Can't repair Windows 8.1; drive locked

[scwtlover]

I recently built a system with a new CPU (A6-6400K Richland\), mb (GIGABYTE GA-F2A88X-D3H FM2+), RAM (G.Skill Ripjaws X 2x4GB DDR3-2133); boot drive (Mushkin Enhanced Chonos 128GB SSD) , and PSU (Corsair CX500M 80 Plus Bronze), and other parts, e.g., the case, from the build it replaces. On it, I intalled Windows 8.1 64 bit.

Yesterday evening, a Malwarebytes showed a number of PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs), specifically, PUP.Optional.OpenCandy, PUP.Optional.Conduit, and PUP Optional.Conduit.a. Within Malwarebytes, I selected each item for removal.After Malwarebytes reported that they all had been removed, I rebooted.

Instead of rebooting to Windows 8.1, however, it eventually went to a screen asking me to select a keyboard language. After selecting U.S. English, it went to a screen with various options, including refreshing (which preserves existing files) and recreate (which does not).

I can't refresh or restore because it reports that the Windows drive is locked and I need to, but cannot, select the Windows 8.1. installation.

I tried booting to the Windows 8.1 installation DVD. It booted instead to the Windows desktop. I created a system restore point, having discovered that system restore had not been enabled. But when I rebooted I was back to the keyboard selection screen. I again rebooted to the the DVD drive. This time the install screen came up. Having now tried it several times, about half the time it goes to the desktop; the other half it goes to install.

The system and Windows 8.1 install being relatively new, there's not much data on C:, and I've copied it all to D:. If I reinstall Windows, I'll just have to reinstall several programs. But before doing so, I wonder whether there's a solution that saves me that effort.

Relatedly, how large a USB thumb drive do I need to create a bootable backup? I thought I had created a recovery USB on a 1GB drive, but it proved useless.

TIA

 

[Matt1970]

I would try disabling secure boot in the BIOS. However if you can get it to boot into windows you may want to try a refresh of your PC which should leave your files and programs intact.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

 

[Ketchup]

This can happen quite a bit with Antivirus programs, but the first I have heard of it with a general anti-malware program. Specifically, Malwarebytes most likely found an infected Windows file it couldn't clean, so it removed it. Since you didn't have a restore point before this happened, not much can be done at this point.

Not that a working restore point would have necessarily helped. If left there for long, these nasty critters work their way into previous restore points anyway.

Best thing to do at this point is to backup, format, and reinstall Windows.

 

[sm625]

I cant believe windows 8 is so fragile and failure prone. You'd think somewhere in that 20GB of wasted space, they could create a certain acceptable level of redundancy and failure protection. This is a company that screams to be out of business.

 

[scwtlover]

I would try disabling secure boot in the BIOS. However if you can get it to boot into windows you may want to try a refresh of your PC which should leave your files and programs intact.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/restore-refresh-reset-pc

Perhaps I wasn't sufficiently clear, but I can't refresh. Instead, I get the following error message: "The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again." I'm looking for a solution or work-around to this problem to avoid having to reinstall.

When I'm back home, I'll look into disabling secure boot. What should I expect, or hope, it to accomplish?

 

[scwtlover]

This can happen quite a bit with Antivirus programs, but the first I have heard of it with a general anti-malware program. Specifically, Malwarebytes most likely found an infected Windows file it couldn't clean, so it removed it. Since you didn't have a restore point before this happened, not much can be done at this point.

Not that a working restore point would have necessarily helped. If left there for long, these nasty critters work their way into previous restore points anyway.

Best thing to do at this point is to backup, format, and reinstall Windows.

IIRC, the Malwarebytes report did not identify an infected Windows file. Indeed, my understanding is that PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) are not themselves viruses.

Is it likely that, in deleting the files identified in its report, Malwarebytes would have deleted some additional reports?

If, when I'm home, I find, as I expect, that the Malwarebytes log was saved, and if it does include one ore more Windows files, is it worth trying to copy it, or them, back onto my system?

 

[Matt1970]

Perhaps I wasn't sufficiently clear, but I can't refresh. Instead, I get the following error message: "The drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again." I'm looking for a solution or work-around to this problem to avoid having to reinstall.

When I'm back home, I'll look into disabling secure boot. What should I expect, or hope, it to accomplish?

You didn't mention you tried from within windows which is different than booting to the recovery.

 

[Matt1970]

I cant believe windows 8 is so fragile and failure prone. You'd think somewhere in that 20GB of wasted space, they could create a certain acceptable level of redundancy and failure protection. This is a company that screams to be out of business.

If anything was going to drive them out of business it would have been Vista or Millennium. They can pretty much go along doing whatever they want.

 

[Torn Mind]

http://dotsisteam.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/the-drive-where-windows-is-installed-is.html?m=1


Might have something to with Fast Startup. Disable it when you get Windows working again. http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html

 

[piasabird]

I consider Win 8 to be a toy. Very similar to vista.

It is quite possible this is a problem with Malware Bytes. Never used that myself. Is that a legitimate program or is it just a product sold by spammers and Virus people.

 

[scwtlover]

You didn't mention you tried from within windows which is different than booting to the recovery.

Among other things, I wrote:

I tried booting to the Windows 8.1 installation DVD. It booted instead to the Windows desktop. I created a system restore point, having discovered that system restore had not been enabled. But when I rebooted I was back to the keyboard selection screen. I again rebooted to the the DVD drive. This time the install screen came up. Having now tried it several times, about half the time it goes to the desktop; the other half it goes to install.

I apologize, if this wasn't sufficiently clear.

Regardless, since you now know I can get into Windows 8.1, do you have a constructive suggestion?

 

[Virgorising]

This can happen quite a bit with Antivirus programs, but the first I have heard of it with a general anti-malware program. Specifically, Malwarebytes most likely found an infected Windows file it couldn't clean, so it removed it. Since you didn't have a restore point before this happened, not much can be done at this point.

Not that a working restore point would have necessarily helped. If left there for long, these nasty critters work their way into previous restore points anyway.

Best thing to do at this point is to backup, format, and reinstall Windows.

Brilliant postulation!!!!