Windows 10 Windows 10's Update Failure, Endless Reboot Loop, Missing Desktop with Nonexistent Token in both Normal & Safe Mode, and How to Fix them

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zahr P.
  • Start date Start date
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Zahr P.

The first Windows update tried to install, to update from v. 1703 but failed due to the empty battery. This never happened before, the failed updates. I forgot to get to the bottom of it, especially to set it to manual update instead. It kept failing, thanks to the bad registries. At some point, it usually rolled back automatically to the previous version, but this time it was the final: Stuck in the endless reboot loop.


To get out of it by either nonexistent F8, ESC+F12, or alt+F10 (Restore, Reset, nor Safe Mode) was tough, it kept restarting. And the last attempt, it somehow managed to survive into a normal mode, with Sign In screen. Everything seems normal except the network on the outside. I logged in, and there is the missing, blank Desktop with the popup message:


"C:\Windows\system32\config\systemprofile\Desktop refers to a location that is unavailable. It could be on a hard drive on this computer, or on a network. Check to make sure that the disk is properly inserted, or that you are connected to the Internet or your network, then try again. If it still cannot be located, the information might have been moved to a different location."


Hell, I can't even use Start, taskbar, apps, basic setting, network (broken driver), or anything. It'd either give me nothing or another popup message:


Explorer.exe: "An attempt was made to reference a token that does not exist."


Other than them, these things I can access properly:

  • Sign In screen, with two Administrator accounts (with their usual backgrounds and profile photo), Power mode, glitchy Ease of Access, broken Network, and battery icon on it. By Shift+Restart from here, I can enter into the "Choose an option" blue screen to choose: Continue, Troubleshoot, Turn off your PC. The Safe Mode, only to see Desktop apps with their popup message: "Problem with Shortcut: The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance.", or the same nonexistent Token popup message. Except for some certain Desktop apps like Adobe Reader, Iobit's Advanced SystemCare, ManyCam with missing Camera driver, these apps run pretty smoothly. I want to see my files but I can't, in both normal and safe mode.
  • Win+R, cmd.exe especially.
  • Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), and I can see nothing but so many services including third party services, running in the background in Safe Mode.


My question is:


1. How to restore to the previous version? I have a backed up system image for my PC, but with the irrelevant files (Sept 2017) stored on the external hard drive, along with other backups from another different PCs. File History on my PC is backed up weekly, I guess.


2. Can I troubleshoot it with one of these options:

  • Reset the PC but keep my files,
  • Or Advanced options:
    • System Restore, by a restore point.
    • System Image Recovery.
    • Go back to the previous version.


Which is the best option to fix it, but still keep my files? I accidentally chose System Image Recovery, and this brings me into the System Image Recovery blue screen with accounts to choose, and I don't know how to get back to Troubleshoot screen? I let it still open there without even dare to try anything, while it still charging.


Can anyone help me? I want to do this on my own but without reckless steps, and I need this Acer V5 for my uni projects.


Thank you.

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