I was editing a document in an online writing tool called Ellipsus, which I've used without any problems before. After exporting my file and opening it through Adobe Reader, I decided to make some edits and exported it again. That's when things started going downhill. My taskbar disappeared, although I could still use Chrome since it was already open. I couldn't access Discord, but the person I was talking to could hear me. After closing Chrome, my desktop icons vanished, and my screen began flickering black every so often (I didn't keep track of how often).
I ran diagnostics online, and it showed that the Hard Drive/SSD Short DST Check failed, while everything else passed. I've tried hard resetting my laptop multiple times, but the same issues persist: the screen is flickering, my icons are missing, and I can't open the file window before it closes. I don't think it's a virus since I have antivirus software running, but the timing of these issues seems suspicious. I've had my HP Pavilion 15 Gaming Laptop since around 2019 or 2020, and I'm really worried about what's happening.
2 Answers
Looks like it's time for a new SSD! By the way, which antivirus are you using? You might want to ditch any third-party options—Windows Defender is actually really effective, based on my experience and what I've seen from others.
That Hard Drive/SSD Short DST Check failing is a big red flag. I recommend you use GSmartParted for an extended self-test to confirm your drive's status. But before doing anything else, make sure to back up your important data as soon as you can, if you haven't already!
I tried backing up my files to an SD card, but the file window keeps closing on me before I can do much.
I started using Avast about a month ago, and I think it's working pretty well. I'm on the free version.