My laptop has started booting into Windows Recovery unless it is connected to power during startup. More recently, clicking the taskbar produced an error saying that a Windows DLL was missing or improperly installed. I tried using the built-in factory reset, but Windows would not allow it. The command prompt also required my recovery key before I could continue, and the reset still failed afterward. I can reach the desktop homepage, but most other functions are inaccessible. I am preparing a Windows installer on a USB drive, but I am wondering whether installing Linux would be a better option. I mainly use the laptop for gaming and am concerned that restoring files from the current system could carry the problem into a new installation.
5 Answers
Malware is one possible explanation, but these symptoms are also consistent with damaged Windows system files or a storage problem. Existing antivirus software does not completely rule malware out, so scan from a trusted bootable recovery tool if needed, but test the SSD and protect your files before assuming the operating system is the only issue.
If you can still access Windows settings, disabling Fast Startup is worth trying, since it can cause confusing startup behavior. However, because you cannot reliably reach the settings and are seeing missing-system-file errors, a clean reinstall may be more practical after checking the drive and saving your data.
Before reinstalling anything, back up important files while you still can. The symptoms could be file corruption, a failing SSD, or another hardware problem, and reinstalling Windows or Linux will not fix a drive that is beginning to fail. A Linux live USB can be useful for copying files if Windows becomes unusable.
Check the laptop's storage health before choosing an operating system. Use the manufacturer's pre-boot diagnostics from the BIOS or boot menu, and inspect the drive's SMART information with a tool such as smartctl from the smartmontools package. A graphical disk utility on a Linux live USB may also show the drive's status. Keep in mind that some newer NVMe drives do not report every health value reliably, so diagnostics are useful too.
I tried running smartmontools from Windows, but it returned a “class not registered” error. That does not necessarily prove the SSD is bad; I may need to run the tool from a proper boot environment or use the laptop manufacturer's diagnostics instead.
You can try Linux without installing it. Create a bootable USB for a beginner-friendly distribution such as Linux Mint or Kubuntu, boot into the live session, and test the keyboard, display, Wi-Fi, files, and hardware. It can also help you recover files from the Windows partition. If you do install Linux, verify the ISO and make sure your backups are stored somewhere separate first.
I was worried that backing up the system might bring the problem into a new install, but I may mainly copy personal files rather than the entire old installation. I also suspect the SSD could be involved.