Author Topic: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread (Read 1013805 times)

Sowhat · « **Reply #1700 on:** October 18, 2015, 04:02:30 PM »

Quote from: Sowhat on September 06, 2015, 11:27:54 AM

I have started to see a black screen pop on my desktop, telling me that Error: Can't Boot from Hard Disk. Or something like that. This is Windows 7. I checked the bios which seemed to boot from something other than the hard drive, and fixed, but it still pops up, with a forced shut off the only option. I though the hard drive was failing, but the computer seems fine in safe mode?

So, I'm back. I realized that a USB key had been in one of ports. I unplugged it, rebooted a few times, and things started working again. Last week, one of my kids plugged in a sync cord and this nightmare started again. The computer basically froze, same boot message. I have manually rebooted a dozen times, removed avg (as that was a problem in the past), run defrag (which after a few hours told me the hard drive was fine), started up in safe mode to poke around and run malwarebytes, and successfully rebooted, only to have anything happen in super slow motion. Also, ctrl-alt-delete freaks the computer out. Anything I do, open anything, reboot or try any key, freezes the computer. Help.

Sowhat · « **Reply #1701 on:** October 18, 2015, 04:28:26 PM »

Quote from: Sowhat on October 18, 2015, 04:02:30 PM

So, I'm back. I realized that a USB key had been in one of ports. I unplugged it, rebooted a few times, and things started working again. Last week, one of my kids plugged in a sync cord and this nightmare started again. The computer basically froze, same boot message. I have manually rebooted a dozen times, removed avg (as that was a problem in the past), run defrag (which after a few hours told me the hard drive was fine), started up in safe mode to poke around and run malwarebytes, and successfully rebooted, only to have anything happen in super slow motion. Also, ctrl-alt-delete freaks the computer out. Anything I do, open anything, reboot or try any key, freezes the computer. Help.

I did a restart. Computer is taking 10 minutes to shut down. Circle is just circling....

pcgeek · « **Reply #1702 on:** October 18, 2015, 04:30:59 PM »

Quote from: Sowhat on October 18, 2015, 04:02:30 PM

So, I'm back. I realized that a USB key had been in one of ports. I unplugged it, rebooted a few times, and things started working again. Last week, one of my kids plugged in a sync cord and this nightmare started again. The computer basically froze, same boot message. I have manually rebooted a dozen times, removed avg (as that was a problem in the past), run defrag (which after a few hours told me the hard drive was fine), started up in safe mode to poke around and run malwarebytes, and successfully rebooted, only to have anything happen in super slow motion. Also, ctrl-alt-delete freaks the computer out. Anything I do, open anything, reboot or try any key, freezes the computer. Help.

Any specific error message?

Sowhat · « **Reply #1703 on:** October 18, 2015, 10:15:26 PM »

Quote from: pcgeek on October 18, 2015, 04:30:59 PM

Any specific error message?

Just kept going through various repair screens that Windows pushed me through.

pcgeek · « **Reply #1704 on:** October 18, 2015, 10:16:26 PM »

Quote from: Sowhat on October 18, 2015, 10:15:26 PM

Just kept going through various repair screens that Windows pushed me through.

Still getting messages from Windows about corrupt hard drive?

Sowhat · « **Reply #1705 on:** October 19, 2015, 08:06:25 AM »

Quote from: pcgeek on October 18, 2015, 10:16:26 PM

Still getting messages from Windows about corrupt hard drive?

Doesn't say corrupt hard drive, just boot disk error

pcgeek · « **Reply #1706 on:** October 19, 2015, 07:43:00 PM »

Quote from: Sowhat on October 19, 2015, 08:06:25 AM

Doesn't say corrupt hard drive, just boot disk error

The fact that it's slow when it does manage to boot leads me to suspect corruption of some of the hard drive sectors. There's a really good tool (not free) that I purchased recently that attempts to fix these issues. If you want to give it a try I can send it to you, but since it's a bit pricey I'll request some compensation from you (only if it's successful on your system of course). Please PM if you're interested.

David R · « **Reply #1707 on:** October 20, 2015, 04:11:21 AM »

Quote from: Sowhat on October 18, 2015, 04:02:30 PM

So, I'm back. I realized that a USB key had been in one of ports. I unplugged it, rebooted a few times, and things started working again. Last week, one of my kids plugged in a sync cord and this nightmare started again. The computer basically froze, same boot message. I have manually rebooted a dozen times, removed avg (as that was a problem in the past), run defrag (which after a few hours told me the hard drive was fine), started up in safe mode to poke around and run malwarebytes, and successfully rebooted, only to have anything happen in super slow motion. Also, ctrl-alt-delete freaks the computer out. Anything I do, open anything, reboot or try any key, freezes the computer. Help.

Moral of the story: Change the boot order in your BIOS settings to boot from the hard drive first. Otherwise, you leave your computer vulnerable to any malicious bootable CD or flash drive that will execute before your antivirus program can start its protection.

Sowhat · « **Reply #1708 on:** October 21, 2015, 01:05:04 PM »

Quote from: David R on October 20, 2015, 04:11:21 AM

Moral of the story: Change the boot order in your BIOS settings to boot from the hard drive first. Otherwise, you leave your computer vulnerable to any malicious bootable CD or flash drive that will execute before your antivirus program can start its protection.

That is how it is set.

pixi · « **Reply #1709 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:16:28 AM »

I'm useing windows 7, when I'm pressing the start key nothing comes up just a big blue screen, any idea why this happens?

avromie7 · « **Reply #1710 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:23:23 AM »

Quote from: pixi on October 23, 2015, 12:16:28 AM

I'm useing windows 7, when I'm pressing the start key nothing comes up just a big blue screen, any idea why this happens?

Reboot your computer

pixi · « **Reply #1711 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:24:48 AM »

Quote from: avromie7 on October 23, 2015, 12:23:23 AM

Reboot your computer

Did that already numbers of times.

pixi · « **Reply #1712 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:26:40 AM »

Now all of a sudden I see my Computer updated to Windows 8, I never updated it, maybe that's why the the start menu disappeared, how can I get it back to Windows 7?

avromie7 · « **Reply #1713 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:27:09 AM »

Quote from: pixi on October 23, 2015, 12:26:40 AM

Now all of a sudden I see my Computer updated to Windows 8, I never updated it, maybe that's why the the start menu disappeared, how can I get it back to Windows 7?
I

Do you mean windows 10¿

pixi · « **Reply #1714 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:27:41 AM »

Quote from: avromie7 on October 23, 2015, 12:27:09 AM

Do you mean windows 10¿

No. It's now on Windows 8.

pcgeek · « **Reply #1715 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:27:58 AM »

Quote from: avromie7 on October 23, 2015, 12:27:09 AM

Do you mean windows 10¿

There are reports of PC's updating to windows 10 without asking the user

pixi · « **Reply #1716 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:28:25 AM »

Quote from: pcgeek on October 23, 2015, 12:27:58 AM

There are reports of PC's updating to windows 10 without asking the user

In my situation it's windows 8, how can I get it back to 7?

pcgeek · « **Reply #1717 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:31:34 AM »

Quote from: pixi on October 23, 2015, 12:28:25 AM

In my signature it's windows 8, how can I get it back to 7?

Which signature? Very strange that a computer would upgrade to windows 8 by itself as that's not a free upgrade

pixi · « **Reply #1718 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:32:41 AM »

Quote from: pcgeek on October 23, 2015, 12:31:34 AM

Which signature? Very strange that a computer would upgrade to windows 8 by itself as that's not a free upgrade

Meant situation.
I don't know what to tell you, all of a sudden my computer is on Windows 8, I need to get it backbtob7 asap. How can I do that?

pcgeek · « **Reply #1719 on:** October 23, 2015, 12:39:13 AM »

Quote from: pixi on October 23, 2015, 12:32:41 AM

Meant situation.
I don't know what to tell you, all of a sudden my computer is on Windows 8, I need to get it backbtob7 asap. How can I do that?

Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way for you to downgrade without losing everything. Assuming you don't have a full system backup of your computer, you should create a backup of all your files, install windows 7 from disk, reinstall your programs and restore backed up data. If I'm missing something, someone please chime in.

TBH I would contact Microsoft directly about this..really strange

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Author Topic: Computer Troubleshooting/Help Master Thread (Read 1013805 times)