Windows 10 A power outage ruined my computer and taskbar is unresponsive

[Valder]

A power outage ruined my computer now it takes an hour and 18 minutes before it's usable and 2 hours to shut down and that's after logging out the local accouts. It stays on a black screen with with dots revolving for 43 minutes and 14 seconds and then "Scanning and reapairing drive (H: ) : 100% complete" shows up for 10 minutes or so (H being my former C drive before I had to switch to another drive to boot in after an unrealated crash) and then the welcome screen shows up for 30 seconds before the wholes screens goes black again 6 minutes or so and then a purple window appears with a red top border displaying "inite failed". After clicking ok it's another 2 minutes and 42 seconds before I can see the desktop but it's not untill another 17 minutes before the icons on the task bar are recovered. Only half of the desktops icon have recovered.

Task bar becomes unresponsive, I can barely access my files and my H drive SSD is contantly at 100% but explorer isn't displaying the amount of space it has left. I lost 10 GB on the C drive getting up to this point. I have only 22 GB left on it. The Browsers can work until they get unresponsive before restarting them via the task maneger, however restarting explorer.exe has not solved the issue. Windows update has failed, not even installing the update manually works. I've tried DSIM and SFC scannow commands via CMD with administrative rights and they didn't fix the problem. The issue persists with 2 other local accounts on the computer. I can't download anything or else the browsers will get unresponsive.

I'm not sure what else to do.

 

[ChatGPT]

Thanks — that’s a lot of useful detail and the screenshots help. Short version up front: this looks like serious disk / filesystem trouble (possibly caused or exposed by the outage) that’s saturating I/O and breaking Windows components. Before we try software fixes, make a COMPLETE backup of anything you care about (photos, documents, browser profiles) — then test the drive health. After that we’ll try targeted repairs; if the SSD shows signs of failure the safest next step is to replace it and restore from backup.
Please read and follow the steps below in order. If anything is unclear, tell me which step you’re on and paste any error text or screenshots.

• Immediate priority — BACKUP important data
• If you can still access files even slowly, copy your Documents, Desktop, Downloads, Pictures, and any other important folders to an external USB drive right now. Don’t rely on the system for long while the drive is acting up.
• If Explorer is too unreliable, boot a Linux live USB (Ubuntu) or use WinPE / another working Windows machine and connect the drive as secondary to copy files. I can walk you through creating a bootable USB if you want.
• Confirm which drive you’re actually booting from
  You mentioned you had to switch drives after an earlier crash and the old system became H:. Tell me:
• In an elevated Command Prompt run: bcdedit | findstr device
  (Paste the output here.
• Or open Disk Management (press Windows+R, type diskmgmt.msc) and tell me which volume has the label “Boot, Page File, Crash Dump” in the Status column and whether it is C: or another letter.
  Why: If Windows is now booting from a different drive and the old Windows instance is still attached as H:, system files, update components and registry references can be confused and that will cause odd update / init errors.
• Capture the process that’s using the disk (so we know what’s saturating I/O)
• Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) -> More details -> Performance tab -> click “Open Resource Monitor” at the bottom -> Disk tab. Sort by Total (or %). Note the process name(s) at the top when disk is 100% (e.g., SearchIndexer, MsMpEng, svchost.exe (wuauserv), explorer.exe, chrome.exe, or some other).
• Take a photo or paste the top 5 processes showing the highest disk I/O and the file path for the process (Resource Monitor shows it).
  Why: different causes (Windows Update, indexing, antivirus, browser, or drive retries) have different fixes.
• Check SMART / drive health
• Run an elevated command (Admin PowerShell) to get quick health:
  Get-PhysicalDisk | Format-Table -AutoSize FriendlyName, DeviceId, OperationalStatus, HealthStatus, MediaType
  and
  wmic diskdrive get model,serialnumber,status
• Better: run CrystalDiskInfo (portable) or the SSD manufacturer’s toolbox to read SMART attributes (reallocated sectors, pending sectors, wear level, Unsafe Shutdowns, etc).
  If SMART shows reallocated sectors, pending sectors, or “Caution/Bad” — plan to replace the drive immediately.
• Run CHKDSK on the affected drives (but BACKUP first)
• If the H: drive is the old system and shows “Scanning and repairing (H : 100% complete” in your logs, the filesystem has already had chkdsk activity. Still, run an explicit check:
  From elevated cmd:
  chkdsk H: /f /r
  If it’s the system drive (C you’ll be asked to schedule on next reboot — say yes and reboot.
  Notes:
• chkdsk /r can take many hours on large drives. Only run it if you’ve backed up (because a failing drive can get worse under heavy work).
• If chkdsk repeatedly reports and fixes many errors, that’s a strong sign of physical drive issues.
• Look at Event Viewer for disk / filesystem errors
• Event Viewer -> Windows Logs -> System. Look for errors from sources Disk, Ntfs, volsnap, or Wininit. Filter for Event IDs like 7, 9, 51, 55, 153. Paste the most recent error messages (date/time + text) here.
• Temporary steps to reduce I/O and test responsiveness
• Boot into Safe Mode (Hold Shift and Restart -> Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Settings -> Restart -> choose Safe Mode). In Safe Mode:
• Is the boot much faster?
• Is Taskbar responsive and do desktop icons appear?
  If Safe Mode is good: a third‑party driver/service or startup app is likely causing heavy I/O. If Safe Mode is still bad: more likely a disk/hardware problem or core Windows corruption.
• While in normal Windows (if possible) stop these services temporarily (Admin CMD):
  net stop wuauserv
  net stop bits
  net stop wsearch
  net stop SysMain
  (This prevents Windows Update, Background Intelligent Transfer Service, Windows Search indexing, and SysMain (Superfetch) from reading/writing.
  Then check disk I/O again in Resource Monitor.
• Reset Windows Update components (if drive is healthy and I/O is under control)
• If the disk is healthy and the system is responsive enough, try this (Admin CMD):
  net stop wuauserv
  net stop bits
  ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old
  ren C:\Windows\System32\catroot2 catroot2.old
  net start bits
  net start wuauserv
  Then retry Windows Update or install the update manually.
  (You already ran DISM / SFC; that’s good. If DISM reported success but updates still fail, the update store or the Windows component registration may be damaged — that’s where an in-place repair is useful.
• If many Windows components are broken / updates fail — perform an in-place repair (repair install) of Windows
• This is the least-destructive repair that reinstalls Windows system files while keeping your apps and data:
• On another PC download the Windows 10 (or your Windows version) ISO using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool and make a bootable USB or mount the ISO inside Windows and run setup.exe.
• Choose “Keep personal files and apps” when prompted.
• Follow through; it can take 30–90 minutes.
• Important: back up first (again). If the source drive is failing, even a repair install can fail midway.
• If SMART/chkdsk indicate disk failing — replace the SSD/HDD
• If the SSD shows failing attributes or chkdsk finds many bad sectors, the safe route is to replace the drive, reinstall Windows (clean install or restore from image), and copy your files from the backup.
• If you want to try cloning the drive first, do so immediately to a new drive using cloning software (Macrium Reflect Free is a good option), but if the drive is very unstable cloning may fail — still, try cloning right after backing up.
• Useful logs & files to collect (if you want me to help analyze)
• Event Viewer System log entries (recent errors from Disk, Ntfs, Wininit).
• Resource Monitor screenshot showing top disk I/O processes.
• Output of Get-PhysicalDisk and CrystalDiskInfo screenshot (SMART).
• The exact text of the purple “inite failed” error (it looks like “inite failed” — note where/when it appears).

Some likely root causes given your symptoms

• Filesystem corruption and chkdsk activity on the older drive (H plus Windows component corruption.
• A failing SSD that’s causing timeouts and retry loops = 100% disk, very long boots, apps freezing.
• Confusion from booting from a different drive leaving the old OS attached under a new letter (registry and update components broken).

Next steps for you right now

• Tell me whether you can copy files to an external drive (yes/no). If yes — do it now and tell me when done. If no — tell me errors you see while copying.
• In an elevated CMD copy/paste the output of:
  wmic diskdrive get model,status,serialnumber
  and
  wmic logicaldisk get deviceid,volumename,freespace,size,description
  (Paste results here.
• Try to open Resource Monitor and take a photo of the Disk tab showing the top I/O processes and upload it.

If you prefer, I can walk you step‑by‑step over one of the critical items (backing up safely or checking SMART or performing a repair install). Which do you want to do first?

 

[Valder]

Wouldn't a bootable usb with an media installation creation tool be able to fix this with a repair option?

 

[ChatGPT]

Yes — a bootable USB made with the Media Creation Tool can help, but there are two different things people call a “repair” and they behave differently. Short answer and recommendation first:

• If you can still log into Windows (even slowly): the best fix is an in‑place repair (aka “repair install” or “upgrade repair”) — run setup.exe from the USB while Windows is running and choose “Keep personal files and apps.” That reinstalls Windows system files without wiping your programs or data and is the recommended next step for the sort of corruption you describe.
• If you cannot get Windows to boot properly: booting from the USB gives you recovery tools (Startup Repair, Offline CHKDSK, System Restore, Command Prompt) which can fix boot/drive issues — but they are different from the in‑place repair and will not reinstall Windows while keeping installed apps.

Before you try either option: BACK UP any important files. If the SSD is failing, repair attempts can make things worse or fail partway.
How to do each option (step‑by‑step, pick the one that fits):
A) In‑place repair (recommended if you can sign in)

1. On another working PC download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft and create a USB installer.
2. Plug the USB into your problem PC and boot into Windows normally (log in as an administrator).
3. Open the USB in File Explorer and run setup.exe.
4. Follow the wizard. Choose:
   • “Download updates” (recommended) and
   • On the “Choose what to keep” screen pick “Keep personal files and apps.”
5. Proceed and let the installer finish. This typically takes 30–90 minutes and will reboot several times.
   Notes & warnings:
   • This keeps apps and files but will replace Windows system files — good for corrupted system components.
   • Disconnect any extra drives (internal/external) if possible so the installer targets the correct drive and to avoid confusing the Windows installer with your old Windows installation on H:.
   • If setup.exe fails with specific error codes, note them — they’ll tell us why it failed.

B) Using the USB recovery environment (if Windows won’t boot or you want to run offline repairs)

1. Create the USB with Media Creation Tool on another PC.
2. Boot the affected PC from the USB (set USB as boot device in BIOS/UEFI).
3. At the Windows Setup screen click “Repair your computer” (bottom left) -> Troubleshoot -> Advanced options.
   Useful tools there:
   • Startup Repair: tries to fix boot/startup problems automatically.
   • System Restore: if you have restore points, you can roll back.
   • Uninstall Updates: can remove recent updates that may be blocking boot.
   • Command Prompt: run offline repair commands (examples below).
   • Command Prompt examples:
     • chkdsk H: /f /r (replace H: with the letter for the problem volume; /r does sector recovery and can take a long time)
     • sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows (run SFC against an offline installation — adjust drive letters to match the Windows volume)
     • dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth (offline DISM — may require a source WIM: see next bullet)
     • If DISM needs a source you can point it to install.wim on the USB:
       dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /restorehealth /source:wim:X:\sources\install.wim:1 /limitaccess
       (replace X: with your USB drive letter and C: with your Windows partition)
       Notes & warnings:
   • Offline CHKDSK (/r) is powerful but can take many hours on large drives and is stressful for a failing drive. Run only after you have a backup.
   • Booting to the USB and choosing the regular “Install now” path will typically perform a clean install (or try to) — it will not give the same “keep apps and data” option as running setup.exe from within Windows, so avoid that if you want to preserve programs.

Other practical points given your situation

• Because you have an old Windows installation attached as H:, disconnect non‑boot drives while repairing (physically unplug the old SSD if you can). Having two Windows installs attached can confuse installers and Windows Update.
• If SMART or CHKDSK show failing sectors or the SSD reports hardware problems, replace the drive instead of repairing Windows on it. A new drive + fresh Windows will be more reliable than fighting a failing SSD.
• If you want, I can give the exact DISM/SFC commands you’ll need for the offline environment and the precise steps to create the USB. Tell me whether:
  1) You can still sign into Windows and want to try setup.exe (in‑place repair), or
  2) Windows won’t boot well and you want to run the recovery environment, or
  3) You want help creating the USB on another PC.

Which option do you want to try first?

 

[datawizard0103]

A power outage ruined my computer now it takes an hour and 18 minutes before it's usable and 2 hours to shut down and that's after logging out the local accouts. It stays on a black screen with with dots revolving for 43 minutes and 14 seconds and then "Scanning and reapairing drive (H: ) : 100% complete" shows up for 10 minutes or so (H being my former C drive before I had to switch to another drive to boot in after an unrealated crash) and then the welcome screen shows up for 30 seconds before the wholes screens goes black again 6 minutes or so and then a purple window appears with a red top border displaying "inite failed". After clicking ok it's another 2 minutes and 42 seconds before I can see the desktop but it's not untill another 17 minutes before the icons on the task bar are recovered. Only half of the desktops icon have recovered.

Task bar becomes unresponsive, I can barely access my files and my H drive SSD is contantly at 100% but explorer isn't displaying the amount of space it has left. I lost 10 GB on the C drive getting up to this point. I have only 22 GB left on it. The Browsers can work until they get unresponsive before restarting them via the task maneger, however restarting explorer.exe has not solved the issue. Windows update has failed, not even installing the update manually works. I've tried DSIM and SFC scannow commands via CMD with administrative rights and they didn't fix the problem. The issue persists with 2 other local accounts on the computer. I can't download anything or else the browsers will get unresponsive.

I'm not sure what else to do.

The fastest, most reliable fix is to backup your important files immediately (use a Linux live USB or plug the drive into another PC to copy off what you need), then do a clean install of Windows 11 on a fresh drive. Trying to patch or repair this installation will only leave it unstable, and with only 22 GB free, Windows is also fighting for virtual memory and updates. After the reinstall, you can reconnect your old H: drive as storage, but do not boot from it—it’s effectively a damaged disk now.