Windows laptop updated start of week now won’t turn on. When try turning on it goes black screen ➡️ tells me wait while processes update ➡️ tells me trying remove updates ➡️ starts cycle again, all within 5 seconds.

Can’t get to boot safe mode. Don’t want wipe data on it, so would creating a boot disc on a USB work? It’s 9yr old and screen was dieing anyway so thought other option get cheap replacement and use a caddy to hold drive from old one to access info via new device.
Anything else I can do to save this one? Thanks, Niall

Boot to a linux image and get your stuff off it that way, then either wipe and reinstall from scratch (maybe with a new SSD?), or as it’s 9 years old replace.

I had exactly this with a neighbours laptop recently. It was a Lenovo from memory.

Fix was to go into the BIOS and use the disk recovery option to reset the OS, it kept the Apps and files which was useful as she did not have a back up.

Thanks both, will Google how to do your recommendations – sound beyond my skills. I was tending towards open up and whip out drive into a caddy to view through new laptop.
This one owes me nothing, is an Asus for what it’s worth, bought to do my degree on.
As an aside, anyone seen any good 14″ laptop offers? currently tending towards a HP with £80 off at pc world.

Sigh. Another day where someone learns an important lesson about backups.

Assuming Windows 10: If you take the battery out, wait till the Windows splash screen appears and pull the power, do that two or three times and it should take you to some variation of a “Windows failed to start” screen where you can do things like System Restore.

If it’s not W10, what is it?

Windows 10, thanks for your concern Cougar appreciate your exasperated sigh, but I have backups of important stuff so no important backup lessons today I’m afraid. Its the loads of not essential but possibly useful one day for work stuff I’m after.
If I can avoid spending few £100 at moment on new machine and not have to completely reset computer/ software I’d rather that.
Thought I’d ask here as know there are IT experts who’ve given good advice previously. Following your advice I am still not getting as far as Windows splash, just same loop I mentioned in OP.