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I need help with a fucked hard drive. I was going through some custom third party themes on windows 10 (none of which were working properly), then got to one which froze my shit. I had two monitors, one of which just had that 'applying theme' screen up permanently, and all PC functions became unusable. I couldn't do anything, couldn't click start, couldn't click taskbar, control+alt+delete didn't work etc. So I just powered it down and turned it back on a few times but I just got the same thing. Funnily, the theme wallpaper applied but nothing works. I can boot to the desktop but I have the exact same aforementioned problems, including right click to display or screen resolution just comes up with 'file can't be accessed' or something.
Is there anything I can do? I'm fairly sure I can clean reset through boot menu but that is absolutely not an option because I need my files. Is there a way of reinstalling windows 10, or returning it to its default state? I made a system restore point before I applied the theme but obviously since I can't access anything I can't actually use it. Is there another way to do so? Surely if I can actually boot up then there's something I can do. I'm probably going to end up sending it somewhere to be repaired anyway.
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>>301607
>>>/g/
But to save you the trouble, assuming the HD is actually the problem, you are probably properly fucked.
Get new hard drive, reinstall windows.
Then get a USB hard drive enclosure (maybe ~$20), stick the broken hard drive inside, and plug that into your fresh computer. You'll probably be able to find any unique data in your \users folder.
But, since it might not be the hard drive, before you go through that rigmarole, try holding down F8 when Windows starts (think it's still F8 in Win 10). Try Safe Mode. Rescue what you can (stick it on a thumb drive, phone, or other external storage of your choosing), then do it again, and try the System Restore option. If that fails, try the revert to factory state / recovery partition option (or words that affect) if available. ...and if all that fails, return to the "properly fucked" scenario above.
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>>301607
You can use System Restore from the Windows install USB.
>>301618
Maybe read the OP a bit better?
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>>301632
Maybe you could read my post a bit better?
Not a lot of folks have a Windows install USB. F8, same menu (hopefully).
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>>301634
Sadly, F8 doesn't work in Windows 10.
Stupidly, there is no way to get to Safe Mode or the Recovery options, without first getting into the system normally, unless, yes, you have a recovery USB - which, yes, most people do not.
http://www.digitalcitizen.life/4-ways-boot-safe-mode-windows-10
(Long story short, if you can, boot up, hold Shift while selecting Restart from the Start Menu.)
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>>301663
how did you install win10 in the first place? disk?
do you still have it?
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>>301684
I had to upgrade from windows 8 for reasons.
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>>301634
You can just make one out of any USB using the free Windows 10 Media Creation Tool (google it).
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>>301663
If the disk does work, just install Windows 10 off the USB. It'll put all your files in \windows.old\users\
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>>301663
Also you can boot off the installer and press shift-f10 for a command prompt.
The drive letters will be different, but all your drives will be there.
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>>301704
If he can get to his internet.
>>301705
>>301708
>>301684
Most people who aren't /g/ get a computer with the OS pre installed. This usually does not entail having ever installed Windows 10, or having the USB.
Granted, these days, folks tend to have more than one internet capable device, or at least know someone else that can snag the same for them, but...
If he can boot, at all, why the hell would you tell him to use some USB key he may not have? I mean, why would you even fish it out, when you can just hold shift and click the damn Power icon.
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>>301750
Doesn't fucking matter. Microsoft sells product keys, and gives out the installation media for free, and gives you a free wizard to write it.
When you install it on a computer that came with windows, the installer gets your product key out the BIOS and types it in for you without you having to do anything. When you install it on a computer that's ever been upgraded to Windows 10, the installer recognises your hardware and redownloads your license straight from Microsoft without you having to do anything.
How can you not know this?
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>>301750
>why the hell would you tell him to use some USB key he may not have? I mean, why would you even fish it out, when you can just hold shift and click the damn Power icon.
Because he's themed Windows, which involves disabling file protection and patching the kernel.
Because if your windows is that fucked, there's no guarantee that it can get to safe mode, and no point in finding out when you can just boot the installer and know it won't be fucky.
Because a clean recovery environment should be your first resort if Windows is fucky. All you do is run a single wizard and give it a $5 memory stick.
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>>301750
>If he can boot, at all, why the hell would you tell him to use some USB key he may not have?
my machine came with win7 installed, and i made a point about buying the install disk as well. it's been useful whenever i had to to a repair, and i thought maybe OP could do this.
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