I have an Acer Nitro V15 running Windows 11, and I recently lost access to my C: drive. I can't run applications like Command Prompt, PowerShell, or even Paint, which gives me a 'Network Error' message. However, I can still access programs outside of the C: drive, like Chrome and Microsoft Edge. I've tried the usual Windows repair steps like 'sfc /scannow', DISM, and resetting my PC, but nothing has worked. I even created a new user profile and that didn't fix the problem either. I'm starting to think it might be an SSD issue, but I'm not particularly tech-savvy and I'm not sure what to do next.
2 Answers
It sounds like you're dealing with a pretty serious problem. If you suspect malware, it's smart to back up any important data right away, just in case it's a hardware issue with your SSD. You might need to wipe your disk and do an OS restore using an installer flash drive made from another computer if it turns out to be a virus. Have you tried booting into safe mode to run a malware scanner?
Before diving into SSD checks, I'd recommend making sure you've backed up anything important. If you're unable to take screenshots due to the issues, you could try documenting error messages or behaviors while running from the programs you can access. If it’s malware, you might have to wipe the drive and reinstall Windows, but if it’s hardware failure, you want to act fast to avoid losing data.

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