Circling white dots return after Windows 10 Anniversary update

Helen Feddema
Helen Feddema used Ask the Experts™
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After many attempts (described in another question), I finally got the Windows 10 Anniversary update installed.  All was well for a few hours, then I got a notification that I needed to restart.  Shortly after the restart, the circling white dots on a black screen appeared, and never progressed.  There was no message.  I have turned the computer off and on several times, in hopes that it would go back to the previous state, but that has not happened.  Any suggestions?
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Scott CSenior Engineer

Commented:
How long did you leave it running?  When I did my upgrade the whole process took almost 12 hrs.
Helen Feddema
Top Expert 2009

Author

Commented:
The upgrade did complete normally, as far as I could tell, going through many phases (at least three blue screen phases with % complete), and ending up on my Windows desktop.  This may be the last phrase of the upgrade, or possibly it was trying to restore some audio files I had to uninstall in order to get through the upgrade.  Usually the black screen with the circling white dots only lasts a minute or so.
Senior Engineer
Commented:
Let it go over night and see what happens.

Other than that I suppose you could wipe the machine and just do a bare-meatal install using the now-available ISO.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO/

Or download the ISO and run the update from that.
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Helen Feddema
Top Expert 2009

Author

Commented:
I really would rather not do that (though I do have an up-do-date Carbonite backup if needed).  I will leave it on the circling white dots stage overnight.
Helen Feddema
Top Expert 2009

Author

Commented:
I downloaded the ISO and wrote it to a DVD in case I need it tomorrow.
Helen Feddema
Top Expert 2009

Author

Commented:
I left it circling overnight, and it was still hung on the circling white dots this morning.  But after I turned it off and on again, after a few seconds I heard the Windows opening sound, and my desktop opened!  So maybe something was going on overnight after all.
Helen Feddema
Top Expert 2009

Author

Commented:
Thanks for the link.  I didn't need it this time, but I have a Windows 10 DVD now in case of need in the future.
Scott CSenior Engineer

Commented:
Sure thing.  Glad you're up and running.

I've had machines take an hour or so, and then I had that one that was 12 hrs.

Go figure.

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