I've got an All-in-One (AIO) computer that I want to repurpose, but about six years ago, I accidentally downloaded a bunch of trojans and viruses, rendering the system completely unusable. It boots to a black screen, and there's loud noise coming from it, so I can't access anything, including the BIOS. Is there any way to delete Windows without being able to access the BIOS or performing any troubleshooting on the machine?
3 Answers
If you're able to get it working just enough, you could boot from a live Linux USB or DVD to access and wipe the hard drive. This doesn't require BIOS access, but you’d still need some way to get it to boot from USB. It’s tricky since your system is pretty unresponsive, but it's worth considering if you can manage it.
It sounds like you're in a tough spot with that AIO. If you're unable to access BIOS, your options may be pretty limited due to a POST issue. Here are a few things you can try:
1. Disconnect the power from the system, press and hold the power button for about 30 seconds to reset it.
2. Check if your system has a CMOS jumper on the motherboard to reset the BIOS settings.
3. If you're comfortable with it, open up the computer and disconnect the hard drive plus any expansion cards, then try booting without them.
If none of these help, your computer might be more damaged than it seems.
The beeping sounds usually indicate a hardware issue, often related to the GPU. You might want to check the motherboard manual, which usually explains what different beep sequences mean. Are you using a dedicated graphics card or just the integrated graphics? It’s possible that could be part of the problem.
How would I even reach the boot menu without accessing the BIOS though? That seems impossible right now.