PC Running slow, now doesn't boot into Windows after restart.

[aferrick]

Yesterday I was using my computer as normal, playing some Overwatch, downloading a mod for Witcher 3, when it started to act really strangely slow.

My CPU usage was near 100% but from Task Manager there were no programs open that had high usage. Spotify wouldn't load a playlist and the current playing song wouldnt pause for a long while after I clicked the button. I tried to rename the RPCS3 emulator exe file in 7-zip but the renaming process was taking several minutes.

I figured I'd restart my computer, but the boot to Windows was slow and stalling at the spinning wheel, before attempting to repair a drive after ~10 minutes of waiting. I haven't been able to successfully boot into Windows since the restart yesterday.

I'm currently trying to reinstall windows. Is this a software or hardware problem?

My PC specs:
i5-3570k was OC to 4.2GHz, but I reverted to stock clock in bios.
24GB DDR3-1600
250GB SSD With Windows
2TB HDD for storage
GTX 1070
XFX 650W bronze

 

[VirtualLarry]

Which version of Windows? Sounds like one of your drives might be going out.

 

[aferrick]

Which version of Windows? Sounds like one of your drives might be going out.

Turns out it was my HDD. I ended up formatting my SSD and reinstalling Windows, only to find out it was the other drive causing the problem. Any way to recover the files on there? I'd like to get my music and documents, but I can't boot into windows while it's connected.

Edit: Windows 10 Education now, not sure what it was before.

 

[denis280]

Did you disconnect the 2tb hdd when performing the new installation???

 

[Torn Mind]

Your HDD is at the end of its line and probably needs to be handed to a professional to recover the files. Now, it's a matter if the files you had were disposable xor precious. If it is the latter, you will need to pony up the dough.

 

[GoStumpy]

I built a computer for a friend back in ~2011-2012, and just last week I upgraded him to my old Mobo/CPU/GPU/Case and reused his old PSU & HDD.

Last night he said when they went to turn it on, it said "CMOS ERROR" or something, then when you get past that, it goes to Windows10 "Starting Automatic Repair" but never does anything or changes....

Could it be the HDD? I don't understand why it would do it now unless it's just coincidence, and damnit this is why I don't do computer stuff for friends, cuz now I'm stuck troubleshooting this damn thing!

Any thoughts?

 

[JimKiler]

Did you disconnect the 2tb hdd when performing the new installation???

That drives me nuts. I hate having to do that when installing Windows 10 on PC's. I should be able to set the boot drive and all that from the install.

 

[GoStumpy]

Turns out my issue was a failing PSU!

Put another HDD in the PC and it still wouldn't work, hooked up a different PSU and it worked just fine! Weird!