PC is almost completely unusable today, is this MS recent bug fix???

sdowney717 said:

I tried something, I unplugged the drive, flipped it over plugged it back, rebooted live usb, drive came up as ok, but lists hundreds of smart errors...

SMART errors are never a good sign, particularly relocation events (a sure sign the drive is dying). Recover any data you need then dump the drive.

A LiveUSB of Ubuntu (or Linux, or whatever) is a useful tool to recover data from or repair a PC that won't boot from it's own drive.

A similarly useful tool is Kyhi's Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk, a bootable USB that runs a more familiar Windows 10 environment.

With either, it's possible to copy files from the PC's HDD to a USB, and with Kyhi's rescue disk you also have a full range of Windows tools to repair the non-working system.

MeAndMyComputer said:

I've never used a Ubuntu LiveUSB. Sounds like a good item to have. Can someone point me to a reliable tutorial or set of instructions to create one and show what it can be useful other than installing a Linux product on my computer.

Easy to do in windows.
Download latest ubuntu either 16.04 or 17.10 version.
I then wrote the image to the flash drive using unetbootin for windows.
UNetbootin - Homepage and Downloads

Boot the PC from the flash drive, select try ubuntu from menu, and in a few minutes you will have the ubuntu desktop up.

The program I ran was called drive, or disk. Click activities at top, type disk, it then shows you the program, click on it and it runs.
I actually prefer Mint desktop as a liveusb, less limiting, Ubuntu liveusb restricts hard drive mounting it seems. they did not used to do that.
Mint is another version of ubuntu basically. cinnamon desktop is easy to use. So if you want to view and copy files and folders in the drives on the PC, use Mint.

Using a liveusb is an easy way to copy and view files and folders and also test your hardware if your windows os is bad.
Download - Linux Mint

Linux also lets you see and delete and copy files that windows hides from you. Even using Linux, there are some windows protected system files it will gasp on if trying to modify. You have to then take ownership of the file.

I use WMC and recently used a linux mint live usb to salvage some temporary video recordings from the recording buffer. Just could not do it in windows. Yes windows made that painful as could be. Plus had to use a downloaded program to convert those files into a video file that was recognizable. WMC temporary buffer video files are of 15 minute duration. So you have to find them, convert them and string them together into a playable video file. I forgot to hit record and wanted to keep what WMC had in its buffer.