I'm having trouble with a newly built Windows PC that worked normally for about a week. After starting it today, no applications will open—not even a browser, Discord, Task Manager, or the weather panel in the taskbar. I also can't shut the computer down normally and have to unplug it. The problem happened once before but seemed to resolve itself. It started again shortly after I installed the driver for an XP-Pen Artist 12 drawing tablet. The builder checked something inside the PC and thought overheating might be involved, but the issue remains. Is there a way to diagnose or fix this without taking the computer back to the store?
3 Answers
A clean Windows installation is another option. Create a bootable Windows USB from another computer, reinstall the operating system, and then install the motherboard, graphics, and tablet drivers one at a time. If the problem returns after a particular driver, you’ll have a strong clue about what caused it.
Try starting Windows in Safe Mode and uninstalling the tablet driver, since the problem appeared right after it was installed. If Task Manager also refuses to open, though, the issue may be deeper than a single application. At that point, having the store inspect the system is probably the safest option.
Before reinstalling everything, you could also try the Windows recovery environment and use Startup Repair, System Restore, or Safe Mode. Avoid repeatedly unplugging the PC if possible, since that can corrupt files; use the power button only if the system is completely unresponsive.
Task Manager won’t open either, so I may have to take it back in and hope it isn’t an expensive repair.