I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me. It
shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.

I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.

I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top, When I tried to copy
the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.

I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon, and by
holding the power button down until it shuts down. When restarts it is
still flashing.

knuttle <keith_nuttle@yahoo.com> wrote in news:unbnmf$kp5b$1@dont-email.me:

> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me. It
> shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>
> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>
> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top, When I tried to copy
> the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>
> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon, and by
> holding the power button down until it shuts down. When restarts it is
> still flashing.

Can you undo the change you made? Perhaps Windows is now looking for the
folder shortcut in the prevous location.

Does the white screen say anything? I've never seen this happen. Perhaps
someone will offer a solution.

If you can perhaps running a full diagnostic (long process) could fix the
system.

Good luck!

knuttle wrote:
> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me.  It
> shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>
> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>
> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to copy
> the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>
> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,  and by
> holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When restarts it is
> still flashing.
>
>
Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device Manager.
While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation mark;
or, perhaps, maxed out.
Ed

On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
> knuttle wrote:
>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>
>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>
>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>>
>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,  and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When restarts it is still flashing.
>>
>>
>
> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device Manager.
>
> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>
> Ed
>

One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start before the login procedure
is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the details of how people
answer your question.

This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.

Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's unavoidably
complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky Keys hack,
and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs, to fix that one.

*******

For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an Administrator
Command Prompt to appear. Once in there

D: # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the latest Win10 install DVD in there
# Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick can be used for D: if you want.
# It does not absolutely have to be an optical disc.

setup.exe # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.

I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to be doing the
Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to access are no easier.

https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/

We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be remaining as
it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a way to
kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If the screen
is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in response to
five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.

While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready to use
System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a waste of time.
On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for the humor of it :-)
Actually, I wanted the disk space back.

Paul

Paul wrote:
> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>> knuttle wrote:
>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>
>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>
>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>>>
>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,  and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When restarts it is still flashing.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device Manager.
>>
>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>
>> Ed
>>
>
> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start before the login procedure
> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the details of how people
> answer your question.
>
> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>
> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's unavoidably
> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky Keys hack,
> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs, to fix that one.
>
> *******
>
> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an Administrator
> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>
> D: # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the latest Win10 install DVD in there
> # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick can be used for D: if you want.
> # It does not absolutely have to be an optical disc.
>
> setup.exe # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>
> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to be doing the
> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to access are no easier.
>
> https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>
> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be remaining as
> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a way to
> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If the screen
> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in response to
> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>
> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready to use
> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a waste of time.
> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for the humor of it :-)
> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>
> Paul
A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted. So,
just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
Ed

On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
> Paul wrote:
>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>
>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>
>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>>>>
>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,  and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device Manager.
>>>
>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>
>>> Ed
>>>
>>
>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start before the login procedure
>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the details of how people
>> answer your question.
>>
>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>
>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's unavoidably
>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky Keys hack,
>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs, to fix that one.
>>
>> *******
>>
>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an Administrator
>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>
>>     D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>                     # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick can be used for D: if you want.
>>                     # It does not absolutely have to be an optical disc.
>>
>>     setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>
>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to be doing the
>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to access are no easier.
>>
>>     https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>
>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be remaining as
>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a way to
>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If the screen
>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in response to
>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>
>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready to use
>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a waste of time.
>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for the humor of it :-)
>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>
>>     Paul
>
> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted. So, just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>
> Ed

What I don't understand, is the trigger event.

How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
system is booted.

It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?

Paul

Paul wrote:
> On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>> Paul wrote:
>>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>>
>>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,  and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device Manager.
>>>>
>>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>>
>>>> Ed
>>>>
>>>
>>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start before the login procedure
>>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the details of how people
>>> answer your question.
>>>
>>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>>
>>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's unavoidably
>>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky Keys hack,
>>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
>>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs, to fix that one.
>>>
>>> *******
>>>
>>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
>>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an Administrator
>>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>>
>>>     D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>>                     # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick can be used for D: if you want.
>>>                     # It does not absolutely have to be an optical disc.
>>>
>>>     setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>>
>>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to be doing the
>>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to access are no easier.
>>>
>>>     https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>>
>>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be remaining as
>>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a way to
>>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If the screen
>>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in response to
>>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>>
>>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready to use
>>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a waste of time.
>>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for the humor of it :-)
>>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>>
>>>     Paul
>>
>> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
>> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted. So, just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>>
>> Ed
>
> What I don't understand, is the trigger event.
>
> How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
> suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
> It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
> system is booted.
>
> It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
> And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?
>
> Paul
I run "sfc/ scannow" occasionally; and sometimes it finds file
corruptions which it fixes. How those corruptions occur I can't be sure;
but they seem to be caused by major Windows updates.
I've also had sudden display star-shells, and a reload of the video
drivers has solved them.
Ed

On 01/08/2024 3:55 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
> Paul wrote:
>> On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>> Paul wrote:
>>>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing
>>>>>> me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to
>>>>>> copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,
>>>>>> and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When
>>>>>> restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device
>>>>> Manager.
>>>>>
>>>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation
>>>>> mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ed
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start before
>>>> the login procedure
>>>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the details
>>>> of how people
>>>> answer your question.
>>>>
>>>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>>>
>>>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's
>>>> unavoidably
>>>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky Keys
>>>> hack,
>>>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
>>>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs,
>>>> to fix that one.
>>>>
>>>> *******
>>>>
>>>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>>>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
>>>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an
>>>> Administrator
>>>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>>>
>>>>      D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the
>>>> latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>>>                      # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick
>>>> can be used for D: if you want.
>>>>                      # It does not absolutely have to be an optical
>>>> disc.
>>>>
>>>>      setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>>>
>>>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to
>>>> be doing the
>>>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to
>>>> access are no easier.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>>>
>>>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be
>>>> remaining as
>>>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a
>>>> way to
>>>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If
>>>> the screen
>>>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in
>>>> response to
>>>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>>>
>>>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready
>>>> to use
>>>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a
>>>> waste of time.
>>>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for
>>>> the humor of it :-)
>>>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>>>
>>>>      Paul
>>>
>>> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
>>> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted. So,
>>> just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>>>
>>> Ed
>>
>> What I don't understand, is the trigger event.
>>
>> How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
>> suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
>> It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
>> system is booted.
>>
>> It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
>> And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?
>>
>>     Paul
>
> I run "sfc/ scannow" occasionally; and sometimes it finds file
> corruptions which it fixes. How those corruptions occur I can't be sure;
> but they seem to be caused by major Windows updates.
> I've also had sudden display star-shells, and a reload of the video
> drivers has solved them.
>
> Ed
OP;
I found that when I signed out of the flashing went away, so to me it
did not seem to be a driver problem. When flash most access to the
computer were dead.
It did a reset with keeping my data. That did nothing to fix the problem.
In desperation; I restored the computer to factory conditions. The
flashing was gone. I reinstalled a ton of updates, and as of now
everything is normal.
I still don't understand what caused the flashing problem in the fist
place.

knuttle wrote:
> On 01/08/2024 3:55 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>> Paul wrote:
>>> On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing
>>>>>>> me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried
>>>>>>> to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started
>>>>>>> flashing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,
>>>>>>> and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When
>>>>>>> restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>>>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device
>>>>>> Manager.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation
>>>>>> mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start
>>>>> before the login procedure
>>>>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the
>>>>> details of how people
>>>>> answer your question.
>>>>>
>>>>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>>>>
>>>>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's
>>>>> unavoidably
>>>>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky
>>>>> Keys hack,
>>>>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
>>>>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs,
>>>>> to fix that one.
>>>>>
>>>>> *******
>>>>>
>>>>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>>>>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
>>>>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an
>>>>> Administrator
>>>>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>>>>
>>>>>      D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the
>>>>> latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>>>>                      # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick
>>>>> can be used for D: if you want.
>>>>>                      # It does not absolutely have to be an optical
>>>>> disc.
>>>>>
>>>>>      setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to
>>>>> be doing the
>>>>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to
>>>>> access are no easier.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>>>>
>>>>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be
>>>>> remaining as
>>>>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a
>>>>> way to
>>>>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If
>>>>> the screen
>>>>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in
>>>>> response to
>>>>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>>>>
>>>>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready
>>>>> to use
>>>>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a
>>>>> waste of time.
>>>>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for
>>>>> the humor of it :-)
>>>>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>>>>
>>>>>      Paul
>>>>
>>>> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
>>>> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted.
>>>> So, just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>>>>
>>>> Ed
>>>
>>> What I don't understand, is the trigger event.
>>>
>>> How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
>>> suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
>>> It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
>>> system is booted.
>>>
>>> It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
>>> And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?
>>>
>>>     Paul
>>
>> I run "sfc/ scannow" occasionally; and sometimes it finds file
>> corruptions which it fixes. How those corruptions occur I can't be
>> sure; but they seem to be caused by major Windows updates.
>> I've also had sudden display star-shells, and a reload of the video
>> drivers has solved them.
>>
>> Ed
> OP;
>
> I found that when I signed out of the flashing went away, so to me it
> did not seem to be a driver problem.   When flash most access to the
> computer were dead.
>
> It did a reset with keeping my data.  That did nothing to fix the problem.
>
> In desperation; I restored the computer to factory conditions.  The
> flashing was gone.   I reinstalled a ton of updates, and as of now
> everything is normal.
>
> I still don't understand what caused the flashing problem in the fist
> place.
You are to be commended, Keith, for effort. My heart goes out to people
who take on heavy jobs like that and see them through.
I sure hope the problem doesn't arise again.
Have you fully updated Windows 10 with everything MS has to offer?
Ed

Ed Cryer wrote:
> knuttle wrote:
>> On 01/08/2024 3:55 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>> Paul wrote:
>>>> On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>>>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing
>>>>>>>> me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried
>>>>>>>> to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started
>>>>>>>> flashing.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,
>>>>>>>> and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When
>>>>>>>> restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>>>>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device
>>>>>>> Manager.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation
>>>>>>> mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start
>>>>>> before the login procedure
>>>>>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the
>>>>>> details of how people
>>>>>> answer your question.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's
>>>>>> unavoidably
>>>>>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky
>>>>>> Keys hack,
>>>>>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration
>>>>>> capability.
>>>>>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs,
>>>>>> to fix that one.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *******
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>>>>>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times
>>>>>> when
>>>>>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an
>>>>>> Administrator
>>>>>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>>>>>
>>>>>>      D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the
>>>>>> latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>>>>>                      # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer
>>>>>> stick can be used for D: if you want.
>>>>>>                      # It does not absolutely have to be an
>>>>>> optical disc.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>      setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to
>>>>>> be doing the
>>>>>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to
>>>>>> access are no easier.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be
>>>>>> remaining as
>>>>>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a
>>>>>> way to
>>>>>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible.
>>>>>> If the screen
>>>>>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in
>>>>>> response to
>>>>>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users
>>>>>> ready to use
>>>>>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be
>>>>>> a waste of time.
>>>>>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for
>>>>>> the humor of it :-)
>>>>>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>      Paul
>>>>>
>>>>> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
>>>>> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted.
>>>>> So, just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ed
>>>>
>>>> What I don't understand, is the trigger event.
>>>>
>>>> How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
>>>> suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
>>>> It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
>>>> system is booted.
>>>>
>>>> It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
>>>> And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?
>>>>
>>>>     Paul
>>>
>>> I run "sfc/ scannow" occasionally; and sometimes it finds file
>>> corruptions which it fixes. How those corruptions occur I can't be
>>> sure; but they seem to be caused by major Windows updates.
>>> I've also had sudden display star-shells, and a reload of the video
>>> drivers has solved them.
>>>
>>> Ed
>> OP;
>>
>> I found that when I signed out of the flashing went away, so to me it
>> did not seem to be a driver problem.   When flash most access to the
>> computer were dead.
>>
>> It did a reset with keeping my data.  That did nothing to fix the
>> problem.
>>
>> In desperation; I restored the computer to factory conditions.  The
>> flashing was gone.   I reinstalled a ton of updates, and as of now
>> everything is normal.
>>
>> I still don't understand what caused the flashing problem in the fist
>> place.
>
> You are to be commended, Keith, for effort. My heart goes out to people
> who take on heavy jobs like that and see them through.
>
> I sure hope the problem doesn't arise again.
> Have you fully updated Windows 10 with everything MS has to offer?
>
> Ed
P.S. An important issue has just occurred to me.
Do you have an on-board graphic card? Or does your computer use part of
RAM to handle graphics?
Ed

On 1/8/2024 11:06 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
> Ed Cryer wrote:
>> knuttle wrote:
>>> On 01/08/2024 3:55 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>> On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>>>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>>>>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon, and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>>>>>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device Manager.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start before the login procedure
>>>>>>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the details of how people
>>>>>>> answer your question.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's unavoidably
>>>>>>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky Keys hack,
>>>>>>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
>>>>>>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs, to fix that one.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *******
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>>>>>>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
>>>>>>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an Administrator
>>>>>>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>      D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>>>>>>                      # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick can be used for D: if you want.
>>>>>>>                      # It does not absolutely have to be an optical disc.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>      setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to be doing the
>>>>>>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to access are no easier.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be remaining as
>>>>>>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a way to
>>>>>>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If the screen
>>>>>>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in response to
>>>>>>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready to use
>>>>>>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a waste of time.
>>>>>>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for the humor of it :-)
>>>>>>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>      Paul
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
>>>>>> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted. So, just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>
>>>>> What I don't understand, is the trigger event.
>>>>>
>>>>> How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
>>>>> suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
>>>>> It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
>>>>> system is booted.
>>>>>
>>>>> It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
>>>>> And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?
>>>>>
>>>>>     Paul
>>>>
>>>> I run "sfc/ scannow" occasionally; and sometimes it finds file corruptions which it fixes. How those corruptions occur I can't be sure; but they seem to be caused by major Windows updates.
>>>> I've also had sudden display star-shells, and a reload of the video drivers has solved them.
>>>>
>>>> Ed
>>> OP;
>>>
>>> I found that when I signed out of the flashing went away, so to me it did not seem to be a driver problem.   When flash most access to the computer were dead.
>>>
>>> It did a reset with keeping my data.  That did nothing to fix the problem.
>>>
>>> In desperation; I restored the computer to factory conditions.  The flashing was gone.   I reinstalled a ton of updates, and as of now everything is normal.
>>>
>>> I still don't understand what caused the flashing problem in the fist place.
>>
>> You are to be commended, Keith, for effort. My heart goes out to people who take on heavy jobs like that and see them through.
>>
>> I sure hope the problem doesn't arise again.
>> Have you fully updated Windows 10 with everything MS has to offer?
>>
>> Ed
>
> P.S. An important issue has just occurred to me.
> Do you have an on-board graphic card? Or does your computer use part of RAM to handle graphics?
>
> Ed

"Dell laptop"

So you know there are two potential implementations.

I would have made a backup of my C: drive, before nuking and paving.

But I sympathize, on the state of repair capabilities on computers.
The people designing this stuff, have no sense of mercy at all.

*******

I recommend users at least have a Safe Mode option in their boot screen.
Perhaps a person could make another Administrator account from there ?
I haven't tried that.

bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu True # For a healthy computer, add Safe Mode
# Use Administrator command prompt for this, not Terminal

bcdedit # Check the command actually worked!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

bcdedit /store C:\boot\BCD /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu True # Offline, CSM boot, add Safe Mode from DVD
# Assumes both "boot" and "system" are on C: partition

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

diskpart # Offline, UEFI boot for C: , add Safe Mode
list disk #
select disk 0 # We are making invisible partition, visible.
list partition
select partition 1
assign letter=K # make the hidden EFI system, letter K:
exit # This assignment disappears, on a reboot.

Paul wrote:
> On 1/8/2024 11:06 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>> Ed Cryer wrote:
>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>> On 01/08/2024 3:55 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>>> On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>>>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started flashing.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon, and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>>>>>>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device Manager.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start before the login procedure
>>>>>>>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the details of how people
>>>>>>>> answer your question.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's unavoidably
>>>>>>>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky Keys hack,
>>>>>>>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration capability.
>>>>>>>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs, to fix that one.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> *******
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>>>>>>>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times when
>>>>>>>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an Administrator
>>>>>>>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>      D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>>>>>>>                      # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer stick can be used for D: if you want.
>>>>>>>>                      # It does not absolutely have to be an optical disc.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>      setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to be doing the
>>>>>>>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to access are no easier.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be remaining as
>>>>>>>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a way to
>>>>>>>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible. If the screen
>>>>>>>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in response to
>>>>>>>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users ready to use
>>>>>>>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be a waste of time.
>>>>>>>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for the humor of it :-)
>>>>>>>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>      Paul
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
>>>>>>> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted. So, just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What I don't understand, is the trigger event.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
>>>>>> suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
>>>>>> It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
>>>>>> system is booted.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
>>>>>> And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     Paul
>>>>>
>>>>> I run "sfc/ scannow" occasionally; and sometimes it finds file corruptions which it fixes. How those corruptions occur I can't be sure; but they seem to be caused by major Windows updates.
>>>>> I've also had sudden display star-shells, and a reload of the video drivers has solved them.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ed
>>>> OP;
>>>>
>>>> I found that when I signed out of the flashing went away, so to me it did not seem to be a driver problem.   When flash most access to the computer were dead.
>>>>
>>>> It did a reset with keeping my data.  That did nothing to fix the problem.
>>>>
>>>> In desperation; I restored the computer to factory conditions.  The flashing was gone.   I reinstalled a ton of updates, and as of now everything is normal.
>>>>
>>>> I still don't understand what caused the flashing problem in the fist place.
>>>
>>> You are to be commended, Keith, for effort. My heart goes out to people who take on heavy jobs like that and see them through.
>>>
>>> I sure hope the problem doesn't arise again.
>>> Have you fully updated Windows 10 with everything MS has to offer?
>>>
>>> Ed
>>
>> P.S. An important issue has just occurred to me.
>> Do you have an on-board graphic card? Or does your computer use part of RAM to handle graphics?
>>
>> Ed
>
> "Dell laptop"
>
> So you know there are two potential implementations.
>
> I would have made a backup of my C: drive, before nuking and paving.
>
> But I sympathize, on the state of repair capabilities on computers.
> The people designing this stuff, have no sense of mercy at all.
>
> *******
>
> I recommend users at least have a Safe Mode option in their boot screen.
> Perhaps a person could make another Administrator account from there ?
> I haven't tried that.
>
> bcdedit /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu True # For a healthy computer, add Safe Mode
> # Use Administrator command prompt for this, not Terminal
>
> bcdedit # Check the command actually worked!!!
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> bcdedit /store C:\boot\BCD /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu True # Offline, CSM boot, add Safe Mode from DVD
> # Assumes both "boot" and "system" are on C: partition
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> diskpart # Offline, UEFI boot for C: , add Safe Mode
> list disk #
> select disk 0 # We are making invisible partition, visible.
> list partition
> select partition 1
> assign letter=K # make the hidden EFI system, letter K:
> exit # This assignment disappears, on a reboot.
>
> dir K:\efi\Microsoft\Boot\BCD*
>
> Directory of K:\efi\Microsoft\Boot \
> \
> 01/07/2024 11:37 PM 57,344 BCD <==== checking for it \____ ready to go, I'm checking for a BCD.
> 05/24/2022 05:03 AM 32,768 BCD_old / You can't issue the next command, if BCD gone.
>
> bcdedit /store K:\efi\Microsoft\boot\BCD /set {bootmgr} displaybootmenu True
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Sometime, we have to modify computers in emergency conditions,
> which is why the Offline modes are documented above.
>
> The boot menu on this computer, has a Safe Mode entry in it.
> Typing "bcdedit" as administrator in a terminal window, shows this right now on mine.
>
> displaybootmenu Yes # Yes is the same as True
> # True, they are jokers. Or Yes, they are jokers.
>
> When I boot, one of my options in the menu, is Safe Mode.
>
> Paul

Click here to read the complete article

On 01/08/2024 11:02 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
> knuttle wrote:
>> On 01/08/2024 3:55 AM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>> Paul wrote:
>>>> On 1/7/2024 4:56 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>> Paul wrote:
>>>>>> On 1/6/2024 1:18 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:
>>>>>>> knuttle wrote:
>>>>>>>> I was using my Dell laptop this morning and it started flashing
>>>>>>>> me.  It shows the desktopm, but flashes a white screen.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I am running Windows 10 current updated on a Dell i7 cpu 8GB Ram.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I appeared to loose a shortcut from the desk top,  When I tried
>>>>>>>> to copy the folder shortcut back to the desktop, it started
>>>>>>>> flashing.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I have tried to shut the computer down from the shutdown icon,
>>>>>>>> and by holding the power button down until it shuts down.  When
>>>>>>>> restarts it is still flashing.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Display drivers are the usual cause of such.
>>>>>>> Boot into Safe Mode and do an update on Display Adapter in Device
>>>>>>> Manager.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> While in Device Manager check for any item showing an exclamation
>>>>>>> mark; or, perhaps, maxed out.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ed
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One question I want answered, is does the flashing loop start
>>>>>> before the login procedure
>>>>>> is done, or after the login procedure. This might change the
>>>>>> details of how people
>>>>>> answer your question.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This will help determine how easy it will be to re-assert control.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Just about every step at a time like this, is a rat bastard. It's
>>>>>> unavoidably
>>>>>> complicated. But I did manage to guide someone to do the Sticky
>>>>>> Keys hack,
>>>>>> and it worked for him. He got back his lost administration
>>>>>> capability.
>>>>>> You can't do squat when that happens. It's like wearing handcuffs,
>>>>>> to fix that one.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> *******
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For example, if it remains stable while waiting for you to log in,
>>>>>> you could do the Sticky Keys hack, press the shift key five times
>>>>>> when
>>>>>> it is waiting for you to login, and the hack will cause an
>>>>>> Administrator
>>>>>> Command Prompt to appear. Once in there
>>>>>>
>>>>>>      D:              # Assumes D: is your DVD drive. Place the
>>>>>> latest Win10 install DVD in there
>>>>>>                      # Even a Rufus.ie prepared USB installer
>>>>>> stick can be used for D: if you want.
>>>>>>                      # It does not absolutely have to be an
>>>>>> optical disc.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>      setup.exe       # Start a repair install, using the Windows DVD.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't expect you to like this, but at some point, you'll need to
>>>>>> be doing the
>>>>>> Safe Mode hack anyway (too many steps !!!), so the other routes to
>>>>>> access are no easier.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> https://4sysops.com/archives/reset-windows-10-password-by-disabling-windows-defender/
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We're not doing this, to hack any password. The password will be
>>>>>> remaining as
>>>>>> it always has. We're doing the hack in this case, so we can find a
>>>>>> way to
>>>>>> kick off a Repair Install. Which otherwise, might be impossible.
>>>>>> If the screen
>>>>>> is not flashing, when the Administrator Command Prompt pops up in
>>>>>> response to
>>>>>> five presses of Shift, then the Repair Install can be done.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> While you might have a Restore Point, the percentage of users
>>>>>> ready to use
>>>>>> System Protection, is quite low, and writing a procedure would be
>>>>>> a waste of time.
>>>>>> On the other machine, I turned that off two hours ago :-) Just for
>>>>>> the humor of it :-)
>>>>>> Actually, I wanted the disk space back.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>      Paul
>>>>>
>>>>> A simple quick fix might work here for Keith.
>>>>> I've seen situations were display drivers suddenly get corrupted.
>>>>> So, just uninstall the adaptor and reboot.
>>>>>
>>>>> Ed
>>>>
>>>> What I don't understand, is the trigger event.
>>>>
>>>> How would a file that is protected by Windows File Protection,
>>>> suddenly get corrupted ? To start with, it should be loaded into RAM.
>>>> It could be a RAM error. But the problem manifests each time the
>>>> system is booted.
>>>>
>>>> It's "trying to do something", but what would that something be ?
>>>> And how many somethings, survive a reboot like that ?
>>>>
>>>>     Paul
>>>
>>> I run "sfc/ scannow" occasionally; and sometimes it finds file
>>> corruptions which it fixes. How those corruptions occur I can't be
>>> sure; but they seem to be caused by major Windows updates.
>>> I've also had sudden display star-shells, and a reload of the video
>>> drivers has solved them.
>>>
>>> Ed
>> OP;
>>
>> I found that when I signed out of the flashing went away, so to me it
>> did not seem to be a driver problem.   When flash most access to the
>> computer were dead.
>>
>> It did a reset with keeping my data.  That did nothing to fix the
>> problem.
>>
>> In desperation; I restored the computer to factory conditions.  The
>> flashing was gone.   I reinstalled a ton of updates, and as of now
>> everything is normal.
>>
>> I still don't understand what caused the flashing problem in the fist
>> place.
>
> You are to be commended, Keith, for effort. My heart goes out to people
> who take on heavy jobs like that and see them through.
>
> I sure hope the problem doesn't arise again.
> Have you fully updated Windows 10 with everything MS has to offer?
>
> Ed
I don't know about the card but I suspect that it is on the board as it
is a laptop.
I am still working on the update angle. An tomorrow is the 2nd tuesday
of the month

On 1/8/2024 2:15 PM, Ed Cryer wrote:

>
> I stick by my own well tried and tested formula.
> 1. Once a month Macrium image to external drive.
> 2. System Restore set for C drive. That ensures restore points are done before all MS updates.
>
> In the event of a problem such as the OP's here, I backtrack through the security.
> 1. Try undoing the immediately preceding action.
> 2. System Restore.
> 3. Macrium image restore.
> 4. Win10 re-install; latest from MS website, with all data retained.
> 5. Complete reformat and rebuild; as the OP did here.
>
> I can't help but admire what Keith did. He just bypassed the whole suck-it-and-see episodes,
> and went straight for the work-heavy option that's most likely to work.
>
> Ed

I would prefer if I could steer people to Repair Install as
a repair method (it's better for most people than a lot of
"DISM this", and "SFC that"). But the limitations of what Microsoft offers,
makes that just as unappetizing as any other method. It's
still too damn hard to tip a computer "upright enough" to get
a Repair Install running.

Microsoft also (over several OSes), has constantly been threatening
to "remove Troubleshooters from Control Panel". Well, one of those,
makes up for a buggy networking stack (the ability to check and "find
nothing wrong", saves people having to look up the two network reset
commands).

Their implementations work. Their attitude to this ? Is just wrong wrong wrong.
The lack of laptop repair shops here, tells me nobody is spending
$200, every time their laptop burps or farts. If Microsoft thinks
they're "keeping a cottage industry of laptop ripoff artists alive",
well no they're not. All they're doing by building stuff this hard
to repair, is pissing people off.

Paul