Hard drive broke

Thanks — that screenshot helps. Let’s keep this simple and safe. I’ll give a short checklist of easy checks you can do now, then a few next steps depending on what you find. Tell me the results (or your Windows version) and I’ll walk you through any step.
Quick checks (do these first)
1) Reboot the PC once.

• A restart clears temporary problems. Did things improve after a restart?

2) Open Task Manager to see what’s busy (two keys at once)

• Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
• Click More details (if needed). Look at the “Processes” tab and check the Disk, CPU and Memory columns.
• Tell me if Disk is showing very high (like 90–100%) or a particular program is using lots of CPU/RAM.

3) Check free disk space

• Open File Explorer → This PC → look at C: free space. If C: is almost full (<5–10% free) Windows will behave poorly.
• If it’s low, freeing a few GB (move big videos/photos to an external stick) helps.

4) Can you open more than one program/window?

• Try opening Notepad (press Start, type Notepad). Then open a browser page. Does Notepad open immediately while browser struggles? This helps tell whether the problem is the drive or the browser.

If you suspect the drive is failing (what to look for)

• Repeated slow file access, programs hanging when opening files, and Task Manager with Disk pegged are signs.
• Physical symptoms: clicking / grinding / repeated spin‑up noises = hardware problem. If you hear that, shut down and don’t keep using the drive.

If you want to check basic SMART status quickly

• Open a Command Prompt as Administrator: press Start, type cmd, right‑click Command Prompt → Run as administrator.
• Type:
  wmic diskdrive get model,status
  and press Enter.
  • If it returns “OK” that’s a basic health check; “Pred Fail” or blank indicates trouble. (wmic is a quick check only.

About System Restore — why you may not see it

• System Restore (System Protection) can be disabled and then the Restore option won’t appear. To check:
  • Press Start, type Create a restore point and press Enter.
  • In the System Protection tab you’ll see drives and whether Protection is On.
  • If it’s Off for C:, there won’t be restore points to use. (You can turn it on going forward, but it won’t recover older files if none were made.

If you want to try repairing system files (safe)

• Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
  sfc /scannow
  Wait until it finishes and tell me the result. If it reports problems it couldn’t fix, then run:
  DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
  and then sfc /scannow again. (These are safe and read/repair Windows files, but they won’t help if the disk is physically failing.

If you want to try checking and repairing disk (caution)

• chkdsk can fix filesystem problems but writes to disk — if the disk is physically failing, running chkdsk can stress it. If the data is important and you suspect hardware failure, it’s safer to image the disk first or connect it to another PC to copy files.
• If you’re happy to try chkdsk, run as admin:
  chkdsk C: /f /r
  You’ll be asked to schedule a restart — it will check on reboot. Only run this if you have a backup or don’t mind the risk.

If you can’t open System Restore or Recovery options

• To open Recovery Options: Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now. From the blue menu you can try Troubleshoot → Advanced options → System Restore (if a restore point exists) or Startup Repair.
• If System Restore doesn’t appear there, it likely means no restore points exist.

If the drive may be failing and data is important (recommended safe route)

• Avoid running heavy disk repairs yourself. Instead either:
  • Remove the drive and connect it (internally or with the adapter/dock you ordered) to another working PC and copy your important files off first; OR
  • Create a disk image (if you know how) and recover from the image. (I can give step‑by‑step for either option.
• Since you already ordered powered adapters, once they arrive the safest approach is to connect the drive to another machine and copy your files before attempting repairs.

What I need from you to help next (pick 1 or 2)

• Which Windows version are you using? (Windows 10 or 11)
• After doing Step 2 (Task Manager), tell me the Disk / CPU / Memory percentages and any process using lots of resources.
• Do you hear clicking/grinding from the drive?
• Do you have an external USB stick or drive to copy important files to if needed?

If you’d like, I’ll give the exact, click‑by‑click instructions for whichever step you want to try next (Task Manager, checking System Protection, running SMART check, or making a backup). I’ll keep it slow and simple.

Restart no good i think it;s the disk space .

Thanks — that’s useful. If you suspect low disk space, let’s check and free space safely so Windows becomes responsive again. I’ll keep this step‑by‑step and simple; tell me what you see after each step.
Quick check: how full is C:
1) Open File Explorer → This PC and look at the C: drive bar. Tell me the free space (e.g., “C: 20 GB free of 500 GB”) or paste a short screenshot.
2) Also open Settings → System → Storage to get a breakdown (if you’re on Windows 10/11). That page shows what’s using space. <10% free) — immediate safe actions
(Do these in order; each one is reversible or low risk)
A — Empty Recycle Bin

• Right‑click Recycle Bin → Empty Recycle Bin.

B — Clear temporary files (simple)

• Settings → System → Storage → Temporary files → choose Temporary files, Delivery Optimization files, Recycle Bin, Thumbnails and click Remove files. This usually frees some space quickly.

C — Run Disk Cleanup (system files) — frees large Windows items

• Press Start, type Disk Cleanup → run it.
• Pick drive C:. Click “Clean up system files”. After it rescans, check “Windows Update Cleanup”, “Previous Windows installations” (if present), “Temporary Windows installation files”, “Recycle Bin”, “Temporary files”, then OK → Delete Files. This removes big system leftovers safely.

D — Move large perssk

• Open File Explorer > type in search bar: size:>1GB to find big files (or check Downloads, Videos, Pictures). Move large videos/photos to an external USB stick/drive or cloud (OneDrive/Google Drive). If you don’t have an external drive, a cheap USB stick will do for the most important files.

E — Uninstall big programs you don’t need

• Settings → Apps → Apps & features → sort by Size and uninstall any large apps you don’t use.

F — Turn off Hibernation (if you don’t use it) — frees hiberfil.sys (often several GB)

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
  powercfg -h off
  This removes the hibernation file. You can re‑enable with powercfg -h on later. (Only do this if you don’t use Hibernate.

G — Don’t run chkdsk yet if the drive might be failing

• chkdsk can help filesystem problems but it writes to disk and stresses a failing drive. If your data matters, copy your important files off first (see steps above or use the adapter you ordered when it arrives). Only run chkdsk after you’ve backed up or if you have no alternative.

If you want a quick inventory of what’s ad and run WinDirStat (small free utility). It shows the largest folders/files so you know what to move/delete. I can link instructions if you want.
Why System Restore might be missing

• System Restore can be turned off or have no restore points if disk space was low. Check: Start → type “Create a restore point” → System Protection tab → see whether Protection is On for C:. If it’s Off, there are no restore points to use. You can turn it on going forward, but turning it on won’t recover past files.

If the drive is actually failing (signs)

• Loud clicking/grinelays, and very high Disk usage in Task Manager indicate hardware trouble. If you suspect failure:
  • Stop using the PC for heavy operations.
  • Copy critical files off immediately (external drive or the adapter/dock when it arrives).
  • Consider imaging the disk (ddrescue/HDD Raw Copy) if data is critical — I can guide you or recommend a local shop.

Next small steps for you now (pick one to do and tell me the result)
1) Open This PC and tell me free space on C:.
2) Run Disk Cleanup → Clean up system files and tell me how much it freed.
3) If you prefer, I’ll guide you step‑by‑step by remote text: “Ready — tell me when Disk Cleanup is open”.
If you tell me your Windows version (Windows 10 or 11) I’ll give precise clicks for Storage, Disk Cleanup, and turning off hibernation. I’ll stay with you through every step.

It is disk space .