Hey everyone, I've found myself in a bit of a pickle with my PC for the first time. I decided to install Kaspersky alongside Windows Defender to boost security. After installing it, Kaspersky flagged a trojan in the System32 folder, which I believe was a false positive and got quarantined. Shortly after that, Kaspersky did some updates, and I started experiencing issues with Chrome, plus a strange black rectangle showed up on my desktop.
In a panic, I ended up shutting down my PC using the power button. During shutdown, I saw several Windows system errors, and now when I turn my PC back on, my keyboard and mouse don't respond. I'm stuck on the Windows lock screen and can't log in at all. So far, I've tried removing the CMOS battery and accessing recovery mode, but no luck on either front. I'd really appreciate any help or guidance to get past this!
2 Answers
First, try turning off your power supply for about 30 seconds. After that, unplug all USB devices, plug them back in, and restart your PC. Make sure you have an active ethernet connection—this might help your computer reinstall the necessary drivers. If that doesn’t get you back into Windows, you might need to reinstall the entire operating system.
If all else fails, consider removing the SSD and putting in a new one with a fresh Windows installation. It’s a straightforward fix, especially if you’re not comfortable with troubleshooting further.
If I do need to reinstall, would I have to buy a new SSD, or can I just wipe my current one? I'm leaning towards just reinstalling Windows.