ".." Might have been hidden files, I didn't check that so I haven't done that.

So a bit flummuxed now.

The PC was on WIndows 10 version 1909, build 4306.25, BIOS 1.1.8 and of course was an XPS 8930 rather than 8390

That error is an indication of Physically bad hard drive.

Startup repair and Recovery will also fail.

BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO bug check has a value of 0x00000074

• Use installation media to reinstall Windows.

For more information, see Recovery options in Windows 10

Hi savvy2

"did you boot w10 THREE time to do the magic,"

See my other replies to you re this, but after doing the 3xMagic I am now in a Automatci Repair loop.

Turn on power, Detects issue fails to boot, tries Auto Repair, fails, roboots - repeat ad infinitum.

How do I get out of this loop ?

Thanks

I believe if you are re-installing Windows from within Windows you will see the two options you mentioned. But if you cannot get Windows to boot then you can try Automatic Repair by using the Media Creation Tool to create a bootable DVD or USB. See this: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-update/reinstalling-windows-10-over-a-corrupted/34c3adc0-632b-43a6-99e8-b4638ff77366

If Automatic Repair does not work you will have to do a fresh install from the bootable DVD or USB. A fresh install will require re-installing everything, applications and data.

Thanks for the link Vic384

Now that all your files are backed-up, I suggest you clean-install Windows.

https://www.dell.com/community/Alienware-Desktops/Aurora-R7-M-2-NVMe-bootable-options/m-p/6073081/highlight/true#M3401

But first, disconnect that retro spinning-platter HDD. Not sure why they still sell those.

Install a 512gb SSD (to be your bootable C-Drive). At least a 2.5inch SATA one, but a PCIe/NVMe SSD (in the motherboard's slot) would be even better.

After you finish, system will be more reliable, quieter, and disk-access will be 5-to-25 times faster (depending on which type of SSD you choose).

After it is working, install her few apps and restore data-files.

Also, doing it this way leaves HDD un-touched (so you MIGHT get a chance to retrieve more files from it later). 

Hi,

My apologies for the long delay in my reply, Corvid-19 and all that. A big thank you for all the feedback and support you have offered before

Update on the situation 25 March.

On 3 March 2020 I accepted I had to reinstall windows.  I contacted Dell support and they guided me through a reinstall using factory reset back to Windows 10, 1803, which was surprisingly easy. DId a chkdsk scan to repair and fix any problems with the HDD and I then I updated to WIndows1909 part 2.

On March 4 2020 created a new USB recovery drive to reflect the changes from 1803 to 1909 and reinstalled all my wife's programs and Data.

Everything was OK  until last week, 18 March 20

The computer started crashing out to BIOS startup. eg no blue screen no error messages just a black screen to starting up BIOS with the Dell symbol as you would get when starting up the PC. Random causes, eg running Firefox, Windows Explorer etc. Initially no problem restarting windows, managed to make a complete backup of all data changes since start of March. Crashes became more frequent so PC now not usable in any meaningful way.

So I have concluded, what many of you already said, that her HDD is faulty (first one I have had a problem with in 25  years)

So I have taken @Tesla1856 advice to get an SDD and HDD replacement. That will mirror the setup on my own XPS 8930 (2020 model) , which has a 240GB SSD bootable C:Drive, and a 2TB HDD D:data drive.

So while waiting for the hardware to arrive, I just wanted to check what reinstalling from the rcovery USB drive will do?

Will it only create the Windows 10 partition, or all the partitions lsted below by Vic384 (on page 1 of this thread).

Are all those partitions now necessary, and if so wIll they be created automatically or do I have to do them manually?

@providan   - FWIW, free apps like Speccy,  CrystalDiskInfo, etc. show the serial numbers for installed internal hard and solid state drives, and even for external USB drives.

No uninstalling necessary, if you don't write the serial number down beforehand, and it's easy to copy/paste a serial number from the app directly into a warranty registration form, or if/when you need that number in the future and don't remember where you wrote it down... 

Thanks for the info RoHe