Most bizarre crash screen I've seen since the AVG check!
Most bizarre crash screen I've seen since the AVG check!
"Your PC/Device needs repair because the app or OS couldn't load due to a missing or corrupted file. File: Windows\system32\winload.efi Error code: 0xc0000225." Once I restarted, it changed slightly but stayed consistent.
However, when I powered down and restarted from that state, everything worked. Then, while waking up from hibernation, the machine was completely off. Trying to power it on again led to a boot prompt asking for keyboard selection before warning of a repair need. Despite all attempts, none of the Windows Recovery options helped.
I suspected an issue with my UEFI partition and attempted several recovery steps: chkdsk, bootrec commands, DISM cleanup, and a full health restore. These efforts yielded mixed results—sometimes I managed to boot, other times not.
Later, when I powered off the PC entirely and restarted from that point, it would boot normally. Still, scanning all drives revealed some inconsistencies. A deep scan on each drive took nearly two hours and found nothing, though it noted "unable to scan some files."
I scanned the C drive first, which triggered another blue screen. This time, when I exited BIOS, my boot device wasn't listed at all—my M.2 NVMe was missing. I tried using a USB drive with Windows installation media and rechecked DISKPART. Both showed the same problem: the drive wasn’t recognized.
Eventually, I powered off completely, waited a few seconds, then restarted. This time it booted into Windows without issues.
I’m puzzled by this behavior during scans or why certain drives become invisible until a full power cycle. Do you know of any similar experiences? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
Uninstalling AVG isn’t necessary; it’s often unnecessary and can create more problems than it solves. Many antivirus tools have turned into more of a scam or nuisance than protection. Windows Defender covers most needs, and an ad blocker in the browser is sufficient. Unless you’re dealing with torrenting, you’re unlikely to face major risks. With ad-block, you’re far less concerned about clicks, and unless you’re running torrents, your chances of trouble are minimal. I’ve noticed these antivirus programs sometimes brick devices, especially between 2015 and 2018 when scans could damage bootloaders or delete files, leading to conflicts that lock systems in place. Desktops are a bit trickier, but we didn’t encounter many cases during that period.
I attempted to perform an Extended Device Self-Test using the Crucial Storage Executive app on Windows, but the process stopped around the 20% mark. About an hour later, I opened the BIOS and noticed no boot drive was listed. It’s raising concerns about the Crucial - T700, especially since it’s only been a couple of weeks old.
I believe there’s some validity to what you’re experiencing. My Google account was compromised last year from something that ended up on my device. Windows Defender missed it, but AVG detected it after I installed it. Plus, the restart and missing boot drive during a Crucial Storage Executive Extended Device Self-Test suggest the drive could be faulty.
Exploring further, I installed CrystalDiskInfo to check the drive. Right away, the app shows a red status at 72°C, even with the big factory cooling fins on it! Online reports mention that the Crucial T700 Gen 5 SSD has thermal management challenges, especially with the controller and NAND. At 90°C, it shuts down automatically, so a power cycle is needed to fix things (your data stays safe). The note about AVG scans and self-tests likely increased the temperature. It’s unclear what to do now, but the large heat sink seems to be helping—maybe a restart won’t help, but a full shutdown followed by a restart works.