On Thu, 17 Sep 2020 02:12:07 -0000 (UTC), Arlen Holder wrote:

(I'm not sure "when" to press the "Win+L" for example,
i.e., whether that's before, during, or after POST).

BTW, Microsoft's instructions for recovering are confusing.
I'll just have to actually do it at some point because they don't even
bother to tell you when you're supposed to used "Win+L" for example.
o To restore or recover using the recovery drive:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12415/windows-10-recovery-options

You're just supposed to guess, I guess.

It's kind of like what settings you're supposed to use to generate a Hirens
Boot CD USB from Rufus 3.11 for BIOS (and not for UEFI); you just have to
guess. I've always been annoyed by lousy instructions like that, which is
why my tutorials are at least explicit, step by step, such that you could
cut and past most of my tutorials, and if you start with the same versions
of software, they should work out of the box.

Sigh.

Anyway, I never see the Windows lock screen, i.e., the idiotic one that
happens _before_ the actual login screen, 'cuz I turned that waste of time
off long ago.

Eliminate the lock screen upon startup & go right to the login prompt:
o HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personali zation NoLockScreen = 1
1. Regedit [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows]
2. Add a New Key = Personalization
3. Add to it a New 32-bit DWORD - NoLockScreen
4. Set the Value = 1

In summary, I'm ready, I think, for the next time Windows won't boot after
a BSOD, if I can get to POST, I will press Win+L a hundred times, and then
I'll hope it gets me to the point where I can use the 5-1/2 GB RECOVERY USB
stick I just created (which took 2-1/2 hours crunching time to create).