Windows is broken, again...

[tomerl]

So a week ago my Windows 10 decided to break on me after around 1 week time. What happened was the following, it would take forever to load up after logging in my user. And after 15 minutes of waiting I'd have to wait another million years to be able to open whatever it was, but as soon as it was done loading it was smooth like butter. So I decided to back all my stuff up and reinstall Windows. This time is different though!

 

• Windows Start button is broken, does not open when I click it although if right clicked I can select the option to open Control Panel (which doesn't open for a while but I'll get to that) and shut down my PC
• When I try to open file explorer or start a program from the search bar it'll take minutes, many of those to actually start, if it does at all!
• And last but not least of the relevant features, I cannot open pictures and after right clicking on video files and selecting "open with" explorer decides to crash...

 

I honestly have no idea, the first time it happened I assumed it was a virus but I'm starting to doubt that as I've never had "big issues" with it, other than the odd one that had adware and changed my DNS to hide itself.

 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

[TetraSky]

HDD or RAM issue if you keep have such issues with windows even after re-installing it.

[tomerl]

HDD or RAM issue if you keep have such issues with windows even after re-installing it.

 

Anyway to diagnose and have a concrete idea of which one it is?

 

I have bought an HDD for expansion but that was a day before I left for a month and a half and one I came back my windows 7 was working fine with it.

[TetraSky]

Anyway to diagnose and have a concrete idea of which one it is?

 

I have bought an HDD for expansion but that was a day before I left for a month and a half and one I came back my windows 7 was working fine with it.

For the RAM, run memtest for at least 12 hours. (I personally like to just run prime95 on Blend with all the available RAM in it, generally find ram issues quicker, by available ram I mean you max ram minus whatever Windows is using, you can see it in the task manager)

For the HDD (Or SSD), the manufacturers should have diagnostic tools available. Like Data Lifeguard from WD or Seatools from Seagate.

[tomerl]

For the RAM, run memtest for at least 12 hours. (I personally like to just run prime95 on Blend with all the available RAM in it, generally find ram issues quicker, by available ram I mean you max ram minus whatever Windows is using, you can see it in the task manager)

For the HDD (Or SSD), the manufacturers should have diagnostic tools available. Like Data Lifeguard from WD or Seatools from Seagate.

 

After running both tests they have concluded that there are no errors on my primary drive, nor my RAM. I might try and do another fresh install and install things slowly to try and work out whether there is any malicious software.

[GoodBytes]

When you re-install your system, the first thing you should do, beside update Windows, is to test it that all is good. If all is good, now install the remaining drivers missing (if any), and test again. All good? Great, now install your base core software. All is good? Yes great. Now install each software one by one by testing.