I have a Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF with an i5-3470, GTX 1080, and 16GB of RAM. I've had Windows installed on a 2.5-inch SSD, and everything was running smoothly until earlier today. While playing Beat Saber, my PC crashed unexpectedly. I didn't catch whether it was a BSOD because I was in VR, but I figured it was just a one-time glitch. When I restarted, everything seemed fine for a bit, and I played another couple of hours. However, when I tried to map a level, it BSOD'd again without warning. Now, the boot process hangs at the Dell logo, and I've waited over 10 minutes without it starting up. Luckily, I have Ubuntu installed on another drive for the time being, but I'm really worried about my SSD possibly being corrupted. Is there a way to fix this?
6 Answers
Could it be related to an optional update that has been reportedly breaking SSDs? It’s something to consider.
Check if your main drive is still visible in the UEFI BIOS. If it is, that's a good sign. If not, it could indicate a more serious issue with the drive.
You might have been able to fix this issue sooner by repairing your Windows installation. Download the latest Windows from Microsoft and create a USB drive for the repair. About how long have you had your PC? Considering the CPU is older, the drive could be nearing the end of its life, but it might just be a corruption from the crash. What exactly did the error screen say?
To troubleshoot the BSOD issue, start by checking for dump files. If you can access Windows in Safe Mode, look in C:WindowsMinidump for any crash logs. If you find them, zip them up and upload them to a file-sharing site. Multiple dump files help identify the cause better. You can also follow guides to set your Windows to create small memory dumps going forward if you don’t have any yet.
I’d love to help you fix the issue with something like SpinRite, but honestly, switching to Linux might turn out to be the better choice!
One option you have is to create a USB installation media. Boot from the USB after plugging in your drive and try reinstalling Windows. If the SSD is indeed failing, they’re pretty affordable nowadays—like a terabyte for around $30. It might not be such a big deal if you need a new one.
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