My PC froze unexpectedly, so I powered it off. Since then, it will not boot into Windows and only takes me to BIOS or Automatic Repair. System Restore fails without changing anything, and Safe Mode will not start either. In the recovery Command Prompt, I tried running chkdsk /f, but Windows says it cannot access the drive because it is locked or otherwise unavailable. I am considering buying a replacement PC, but I would like to know whether this can still be repaired, how to check the drive's health, and whether I can recover or transfer my files to another computer.
2 Answers
Before replacing the whole computer, check the storage drive’s health. Run the drive’s S.M.A.R.T. diagnostic from the BIOS or hardware diagnostics menu if your system provides one. You can also try running chkdsk from an elevated recovery environment, although it may fail if the drive is locked, encrypted, disconnected, or beginning to fail. If the drive is detected but reports errors, back up your files immediately and plan to replace it. A USB Windows installer or recovery drive can also help you access repair tools and copy important files.
A drive appearing in BIOS does not prove that it is healthy. It only means the motherboard can detect the device. An M.2 drive can still have corrupted file-system data or be failing while remaining visible there. If the drive is detected, try connecting it to another working computer with a suitable USB enclosure or adapter and copy the important files. If it is not readable, stop repeated repair attempts and use a recovery service or a bootable Linux environment, since continued use can make data recovery harder.
The recovery Command Prompt says it is running as administrator, but chkdsk still cannot read the drive. I am going to create a Windows installation USB and will also look for the S.M.A.R.T. test in the BIOS diagnostics.