Ruined pc - acer aspire desktop tc 1660

mandy30
mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
edited February 2022 in Aspire and Veriton Desktops
Can anyone advise please,I bought a new acer aspire desktop tc 1660,I used windows media creator and put win 10 on a flash drive,something I had not done before and was testing it to see if it worked,it started to install win 10 but I did,nt want to install as I had done a factory restore and got everything  set up again.I pulled out the flash drive just as it started installing windows and it’s messed up my pc completely,it would,nt start just kept going to repair pc then it said can’t repair it,I tried to do a factory reset and that won’t work either I was stuck,tried to boot from the flash drive I pulled out and it reinstalled windows,it is,nt the same as it was before I did that with the flash drive but at least I can use it again,I went to try do a factory reset to see if that would take it back to how it was before it messed up but it still does,nt work,have I totally ruined the pc or will a computer technician be able to put it back to how it was,when I put the flash drive in I noticed partitions were still there with recovery and data folders,will these be damaged or is there any chance of getting it back to how it was 

[​//Edited the content to add model name]

Best Answer

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,206 Trailblazer
    edited February 2022 Answer ✓
    If you want the full recovery image, with all the Acer specific utilities, you have to get it from Acer support (or the Acer Store if you are in the USA or Canada). If you just want Windows without any of the Acer specific stuff, you can download it from Microsoft. Acer isn't allowed to post a copy of the image to their support site, since each image has the actual license to run it included. The one from Microsoft requires you to already have the license, which you have already.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
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Answers

  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    DO THE FACTORY INSTALL AGAIN. It happens but you'll survive as it seems that your BIOS is intact. Restore and enjoy. Win10 is a pretty decent operating system but it is not made to mess with by amateur as I am. 
    ALT F10 on boot for Factory  Restore. 
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    edited February 2022
    I can’t it won’t work,I have tried,the only thing I was able to do was install off the flash drive,but it’s not the same windows 10 I got before and it showed a lot of updates were needed and missing,just rang a pc shop and they said it may be done but would cost about 300 to repair,I nearly fell off my chair,so it looks like I have ruined it completely
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    Hold the Alt and F10 on a reboot after a POWER OFF

  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    Just tried that and it just brought me to install keyboard,I think I must have caused damage to it
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,206 Trailblazer
    With the machine turned off, press and hold the Alt and F10 keys then turn the power on while holding them. That should get you into the recovery mode and you just release the keys as soon as it starts that menu up. Allow it to do the recovery and it should take you back to where the computer was when you first bought it. If it give you an error take a picture and show us. It's possible the generic Windows 10 install off the flash drive replaced the recovery image from Acer. In that case you will just have the basic Windows and none of the added apps Acer provides. That's not a big deal though, it will still be usable.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    I tried that but when it tries to do the recovery it says it cant do it,I tried from cloud and the local one but none will do the factory reset,thats sounds like exactly whats happened because none of the apps are there and when it installs windows it looks different to the one that started before I messed it up
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    From another computer Create a bootable WIN10 USB by downloading the WIN10 TOOL in this link and let it do the work to install on your blank formatted drive. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
    Then F12 on the bad computer. It'll ask for your country, then you'll get some selections, one being RECOVER FROM A DRIVE, one selection will be FULLY CLEAN DRIVE. when you do then this screen (my photo will appear), hit recover. 


    I'm also wondering when you did the ALT F10 if you told it to completely format and re-install the factory configurations ?
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpzLJRAZldA

    Have you tried FULLY CLEAN MY DRIVE ?  If you have then do  a create a win10 tool on another computer
    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    yes I tried both options but it can’t do the recovery,I have got windows installed now but it’s like billsey said,I can only install the basic windows without all the apps I got before and can’t do a factory restore,the c drive does,nt show as blank,I will take a photo tomorrow of what is showing on it
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    Congratulations as that seems like a good thing to get rid of all that Acer *****. 
    Once you get running OK make you a system disc on DVD providing that you have a DVD.
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    edited February 2022
    Yes I have a disc but had problems when I tried to make one before I screwed up the pc,I would have preferred to get factory restore back but at least I can still use the pc,I was lucky that it reinstalled from the flash drive
  • Callistemon
    Callistemon Member Posts: 106 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    edited February 2022
    EDIT: looks like Windows was already reinstalled. I will leave this here for reference by anyone else with the same issue.

    mandy30 said:
    Just tried that and it just brought me to install keyboard,I think I must have caused damage to it
    That's normal, and that means you have successfully entered the Alt + F10 menu. It's a temporary choice of keyboard layout, it's not for installing the keyboard.

    1. Choose keyboard layout > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
    2. Insert an external HDD once Command Prompt appears.
        C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe

    3. Under the File > Open menu, use the File Picker to copy files onto the external HDD.
    4. Once the hourglass cursor is done, close File Picker, close Notepad, and close Command Prompt.
    5. While the options display, insert the Windows installer pen drive.
    6. Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Use a Device > EFI USB Device (or similar)
    7. Next > Repair Your Computer
    8. Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
        diskpart
        select disk 1
        select partition 1
        assign letter=S
        exit
        cd /d S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot
        bcdboot C:\Windows /s S:
        Bootrec /rebuildbcd
        DISM /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:E:\Sources\install.esd
        sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows

    9. Close Command Prompt > Exit and Continue to Windows 10.

    It's normal to have many updates to install after a fresh install of Windows 10. This doesn't mean it's "different" or can't be the same again after completing the updates.
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    Callistemon said:
    EDIT: looks like Windows was already reinstalled. I will leave this here for reference by anyone else with the same issue.

    mandy30 said:
    Just tried that and it just brought me to install keyboard,I think I must have caused damage to it
    That's normal, and that means you have successfully entered the Alt + F10 menu. It's a temporary choice of keyboard layout, it's not for installing the keyboard.

    1. Choose keyboard layout > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
    2. Insert an external HDD once Command Prompt appears.
        C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe

    3. Under the File > Open menu, use the File Picker to copy files onto the external HDD.
    4. Once the hourglass cursor is done, close File Picker, close Notepad, and close Command Prompt.
    5. While the options display, insert the Windows installer pen drive.
    6. Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Use a Device > EFI USB Device (or similar)
    7. Next > Repair Your Computer
    8. Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt
        diskpart
        select disk 1
        select partition 1
        assign letter=S
        exit
        cd /d S:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot
        bcdboot C:\Windows /s S:
        Bootrec /rebuildbcd
        DISM /Image:C:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:E:\Sources\install.esd
        sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows

    9. Close Command Prompt > Exit and Continue to Windows 10.

    It's normal to have many updates to install after a fresh install of Windows 10. This doesn't mean it's "different" or can't be the same again after completing the updates.
    I have,nt the faintest idea how to do the things you have said,I am a beginner and dont know what all this means,windows has updated the updates now but it is different from what i had on,it starts differently.It does,nt really matter though.I just cant ever factory reset again or have the apps that were on
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    these are the options i get from the alt and F10
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    these are pics of what shows when i boot from flash drive,nothing shows unless i click load driver and point it to the storage driver on my external drive,it thens shows what is in the pics,also whats showing in bios
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    Yes it looks as If part of your recovery partition has been corrupted.
    Acer Store has an recovery USB/DVD. BUT I ordered one as a backup when I bought my computer in 2020.It didn't work so they sent me another, same thing.
    Support said that it would work unless my computer was totally corrupt. I couldn't get a refund either as I had opened the package, it was like $39 US.
    Maybe you can call support and ask them if it'll work in your situation ???

    https://store.acer.com/en-us/extended/recovery

    Basically this is what I got because my computer was healthy so said Acer Support
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/633513/t-c-895ua92-usb-system-recovery-drive-error-262150


  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    Here is the UK link.
    https://store.acer.com/en-gb/e-recovery
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    thankyou I will read up on that later,to be honest my head is spinning with it all
  • Larryodie
    Larryodie Member Posts: 1,679 Community Aficionado WiFi Icon
    I/we understand.  If you are comfortable with all then then leave it alone. 
  • mandy30
    mandy30 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    I will contact them and see what they say maybe tomorrow when my head is in a better place

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