My friend's Lenovo Thinkpad (Intel i7, 8+16GB) has been having serious issues. It frequently crashes and goes to a blue screen, sometimes several times a day. Recently, it started crashing just a few seconds after the login screen. We've noticed that the CPU usage spikes to 70-80% at startup, mainly due to 'Windows Anti-Malware', which has me suspecting malware. I've tried to enter Safe Mode, but whenever I select that option, it just restarts normally. Is there any way to resolve this if the laptop won't stay online for more than 20 seconds? I also noticed it seems more stable when plugged in, but the CPU usage remains high due to the anti-malware process.
2 Answers
If your main goal is either to rescue some files or wipe the system completely, I suggest booting from a Linux live USB. This way, the malware can’t affect you, and it lets you copy any important files safely to another USB drive. If wiping is what you decide, tools like GParted can help you remove all partitions and set up a fresh filesystem. Just keep in mind your friend might not want to lose the OS again, especially after the last wipe caused issues.
If you're trying to figure out the BSOD (blue screen of death) issues, you'll want to check for dump files. These are crash logs that can help diagnose what’s going wrong. If you can manage to boot into Windows normally or even Safe Mode, check the C:WindowsMinidump directory for any files. Zip them up and upload them somewhere like catbox.moe or mediafire, since these sites usually work better for sharing files without being blocked. Having multiple dump files is ideal, as it gives a clearer picture of what might be causing the crashes. Also, make sure to set up your system to create small memory dumps if you haven't already!
Got it, I'll check the Minidump folder first. Thanks for the tips!
Yeah, last time the Windows OS got wiped too and it was a hassle, thanks for the suggestion though!