System restore returns error message and I can't access most programs

[TheLily]

I used an external hard drive at a library to access my files a few weeks ago, using a separate username/password. I needed an administrator's permission, with his own password, to access the documents on the hard drive under my name. When I finally got the DC plug fixed for my Toshiba laptop yesterday, I discovered that some programs no longer worked, like IE and Chrome. System restore forced me to do a hard disk check first, which made things worse: Windows help, Microsoft Security Essentials, and the easy access keyboard didn't work anymore. When I finally ran system restore, it gave me an error message (0x80096001) about disabling my anti-virus program. But I can't access MSE to turn it off. I can't uninstall it either. The Microsoft fix-it programs I downloaded to my laptop via a flash drive won't run because of this same error message. I feel like my software is confused with different usernames having access to different things. I shouldn't have to use administrator privileges to gain permission to files and folders. This wasn't a problem before I used the external hard drive in a computer other than my Toshiba. What do I do? Factory reset isn't a recovery option, just windows installation discs. Help!

 

[Herc08]

Are you trying to access folders inside different profiles? What type of user are you right now?

 

[TheLily]

I'm an admin on my laptop, but also a user [?]. Three different users with my name show up for some programs and files. Yet under user accounts in the control panel, just the admin is there. Does this make sense? It doesn't to me. I have the same account name (user, not admin) at the library where I accessed my external hard drive.

 

[rgd1101]

"I'm an admin on my laptop, but also a user [?]. Three different users with my name show up for some programs and files."
Can you post a screenshot of the 3 different users show up for some programs and files?

It sound more like corrupted windows or HDD is failing.

 

[Herc08]

I'm an admin on my laptop, but also a user [?]. Three different users with my name show up for some programs and files. Yet under user accounts in the control panel, just the admin is there. Does this make sense? It doesn't to me. I have the same account name (user, not admin) at the library where I accessed my external hard drive.

did you copy the whole folder inside of Users to the drive?

 

[TheLily]

I didn't copy anything to anywhere. I ran the disk check after the technician put the hard drive back into my laptop. Then I attempted system restore. I still can't get it to work. Now my laptop isn't able to do much.

Corrupted Windows or HDD: plan? Toshiba does give me an HDD warning with each startup.

I'm also wondering about a corrupt user profile. If this is an issue, I don't know how to fix it.

 

[Herc08]

If you have an SMART warning then it's time to replace the HDD. However, I am not sure what is really going on. I thought you were transferring data in the library to an external drive.

 

[rgd1101]

So you send your laptop away to get the DC plug fix?

 

[TheLily]

Transfer: wrong direction. I copied the data (personal documents only) on the external hard drive to a flash drive. Then I wiped the drive of those documents before giving it to a technician to fix the DC plug. When I booted Windows yesterday, it was like the external hard drive episode hadn't happened - just the moment after I tried to save everything to a flash drive before the laptop died on me at 5% battery (before I ordered the external hard drive) weeks ago. So I told it to ignore the attempted copying of files from hard drive to flash drive. That's when I noticed programs not working.

 

[Herc08]

IF you wiped the drive and re-install windows, and you are getting hardware issues, I would recommend reaplcing the hard drive. If it is still under warranty, Toshiba will do it for free. However, they will not back up anything. I should know, went through the same thing a few years ago.

 

[TheLily]

So you send your laptop away to get the DC plug fix?

Yes. But this was two weeks after the external hard drive episode. I knew when I turned on my laptop yesterday, the day it was fixed, that they'd never turned it on to see what was going on. [It said 'system restore' when I first turned it on yesterday.]

 

[TheLily]

IF you wiped the drive and re-install windows, and you are getting hardware issues, I would recommend reaplcing the hard drive. If it is still under warranty, Toshiba will do it for free. However, they will not back up anything. I should know, went through the same thing a few years ago.

I didn't wipe the whole drive, just the personal documents under my user profile. I left everything else untouched. I didn't try to reinstall windows either. My problem is the usernames/passwords I gave it at the library to access my personal documents. Now there's too many user profiles on the hard drive, things besides system and admin. This laptop is six years old, so the warranty is long gone. But I didn't have any problems until this past month. I guess I shouldn't have tried to access my hard drive in a computer other than my laptop.

 

[rgd1101]

Transfer: wrong direction. I copied the data (personal documents only) on the external hard drive to a flash drive. Then I wiped the drive of those documents before giving it to a technician to fix the DC plug. When I booted Windows yesterday, it was like the external hard drive episode hadn't happened - just the moment after I tried to save everything to a flash drive before the laptop died on me at 5% battery (before I ordered the external hard drive) weeks ago. So I told it to ignore the attempted copying of files from hard drive to flash drive. That's when I noticed programs not working.

Can you put everything in a chronological order? Hard to follow what first, second
So the issue have nothing to do with any data? it just the some program in windows is not working and system restore failed?

 

[Herc08]

IF you wiped the drive and re-install windows, and you are getting hardware issues, I would recommend reaplcing the hard drive. If it is still under warranty, Toshiba will do it for free. However, they will not back up anything. I should know, went through the same thing a few years ago.

I didn't wipe the whole drive, just the personal documents under my user profile. I left everything else untouched. I didn't try to reinstall windows either. My problem is the usernames/passwords I gave it at the library to access my personal documents. Now there's too many user profiles on the hard drive, things besides system and admin. This laptop is six years old, so the warranty is long gone. But I didn't have any problems until this past month. I guess I shouldn't have tried to access my hard drive in a computer other than my laptop.

I think I got it...you took out the hard drive, put it in another computer, and put it back in, and it is no corrupt? I'm so sorry dude, but it seems like a new problem with every post. I honestly think you should re-install Windows. If you are getting SMART errors, a new drive is due as well.

 

[TheLily]

Transfer: wrong direction. I copied the data (personal documents only) on the external hard drive to a flash drive. Then I wiped the drive of those documents before giving it to a technician to fix the DC plug. When I booted Windows yesterday, it was like the external hard drive episode hadn't happened - just the moment after I tried to save everything to a flash drive before the laptop died on me at 5% battery (before I ordered the external hard drive) weeks ago. So I told it to ignore the attempted copying of files from hard drive to flash drive. That's when I noticed programs not working.

Can you put everything in a chronological order? Hard to follow what first, second
So the issue have nothing to do with any data? it just the some program in windows is not working and system restore failed?

It's not data per se but user profiles. Almost nothing in windows is working, except Word. System restore returns an error message about disabling the anti-virus program (MSE) that I can't access. Toshiba said it can't find info for hdd/ssd, whatever that means. It didn't return an HDD warning/error. I'm going to try a windows reinstall tonight or tomorrow.

 

[TheLily]

I thought I had a Windows installation disc. I was wrong. I just had backup DVDs that Toshiba forced me to make when I booted the laptop six years ago, but I didn't know how to use them. [I do now, thanks to the Toshiba user guide.] Anyway, I used Toshiba's recovery wizard to do a factory reset. I love the results! All my personal stuff was already on my flash drive, so all I had to do was download a few programs and I was ready to go. Thanks for your help, everyone. Thank God for Toshiba's recovery wizard. It worked like magic!

 

[Herc08]

I thought I had a Windows installation disc. I was wrong. I just had backup DVDs that Toshiba forced me to make when I booted the laptop six years ago, but I didn't know how to use them. [I do now, thanks to the Toshiba user guide.] Anyway, I used Toshiba's recovery wizard to do a factory reset. I love the results! All my personal stuff was already on my flash drive, so all I had to do was download a few programs and I was ready to go. Thanks for your help, everyone. Thank God for Toshiba's recovery wizard. It worked like magic!

Well, keep that thing around just in case. WHen I had my Toshiba, it had a software that analyzed my computer and downloading everything from the Toshiba website.