I'm experiencing some problems with my PC.
I'm experiencing some problems with my PC.
Having problems with my PC 😢
I’m struggling to identify the exact problem. My system works fine most of the time, but then suddenly it stops functioning properly! Here are some details...
Issues
My PC freezes, the mouse moves slowly, and it feels heavy when trying to move across the screen
Screen flashes black briefly before returning to normal
The CMD prompt appears randomly on the screen – it flashes for a brief moment (occurs occasionally)
When I close a program, all my wallpaper disappears, icons vanish, and the PC becomes almost unusable without restarting
After a restart, fans speed up but the screen remains off, stuck in that state
During one incident, I opened Task Manager and dragged the screen, leaving a long trail across the entire display
(I attempted to upload an image, but it failed and suggested contacting support) – I’ll try again in the replies section)
I have a solid antivirus, ran multiple scans, and even performed a manual check of all files for anything unusual. The only suspicion is that a virus might be responsible, and I haven’t found any hardware faults so far...
What I’ve tried
- Running antivirus scans
- Reinstalling DDU / fresh installation
- Performing Windows CMD file repair /sfc Scan
I’m completely stuck and need guidance. This situation is really frustrating!
Thank you.
You're referring to using DDU and then performing a fresh GPU driver installation instead of a complete Windows reinstall. That makes sense. If that's the case, a thorough reset and new setup would likely be necessary.
That's exactly what I was aiming for—just removing the Graphics drivers and installing them again. I'm trying to prevent a full Windows reinstall because of data loss, and it feels like a malware problem too, so I might need to start fresh! Disappointing.
Would it make sense to retain the files? I'm unsure which ones are safe to keep given the uncertainty about potential infections...
Thanks for your reply.
If you kept files, then it wouldn't be a complete wipe.
You should already be backing up your important files as part of basic PC maintenance, but if you're not, this would be a solid reason to start. In general, the aim is to organize your PC so that a full Windows reinstall only takes a few hours of frustration.
Understood. I will completely erase and reinstall Windows from the beginning.
Do you think the problems resemble a virus? It's really annoying that nothing appears during scans. I've tried using R/kill, cutting off internet access, and running scans before.
I ran the Tron Script (reddit) cluster of AV programs again... still nothing.
I should have mentioned I discovered a program named "Qemu" on my PC.
It was never installed, which made it even more surprising.
Extremely frustrating, but I won't dwell on it. I'll just wipe everything clean for safety.
Thanks again.
I understand! I was sitting there, staring at my computer, wondering what was happening.
I've been certain something was wrong for a while now. I spent many hours manually checking my files, hoping to spot anything odd.
I did discover a Linux / Machine emulator that I hadn't installed before. It was named "Qemu."
It was unusual to find it since I had never seen it before.
Thanks for the advice. When I get home, I plan to wipe the PC and install a fresh Windows version.
Great suggestion and please adhere to the correct steps for installing Windows:
Disconnect all other drives except the C drive (Windows drive) and continue.
You aim for the entire Windows system to be on just one drive. Other drives are meant for data or programs only. Keeping them connected can cause issues as Windows may place its components there too! Not advisable.
Good luck
As others mentioned, disconnect all other drives.
Wipe all partitions and data from that drive during a clean installation.
After Windows starts up, check if you have internet access or if you need to install network drivers. If you have internet, let Windows update handle the installation of necessary drivers for your hardware. Ensure all other drives remain unplugged.
Once Windows is fully installed and functioning, test it thoroughly.