I connected an older 4 TB hard drive to my Windows PC to see whether I could reuse it. It appeared to be completely unusable—another device reported 0 KB—and while it was connected, the computer became so slow that it would not even reach the BIOS reliably. I have since disconnected the drive, but Windows still feels extremely slow. The desktop background is missing, the mouse pointer is roughly three times its normal size and looks distorted or curved, and some windows appear to leave visual trails or ghosting. Virus scans have not found anything. What should I check to restore Windows to normal, and could this be caused by a recent update or damaged system files?
4 Answers
The oversized pointer may simply be an accessibility setting. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch, then restore the pointer size and style. Also check Settings > Accessibility > Contrast themes and make sure Magnifier is off. Those settings can explain the cursor and missing-looking background, although they would not normally explain severe overall slowness.
First confirm that the failed drive is completely disconnected, including any USB adapters or power cables. Do not open or attempt to repair a hard drive internally; the platters and heads are extremely sensitive, and a drive that reports no usable capacity should be treated as failed. If Windows is still slow without it, check Task Manager for unusually high disk usage and run a health check on your remaining system drive.
If the symptoms began immediately after Windows restarted or installed an update, the failing drive may be unrelated. Check Windows Update history and install any available fixes. You can also try System File Checker and DISM from an elevated Command Prompt, then restart: run `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth`, followed by `sfc /scannow`. Back up important files first, and consider System Restore or removing the recent update if the problem started right after it.
Look at the graphics side too. A huge or distorted cursor, visual trails, and a missing background can indicate a display-driver problem or Windows falling back to a basic display mode. Reinstall the graphics driver from the computer or GPU manufacturer, and check whether the issue also appears in Safe Mode. If it does, test the monitor cable and display, then run Windows Memory Diagnostic and check the system drive’s health.
The drive is removed now. I did not open the drive itself—I only disconnected it from the computer after trying to detect and format it.