My Windows installation seems badly damaged. The antivirus service is using a lot of RAM and repeatedly quarantining files from my games as malware, even though they appear to be legitimate. I have to disable real-time protection to launch some games, and they sometimes close unexpectedly anyway. Windows updates fail, downloading or creating Windows installation media fails with an error code, and System File Checker reports corrupted files but cannot repair them. I'm running out of ideas and need to know whether this can be repaired or if I should reinstall Windows. I'm currently using an older laptop to create installation media, although it's very slow.
1 Answer
The safest option may be a clean reinstall. Use another computer that works properly to create a bootable Windows USB, start the affected computer from that USB, delete or format the Windows system partitions, and install Windows again. Back up any important personal files first, but scan them carefully so you don’t carry malware or damaged files over to the new installation. The exact error codes would also help diagnose the problem before wiping anything.
I’m using my old laptop to create the installation media now. It’s slow, but I hadn’t considered using another computer until now.