I connected an old 4 TB hard drive to my Windows PC to see whether I could reuse it. The drive appeared unusable—my PlayStation reported 0 KB free out of 4 TB—and while it was connected, the computer became so slow that it would not even reach the BIOS. I have now completely removed the drive, and no cleanup or formatting attempt worked.
Windows still does not look normal: the desktop background is missing, the mouse pointer is roughly three times its usual size and appears distorted or curved, and the whole computer remains extremely slow. Virus scans have not found anything. Could the failed drive have damaged Windows, or might this be caused by a Windows update or accessibility setting? What should I check to get the system back to normal?
4 Answers
If these visual problems started immediately after a restart or Windows update, the update may be unrelated to the failed drive. Check Windows Update history and uninstall the most recent update if the option is available. You can also try System Restore, if restore points were enabled.
The oversized or strangely shaped pointer may simply be an accessibility setting. Open Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch, then restore the pointer size and style. Also check Settings > Accessibility > Contrast themes and Personalization > Background to restore the desktop appearance.
First, make sure the defective drive is fully disconnected, including any USB adapters or extra power cables. A failing hard drive can repeatedly cause Windows to wait for timeouts, but removing it should stop that. If the PC is still slow afterward, check Task Manager for a process using excessive disk or CPU time and run Windows in Safe Mode to see whether the problem continues.
Because the machine is still very slow with the bad disk removed, run Windows repair checks from an elevated Command Prompt: `sfc /scannow`, followed by `DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth`. Also check the remaining system drive's health and back up important files. If Windows remains damaged, an in-place repair install or clean reinstall may be safer than continuing to troubleshoot.
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