Slow startup and operating not found message

I just powered it up and it seems that it went to safe mode on its own after saying it was doing automatic repairs and started to run a windows defender scan. I cancelled the scan and now I am waiting on the operating system to load -- I am looking at the windows logo and the spinning dots.

I just shut it down because it would not go beyond that windows with the dots screen and when I powered it back up the same thing happened -- it goes directly to a windows defender scan. I will let the scan continue this time and it is definitely in safe mode from the appearance of the background and the way defender looks. I briefly saw something flash just before the defender scan started almost like the cmd prompt screen but it was just a flash so I cannot say that is what is was with certainty.

I was able to get it to restart after it ran the windows defender scan and I followed your Power Option instructions -- I will see what happens tomorrow when both the computer and I come out of sleep.

Cottonball,,
It worked ok yesterday coming out of sleep but today same problem. I have been shutting it down repeatedly trying to get it to load -- I finally heard the windows audio after about 4 attempts and I have it up but I know if I put it back to sleep it will likely repeat the same pattern.

Cottonball,
I was just about to send you a response on my other machine that has the problem and it froze up after I came out of the BIOS settings looking for fast BIOS -- the cursor is just a spinning circle -- this is another one of the issues now when it freezes.

I was just typing that I do not think I have fast BIOS on the machine -- when I hit F2 key at startup and to BIOS it shows External (this is where it froze) Devices and Network options under the BIOS setting -- both of them are disabled.

I am going to have to power off that other machine to get it to restart. Additionally, when it came out of the BIOS upon hitting F10 to save/exit it went to a screen similar to safe mode before bringing up the normal Windows 10 "do you like this screen" screensavers with the logon. I do not know why it does that safe mode without me prompting it to do that.

Regardless, there does not seem to be a Fast BIOS option of the Sony VAIOs E Series machines.

Cottonball or anyone out there,
Can someone please assist me with this problem? I cannot use the computer because I cannot get it to respond now even when I power it off and back on -- HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Do I need to start another thread? Someone please advise..........

I just tried to power if off after sending the response and I got a BSOD then upon it restarting I got a message saying "A disk read error occurred, Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart". Pressing "Ctrl+Alt+Del" took me to "Preparing Automatic Repair" followed by "Windows Defender Offline" in safe mode running a scan and the PC froze up again after 7:37 into the scan (about 95% complete). I tried to cancel the scan but the PC would not respond so I had to power if off and got a blue Recovery screen saying "There was a problem with a device connected to your PC, an unexpected I/O error has occurred. Error Code: 0xc00000e9. This problem can happen when a removable storage device is removed while it's in use or failing. Properly connecting any removable storage and restarting your PC may fix this problem. Press Enter to try again, Press F8 for Startup Settings"

When I press F8 it just takes me back to the same screen and the same with Enter. So I powered it off and tried again. There was no external device attached to the pc and has not been since I began having the problems that sent me to this forum. If I can get this thing to come on I will try to send a log but I cannot get to the login screen even when I get the windows wallpaper.