W10 tablet stuck with no input box on (blurred) lock screen

I have a Dell Venue 8 5830 tablet, which I've been using with Windows 10
for some time. I've just loaded the latest updates, including a
"Cumulative Update".

Now, when I try to log on, the lock screen blurs (by design, apparently)
but the usual input box for password/PIN doesn't appear.

A web search suggests a common solution is to re-set the service
"Credentials Manager" to automatic, but I can't get anywhere near this.
I've tried connecting an external keyboard via an adapter, but the first
character of Ctrl-Alt-Del simply blurs the lock screen as before
(repetition doesn't help).

If I turn off Secure Boot I can use the Vol-down button to get "boot
options", but then I get a dialogue about recovering Bitlocker keys. If
I skip that I can get into options to reset (simply does nothing) or I
can bring up a command prompt. If I could figure out a way to set
Credentials Manager to Automatic that way I might just be able to fix
it?

Looks like a Windows Update has bricked this nice little tablet. Any
ideas?

--

Phil, London

Philip Herlihy wrote:
I have a Dell Venue 8 5830 tablet, which I've been using with Windows 10
for some time. I've just loaded the latest updates, including a
"Cumulative Update".

Now, when I try to log on, the lock screen blurs (by design, apparently)
but the usual input box for password/PIN doesn't appear.

A web search suggests a common solution is to re-set the service
"Credentials Manager" to automatic, but I can't get anywhere near this.
I've tried connecting an external keyboard via an adapter, but the first
character of Ctrl-Alt-Del simply blurs the lock screen as before
(repetition doesn't help).

If I turn off Secure Boot I can use the Vol-down button to get "boot
options", but then I get a dialogue about recovering Bitlocker keys. If
I skip that I can get into options to reset (simply does nothing) or I
can bring up a command prompt. If I could figure out a way to set
Credentials Manager to Automatic that way I might just be able to fix
it?

Looks like a Windows Update has bricked this nice little tablet. Any
ideas?


A fun piece of kit to play with.

https://www.dell.com/community/Table...B/td-p/4223157

*******

Hit the power switch three times, while the juggling
balls show during boot. The system will think it is
crashed (three times), and enter recovery state.

In the Troubleshooting section, open a Command Prompt.

There, you will work your magic to try to recover it.

For example:

DISM /image:c:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

If an update was "in-flight" and not finished, that
might back the changes out. Then it would be able
to work again.

It could just as easily be a driver, something the
AV has done to the machine, lots of possibilities.

Paul




Paul

In article , lid says...

Philip Herlihy wrote:
I have a Dell Venue 8 5830 tablet, which I've been using with Windows 10
for some time. I've just loaded the latest updates, including a
"Cumulative Update".

Now, when I try to log on, the lock screen blurs (by design, apparently)
but the usual input box for password/PIN doesn't appear.

A web search suggests a common solution is to re-set the service
"Credentials Manager" to automatic, but I can't get anywhere near this.
I've tried connecting an external keyboard via an adapter, but the first
character of Ctrl-Alt-Del simply blurs the lock screen as before
(repetition doesn't help).

If I turn off Secure Boot I can use the Vol-down button to get "boot
options", but then I get a dialogue about recovering Bitlocker keys. If
I skip that I can get into options to reset (simply does nothing) or I
can bring up a command prompt. If I could figure out a way to set
Credentials Manager to Automatic that way I might just be able to fix
it?

Looks like a Windows Update has bricked this nice little tablet. Any
ideas?


A fun piece of kit to play with.

https://www.dell.com/community/Table...B/td-p/4223157

*******

Hit the power switch three times, while the juggling
balls show during boot. The system will think it is
crashed (three times), and enter recovery state.

In the Troubleshooting section, open a Command Prompt.

There, you will work your magic to try to recover it.

For example:

DISM /image:c:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

If an update was "in-flight" and not finished, that
might back the changes out. Then it would be able
to work again.

It could just as easily be a driver, something the
AV has done to the machine, lots of possibilities.

Paul




Paul

Thanks for this. I've tried unsuccessfully to get the thing to
recognise successive shutdowns as a crash. I found I could get into a
command prompt, but only by turning off secure boot, which made the C:
drive inaccessible - maybe I should have persisted with the power-crash
dodge, because then I might have been able to start the dozing service
with the SC command. Hmmm...

Well things have gone beyond that now, as I took to the partition list
with a chainsaw. But I have managed to achieve a clean install of
Windows 10, as described he

https://www.dell.com/community/Table...Venue-8-clean-
install-of-Windows-10-solved/m-p/7345623#M39698

Essentially I mounted a 32-bit installer on a USB stick, keyboard and
moust via a 4-port OTG adapter (the fourth is the non-functional Power
connector). I booted from cold, with Secure Boot still on, and in Setup
chose the USB stick as #1 boot priority. On restart, it booted from the
installer. I had to delete the C: partition (gulp!) as it wouldn't
write over it, but it all worked. Now for those drivers, like touch
screen & wifi...

--

Phil, London