I need some urgent help with my computer. After logging in, I only see a black screen, and I can't connect to Wi-Fi. I was trying to mess with permissions in order to delete a file that wouldn't budge, and I accidentally removed permissions from almost everything except my user account. Then my taskbar disappeared, which made me panic. I ended up holding the power button to turn it off, and now this black screen happens every time I start up my computer. Safe mode doesn't work either. I'm not very tech-savvy and I'm worried I've messed things up badly. I really don't want to do a complete reset since I have important files that I need to keep.
2 Answers
If you're not comfortable troubleshooting, it might be best to take your PC to a professional. However, if you want to try, you'll need two USB drives. First, you can create a Linux live disk on another computer and boot from it to copy your files to one of the USBs. Then, make a Windows installer disk with the Media Creation Tool. Once you've backed up your data, you can wipe and reinstall Windows. It might sound complicated, especially if it's your first time, but it’s doable! Just make sure to note if you have BitLocker enabled, as you'll need that decryption key to access your files.
You might want to try using a restore point if you can. Just remember what changes you made before this happened. If that doesn't work, consider backing up your files and reinstalling Windows via a USB stick. Lesson learned: it’s best not to fiddle with system files unless you know what you're doing!
I attempted to use a restore point, but it said access was denied. I should've mentioned that in my post, sorry!
Thanks for the detailed breakdown! I think I’ll take it to a shop since I don’t have the hardware or skills to fix this myself. I appreciate the help!