Windows 10: Can not repair, reset or re-install and it seems my data was wiped...

Hi,

I can't boot my computer. I initially had a horrible BSOD that claimed avgidsha.sys was the culprit. I renamed it and other av files; but still had problems.

Occasionally, I would be able to troubleshoot, but after losing that ability, I found out if I installed another OS I may be able to see the troubleshooter.

I installed Ubuntu. I had 41.6 GB space left, but accidentally set the bar all the way left to 41.9 GB. I do not know if this caused issues, but eventually I could no longer access my Windows files or boot either Ubuntu or Windows. Ubuntu said in order to mount Acer, I had to chkdsk. Eventually I downloaded the Windows Media Tool, put it on a DVD and was able to access the command-line--which I wasn't able to do prior. I chkdsk, relogged onto Ubuntu (hoping to salvage some files) only to find out I had no files to salvage.

I'd like to know how to repair this computer so I can boot Ubuntu or Windows (right now I am running a trial of Ubuntu). But also, I'd like to know if there is a way to recover my old drive--I'd rather not lose pictures of my baby or writings I've had over a BSOD. If it's possible to restore the drive while using Ubuntu, please inform me. I'd rather back up the data now then repair later--as I am locked out of Windows at the moment.

To wit, I'm told I can not reset my PC and I'm told that I can not install Windows because I started the PC with the media tool and if I start it without the media tool, I am given two options: Shut Down or Advanced Options. Only command line functions for me. In attempting to start a DVD . . . I am faced with the initial problem of starting the PC with a media tool.

Please help and thank you!

:)

 

Help! WM6 on Treo - Sort of Connect - No Synch

Nope. Hard reset did not wipe data.



But I am ok to wipe the data and re-install WM6, but I do not have WM6 install files.

 

Windows 10 Recovery drive

Can anyone tell me the difference between the Reset remove everything option and Recover on the recovery drive? It seems to me that both wipe everything and re-install (clean install) W10.

 

Hi vindor,

Welcome to the 10forums *Smile

First you need to delete or format the partition on which Ubuntu is installed, if you want to install Ubuntu again be careful when selecting the amount of space.

You should rename the files back to their original name, the avgidsha.sys is a driver from AVG. AVG is enabled in the boot process which is why a (re)boot won't help.
You'll need to temporary remove the program using the uninstaller *Arrow safe mode[/b].



Note A reinstallation shouldn't (yet) be necessary, if everything goes without any (or too much) trouble you'll be able to get back in Windows normally soon.

 

Hi!

Thank you for the response. I've messed up so much, I am timid as to how to start. I can not boot Windows, not even safe mode. So in Ubuntu, how should I format the Ubuntu partition? Is there a particular type I should format it into? I.e. Fat, ext4, ntfs, etc.

Worse, I no longer even have Windows/System32 let alone the drivers it had to rename. Is this a problem? It seems 250 GB was wiped from my computer.

Finally how do I use the SFC /scannow? I'll shut down my computer to attempt it--but it's my understanding that I no longer have avg--or anything for that matter.

Did the Ubuntu installation wipe my data? Will the reformatting recover it?

Thank you so much!!!

 

I reformmatted to NTFS. I then attempted SFC /scannow and I was informed that Windows Resource Protection could not perform this operation.

I also discovered that I have a Folder.000 . . . which although I can not see the files using Ubuntu, I've discovered that at least some of my old files are in there. Is that the case?

 

You can't format the partition of Ubuntu while in Ubuntu, you need toe media creation tool to format it.

NTFS.

No access to the system32 folder because it is deleted? That is very bad. You are now required to reinstall Windows.
See the next post for more information about reinstalling Windows.

You cannot use SFC, because it is located in system32 which you say is not present anymore.

Software installation like Ubuntu don't wipe anything.

A format deletes everything on the partition, it won't recover anything.

I don't know (much) about Folder.000... files/folders.



Warning Please do NOTHING anymore without proper instructions
I'm afraid you acccidentally make the situation worse what I would sincerely like to prevent.

 

PLEASE READ THIS POST CAREFULLY, ASK BEFORE TAKING ACTION!

With the current situation that system32 folder is deleted you cannot perform tasks that usually would help with repairing the system. This is because many important files are in the system32 folder, like the sfc.exe & dism.exe & chkdsk.exe files.

Assuming that the Ubuntu partition has been formatted and the partition is added to the Windows partition (C: usually), we can continue to install Windows.
After Windows has been reinstalled, many files would likely be present in the folder Windows.Old in the same folder.
If the files you want are on a different partition, they will stay intact.

Follow this tutorial for reinstalling Windows *Arrow Windows 10 - Clean Install - Windows 10 Forums.
Please do NOT perform the task yet, because the tutorial is about a clean installation. I will describe what you need to change below:
1. At step 10, click 'Upgrade', this won't delete any pictures or videos but move them to the Windows.Old folder,
2. At step 12 or 13, do NOT delete any partition. Choose what partition you want to install Windows on, nothing more,
3. If there are more than 1 hard drives connected, disconnect all but 1 hard drive BEFORE performing the installation. This is so Windows installs all partitions on 1 hard drive only.

 

Hi!

I am grateful for your help and your patience.

I tried to upgrade my Windows as you instructed me to, but I run into the same problem as before.

When I turn on my computer, I am faced with a "Automatic Repair" screen. It reads,

[An oddity given that I no longer have System32.]

Naturally, I click Advanced Options. It then asks me to make a choice between several options. There is:

I choose Use a Device, as Continue leads me back to the initial screen.

Then I have the choice between loading up the CDROM, the USB or the Network. I choose the CDROM as I have the Windows Installation Media Tool burned to the DVD.

It then reloads asking me to press any key. I do so.

I'm put into the installation where I am first asked to select a language. The default of English and US are already there. I click next.

Then I click Install. It tells me Set up is starting. I then accept the license and select Upgrade.

Then I get a Compatibility Report that reads,

No matter how many times I repeated this--trying, for instance, to start Windows with the DVD open then only putting the DVD as I select EFI DVD, I still am faced with this same screen.

I can admit that I disabled Secure boot but have no idea how to disable fast boot. If that is the crux of my issue, I'd be glad to know how to disable it. But as it stands, I am locked out of windows, with the exception of the Command Line. Can I disable fast boot with a command line?

Also, I am at a loss as to how I can partition the harddrive without Windows. Can I partition with a Command Line?

Thanks again!

 

powercfg -h off
That is the command to disable fast startup through command prompt.

If you read my posts carefully, it should give an idea of how to delete or format a partition outside any OS.
Using recovery media bootable from CD or UB, like the MCT (media creation tool), you boot from it, choose to install, continue until you reach the partition selection part and delete the partition on which Ubuntu was installed.
However, provided that you cannot go this far, we'll have to try another method. Currently I'm at my internship company so I cannot provide instructions for a possible method, I'll do so as soon as I'm home.

 

Hi

I attempted "powercfg -h off"

I received this message:

I did notice that if I reinstall ubuntu I have the option to resize Window's partition. Is that a route I should entertain? I.e. making the Windows partition larger via reinstalling Ubuntu into a much smaller size.

 

Depends on if the Windows partition has less than 15% free space of the size of the partition.
So if a partition is 100GB large, it should have at least 15GB of free space.

If the partition has more than 15% free space then you can leave it.

 

I find it hard to understand. My harddrive is 500 GB. Recently, my Windows took up 431 GB and my Ubuntu took up 37 GB. I removed the Ubuntu and extra and now my Windows is 483.9 GB. Do you mean that I should have 75 GB (15%) that is Free space--unused partition. Or is this 483.9 GB ok?

As it stands now, I run into the same problem as before. No data. And I can not run the installer from start up because of the Compatibility Report.

My Windows harddrive is 191 GB used and 292 GB. At this point I am preferential to recovering lost data. Thank you!

 

Use this link (goes to my onedrive) to download Macrium Recovery, a program I recommend and use myself very often.
In Macrium recovery, click the computer icon in the bottom 3rd from the left.
It opens a utility a little similar to Windows Explorer, from there you can copy and paste all data you want/need to recover *Smile

 

I am so grateful. Although what is the hotkey for the computer icon? I do not see a cursor, so I can't navigate anything. The only key I know to work is "Alt" which gives me the upper menu. Is my mouse supposed to be unresponsive? Is there a way to make the mouse responsive?

It's really a touchpad. Sorry that my computer seems to be so out of shape. I tried looking through macrium's user guide and troubleshoot, but I don't see anything about how to turn on my mouse. Do I need to buy a backup mouse?