I've run into a major issue with my PC. After messing around with file permissions in an attempt to delete a stubborn file, I removed a lot of permissions—now the taskbar is gone. In my panic, I force shut down the computer, and now when I boot it up and log in, I just get a black screen. Safe mode doesn't help either. I'm not really tech-savvy and I'm worried I could have really messed things up. I have important files on this computer and I really want to avoid a complete reset. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
Honestly, if you're not comfortable troubleshooting, taking it to a professional is probably your best bet. If you're feeling adventurous, you could use two USB drives: one to create a Linux live disk to back up your files, and another for a Windows installer. Just be aware, this can take a bit of time if you haven't done it before. Also, if you have BitLocker, make sure to have your decryption key handy because you'll need it. Otherwise, you could lose your data.
Have you thought about using a restore point? If that doesn't work, it might be a good idea to back up your important files using a USB drive and then reinstall Windows. Just a heads up, messing with system files can lead to problems, so it's best to be cautious next time!
I tried using a restore point but got an 'access denied' error. I should have mentioned that in my post.
Thanks for the detailed response! I think I will just take it to a shop since I don't have the right hardware to fix this myself.