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Question

Help

Sep 25, 2014 7:35AM PDT

Hi

I have just recently moved into student accommodation, the other night I went to turn my desktop off but accidently put it into sleep mode (os running windows 8.1) and then it would not recover from. even after restarting it multiple times, searched a few forums and the only answer was to boot from BIOS or CMOS this said it would just boot normally, but it has deleted all software / games etc. there still there when I search in local disk c: under old.windows. and apparently the only point I can restore from was today! its also saying I now need to buy a new windows licence (yes I had a legit copy of windows) I'm not buying a new one, and also the usb 3.0 ports on front of the tower dont work at all. I really need this sorted asap as I need my pc to edit my uni work

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: help
Sep 25, 2014 8:21AM PDT

From a distance it's impossible to tell what's wrong, although it's clear something is wrong. So I would suggest you bring it to an local expert or repair shop to have a look at.

Luckily, you can edit your uni work on any PC or laptop (I assume the uni has some places for students to work) if it doesn't need to specialised software and if you have a recent backup. But hey, university students are knowledgeable enough to know about backup, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Kees

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Sep 25, 2014 8:33AM PDT

No it was specialised video editing software, basically I put my pc into sleep mode and its totally wiped the system and we had to go out and film some shots today and edit them overnight for an exhibition tomorrow morning so Im now ******!!! Thanks alot microsoft

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Not much has changed with PCs.
Sep 25, 2014 9:07AM PDT

Backup or learn why folk tell you to backup. I'm sure you've read about the stress detector in these things.

And chill. Microsoft didn't make your PC (unless you bought one of their new tablets.)
Bob

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Sep 25, 2014 9:48AM PDT

I did back it up but the system has deleted all backups and now it wont even boot up at all

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Ouch.
Sep 25, 2014 10:00AM PDT

Backups are to other devices and places. That way when disaster strikes, we are ready.

I can't see what you see but it could be as simple as a loose drive/power cable to as bad as a failed drive.
Bob

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Strange.
Sep 25, 2014 10:30PM PDT

First you say you see your "software/games etc." in windows.old. And you don't talk about missing data (like yesterdays video). Then you say the system is totally wiped,
I don't think there's a windows.old folder on a totally wiped system.

Anyway, rent a laptop for a week or so, install the specialised software on it and go ahead! Or, even faster, find somebody from the movie team who has a laptop and doesn't object to installing that software on it and let you do your thing tonight. What's keeping you?
Complaining here won't help in any way to solve your problem.

Kees

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Sound like the user account is corrupted
Sep 26, 2014 3:20AM PDT

If it put stuff in a "old" folder. I think it made old sections on my XP when the user account crashed. Can you set up another user account?

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Answer
never underestimate
Sep 26, 2014 12:30PM PDT

the power of a prank, or just meanness. I use Linux and when I get up from computer I hit CTRL-ALT-L which puts it behind the password and then to sleep. Unless your windows has a lock feature to the sleep function, then suspect foul play also.

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Answer
in the interim
Sep 26, 2014 12:38PM PDT

so you can access your schoolwork, download a complete operating system on a DVD and run the computer from that. Do NOT clk on the install, just boot from it. Find a friend who can burn the DVD from the ISO file for you. I'm assuming you are from USA, so linked to University of Maryland site, and since w8 is 64 bit, this ISO file is for a 64 bit system.


http://mirror.umd.edu/linuxmint/images//stable/17/linuxmint-17-mate-64bit-v2.iso

http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=2627

Once you have the DVD, you can choose to boot from it and then access the entire C drive and use the programs on the "Read Only" operating system to do some of your homework. Just remember it's "read only" so your work MUST be saved back to the C drive. You can then in your spare time try to fix your windows 8.1 install.