I've got a Dell PC, but I'm not really sure of the exact model. Everything was running smoothly until recently when I deleted some files to free up storage. Now my screen just shows a beige-reddish color, and when I try to boot into Windows, it doesn't do anything. Oddly enough, Linux works just fine on it. I've tried booting Windows in safe mode several times and ran the DISM and sfc /scannow commands, but they say nothing's wrong. I've also done about nine hard restarts, but I'm still stuck. Since this is my first PC (I've only used laptops before), I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed and need to figure this out because I need to access Windows for work tomorrow morning.
4 Answers
Do you have a multi-boot setup with different operating systems? Also, what specific files did you delete? Knowing if they were essential can help narrow down the issue.
You might need to consider reinstalling Windows if you're in a hurry. It's a bit of a hassle, but it could be your best bet to get back up and running quickly.
It sounds like you're not quite sure what's causing the issue or how to perform a startup repair. If things look grim, you could remove the hard drive and connect it to another PC with a USB SATA adapter. There are also many free bootable USB tools available online that can assist with repairing or scanning your drive.
If you have a legitimate Windows disc, you could try running a "startup repair". It might fix issues preventing the system from booting.
I think I do? Usually, I switch to Windows each time I restart. As for the files, I honestly can't remember what I deleted. Just that I deleted something significant when it all went wrong. My network was acting up just before this too. I suspect it was related to an app, but it took up over 300 GB of space, so I'm really not sure. When I checked in safe mode, the recycle bin was empty, so that doesn't help much. Sorry if that's not very useful!