Win10 update fails on P5130 D (MD 8879)

[Fred64]

Since purchasing this PC several years ago, automatic incremental Win10 updates have all installed without problem. I was on the latest Win10 release when I performed a PC Reset.  This reset Windows to the version that came with the PC (160).  I now find I can't update to the latest Win10.  Automatic update correctly installs small updates but major ones such as 1803 and 21H2 fail.  I tried MediaCreationTool 21H2.exe (Update this PC) but this too ultimately reports 'Installation failed'.  Has anyone else has this problem?  The PC uses a 240GB SSD and 2TB HD.

[daddle · Accepted solution]

@Fred64 

Hi, which way did you reset ? With the Windows Routine Reset you end up with the version of the latest major version update.

If you use the Power Recover method, you go back to the factory version at the time of production.

I would try a USB Stick created with the MediaCreationTool with the newest version H21/2, and start it as an Inplace Update.

Means you insert the stick into the PC with booted Windows and start the setup exe on the stick.

(May be that's what you did? It wasn't quite clear to me. If so, I am sorry.)

Otherwise try to find a older version iso, preferably for preparing a stick with the media creation tool for the  older version. Some PC-magazines and support web sites have them, modified to make it offline. I once found it, but can not remember where.  You have to google it. 

Cheers, daddle

[Fred64]

Thanks for the reply.  To clarify I first used "Reset PC (keep files)" but this left me with some applications where window size/position wasn't remembered.  I then found and tried Power Recover.  This resulted in factory settings but I was unable to update much beyond this.

The latest news is that I used MediaCreationTool 21H2 to create a bootable USB stick.  This finally worked but is not without some considerations I will mention in case others choose this path.  It will ask which disk/partition to install.  It is essential to select SSD Windows partition.  The newly installed Windows will be linked to your Microsoft account and will require you to enter a PIN number each time Windows starts.  You will manually need to install the Intel & Realtek drivers contained in E:\Drivers\.  AFAIK there is no going back to the original factory settings after this.

There may be other ways but in my case I was forced to use a bootable USB stick as I could no longer boot Windows (long story).

[daddle]

@Fred64 

Thanks for the explanations.

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@Fred64  schrieb:
 To clarify I first used "Reset PC (keep files)" but this left me with some applications where window size/position wasn't remembered.....

  I then found and tried Power Recover.  This resulted in factory settings but I was unable to update much beyond this.

 It takes some  times before Windows starts the major updates. If I remember right the older version eg 1803 or earlier, don't get automatically version updates anymore.

The way to update ist to make a inplace update by starting the setup.exe  from the USB  stick, version H21/2,  inside Windows.

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@Fred64  schrieb:

It is essential to select SSD Windows partition.  

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Well, safest way is to delete first all existing Windows partitions (only them), which you can do with the installation USB stick, and let Windows make use of the than existing free space.

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@Fred64  schrieb:

 AFAIK there is no going back to the original factory settings after this.

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If you do not change the partition scheme to  other sizes still PowerRecover should work. If you change afterwards the partition size, e.g. deleting a second data partition to enlarge the size of the Windows partition, then Power Recover will not work anymore.

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@Fred64  schrieb:

The newly installed Windows will be linked to your Microsoft account and will require you to enter a PIN number each time Windows starts

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Not automatically. You can override the question for your Microsoft account or other eMail-accounts. Otherwise no one without a MS account could  install Windows.

But luckily your Windows is working again. 

Bye, daddle

[Fred64]

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@daddle wrote:

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@Fred64  schrieb:

The newly installed Windows will be linked to your Microsoft account and will require you to enter a PIN number each time Windows starts

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Not automatically. You can override the question for your Microsoft account or other eMail-accounts. Otherwise no one without a MS account could  install Windows.

Hmm.  I didn't see an option to skip (despite online tutorials showing one) otherwise I would have used it 😞

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@daddle wrote:

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But luckily your Windows is working again. 

Yes - not something I wish to repeat!  Thanks.

[Fred64]

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@daddle wrote:

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@Fred64  schrieb:

 AFAIK there is no going back to the original factory settings after this.

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If you do not change the partition scheme to  other sizes still PowerRecover should work. If you change afterwards the partition size, e.g. deleting a second data partition to enlarge the size of the Windows partition, then Power Recover will not work anymore.

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I assumed that if E: drive (2nd partition HDD) held the recovery data and one had made a PowerRecover bootable USB stick then that should be enough to rebuild the SSD if damaged or overwritten - but sadly no.  In reality one needs to backup with something like Macrium Reflect.  Wish I had known this earlier 😞

[daddle]

@Fred64 

Power Recover boots from the OEM-Partition at the end of drive zero (the  boot drive)

PowerRecover then looks for the recover image (files) on the Recover Partition on D or E-Partition or drive. 

I haven't heard yet of making a USB bootstick with PowerRecover. Probably it would be possible, but not with the given OEM partition only, we have as a source.

PowerRecover had learned during installation where with which  partition-Id  the location for the recover files is.

If you change the partition layout, the partitions get new Id's, and PowerRecover will not  be able to find the recover files anymore.

As far as I know, one can copy the partition Ids, and after changing the partititon scheme assign the former Ids to each of the partitions back.

Bye, daddle

[Fred64]

Thanks for the explanation.  I did make a PowerRecover USB stick before I ran MS' bootable USB which wiped the primary drive.  If I run PowerRecover USB now it simply says it can't find what it needs.  Had I known I'd have backed up the drive with Macrium before 're-installing' anything.  IMO both Medion and MS are at fault here for not warning users the 'recovery' method each employs is essentially incompatible and can leave users with an unusable machine.

[daddle]

@Fred64 

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@Fred64  schrieb:

Thanks for the explanation.  I did make a PowerRecover USB stick before I ran MS' bootable USB which wiped the primary drive. 

How did you make the PowerRecover USB Stick? This I would like  to know.  

Thanks, daddle

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[Fred64]

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@daddle wrote:

@Fred64 

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@Fred64  schrieb:

Thanks for the explanation.  I did make a PowerRecover USB stick before I ran MS' bootable USB which wiped the primary drive. 

How did you make the PowerRecover USB Stick? This I would like  to know.  

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I believe it was from Windows Start then Cyberlink PowerRecover.