Opened Firefox and my PC crashed (no task manager etc). Turn on next morning, get “Preparing for Automatic Repair” and then black screen. Tried Windows Recovery USB and it’s just the Windows Logo and then a black screen again.
I’m at a complete loss. One thing not being able access my OS but I can’t even access a recovery disk! How do I fix this? Thanks.
Hi, welcome to tenforums.
Have you been using disk imaging as we so often recommend here? (Macrium Reflect (free) - yes free- external storage for images). If so, check your disk and restore an image you've created.
Do you have full backups? Do you know if you had enabled System Restore?
Assuming you don't yet use disk imaging, if you have or can get access to another PC, please download and create Kyhi's live boot disk, available from the top of the Software and Apps section here, and boot your PC from that.
Before attempting any repairs, it would be best to check your disk(s) first, which can be done when you've done that.
Meanwhile, please complete your system specs - 'OS Windows 10' tells us nothing much, I'm afraid.
See mine for comparison (click My Computer below my post).
A tutorial is available to help if you need that.
Thanks.
I don't have any backups. I just tried Kyhi's recovery disk, it comes up with loading files, afterwards a Windows Logo but then Black Screen again.
I can't seem to boot into anything even from a recovery drive its insane! I'm going to try just connecting my SSD to another PC and see if I can repair it that way. Any other ideas?
Also added my PC Specs, thanks.
I suspect your PC isn't attempting to boot from external media.
Either it's not configured as a bootable medium, or your PC's BIOS is not set up to boot from it. Have you set up your boot priority appropriately?
Presumably you haven't just copied the ISO to a flash drive. Did you use Rufus or command prompt commands to configure your flash drive, if that's what you've used?
E.g. see
Creating a bootable USB drive.
with thanks to @NavyLCDR
To reliably make a bootable USB flash drive from an ISO file, do this:
Plug the drive into a USB port of a functioning Windows PC.
Open a command prompt.
Run diskpart.
Once diskpart is running, enter the following commands in sequence:
list disk
select disk #
- replace # with the actual disk number of the USB flash drive
clean
- this will erase the selected drive, make sure it is the USB flash drive!
create part pri
format fs=fat32 quick
active
exit
exit
Then mount your ISO file.
(By default you can simply right click the iso file, and click Mount. However, Mount will not be available if iso files have been associated with a different program).
Copy all the files and folders from the mounted ISO file to the USB flash drive.
(If stuck you can open the iso with 7-zip, a free program).
Discussion here:
Reinstall Windows 10 from DVD but no DVD drive[/U][/URL]
- includes content of flash drive.
OR use Rufus (freeware)
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10[/U][/URL]
See Option 2
=======================================================
You need to
a. check the disk is ok
e.g. HD Tune, Hard Disk Sentinel is great.
b. check the partitions look sensible
c. Recovery possibilities include
- System Restore (offline)
- restoring the registry backup - if it exists.
If you can boot using Kyhi boot rescue then you should be able to copy and paste files to another drive.
This could be the whole users folder, individual user folders, or specific files.
The whole users folder copy and paste may take many hours and a substantial portion can be one overnight.
For the first one to two hours there can be prompt interrupts for duplicate files, or file names that are too long, etc. so if you choose this method start the process several hours before you go to bed and this way a lot can be accomplished overnight.
Alternative methods to save files are to use the backup image software installed on Kyhi boot rescue.
Macrium is highly recommended in Ten Forums:
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect | Windows 10 Tutorials
As dalchina commented if you boot using Kyhi boot rescue you can test the drive.
There are browsers to open websites and download and install software.
Not all software can be downloaded and installed while using Kyhi boot rescue.
Some software can me run from another flash drive (non-bootable) while using Kyhi boot rescue.
In addition you can look for the srttrail.txt file > save it to the flash drive > transfer the file to a working computer to post a share link into the thread.
If you cannot boot using Kyhi boot rescue then you can try to boot using software that remove much of the Windows operating system from running the software and see whether you can boot:
a) Ubuntu: Create a bootable USB stick on Windows | Ubuntu tutorials
b) Memtest86+ version 5.01: Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
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