Windows 8 stuck at loading screen

[patseguin Global Moderator]

I've taken some time off work and my partner told me that my workstation wouldn't start.

 

I went in today and powered it up and it just stays at the loading screen.

 

I tried safe mode and also safe mode with command prompt and neither way would boot.

 

I booted into safe mode and tried all the options for bootrec such as bootrec /fixmbr. Didn't fix it.

 

I booted into safe mode and tried sfc /scannow and it wouldn't run (forgot the error).

 

When at the command prompt I noticed that the system reserved drive is now C: and the Windows partition is D:. Is that normal when you boot off the install media?

 

I booted off a Windows 7 Live CD and opened an administrator cmd console and typed sfc /scannow and told me the service wouldn't start. I tried manually starting the proper installer service and it gave me an error and wouldn't start.

 

I booted off the Windows 8 install disc again and chose as a last resort to do a refresh. It ran for a few seconds then told me the drive is locked.

 

Why is nothing working? Is there no way to get a working system again other than a format and clean install? Another workstation in the office running Windows 7 had a similar issue and I recall fixing it with the 7 Live CD and sfc /scannow. So, I wonder if it is some kind of vulnerability that hit my workstation. I can't understand why every single option I used for getting it to boot fails. I thought the refresh would be my best option but I've never seen a drive locked error before. How would I unlock it so that I can do a refresh?

[+Warwagon MVC]

Maybe the drive has bad sectors.

[patseguin Global Moderator]

Maybe the drive has bad sectors.

I don't really think so. Another computer on the network had the same problem and I fixed it (I'm pretty sure) with sfc. Nothing I am trying is working on this one though. I would do a refresh but it says the drive is "locked".