Very Slow Running Windows 10 in Safe Mode, Start Button and Taskbar not loading in Normal Mode

[haroonriazrewa]

My HP i3/i5 PC, specs being kind of irrelevant here, runs Windows 10, which were running just fine yesterday until it got pretty slow and I realized Malwarebytes scan running. In my haste to restart the PC, I canceled the scan. Since then, in normal mode, I have not been able to load my Windows start button and taskbar. I have managed to load it in Safe mode, which takes like an hour to load all the desktop and the Start Button still doesn't work.

I have uninstalled the Malware bytes, thinking that its tray icon was causing trouble. Anyway, I am running a virus/malware check with Windows Defender, which is painfully slow. Only reaching barely 13% or something, scanning 3,500 files and counting in Quick Scan mode. I am also planning to run the system file check scan. Should I run them simultaneously?

The two system restore attempts by me from the system repair function outside the Windows have already failed. I am yet to make it from within the Windows in Safe Mode. I have backed up most of my data, I would say, but I want to restore my PC environment. I live with it everyday.

By the way, only three days ago, I had performed a Startup Repair on it as my computer was not restarting and had created a restore point too.

What should I do?

I'm very depressed. Please help.

 

[Colif]

has it got a hdd or ssd? I would run a chkdsk on it and check it out.

Shouldn't take an hour to boot into safe mode. Is it slow before or after the login part?

i wouldn't run sfc and virus scan at same time, unless you want them to both be really slow (or slower than now)

 

[haroonriazrewa]

It's a Toshiba HDD and it loads slow after login. Up until login, it works alright. Yes, I think I need a disk check. Someone else has suggested hardware diagnosis too. The boot part seems alright. I encountered such a problem three days ago but made a startup repair from Windows Automatic Repair diagnostics.

 

[Colif]

After login is when windows loads drivers, and talks to all hardware devices attached to PC. Try disconnecting any unessential USB devices or speakers at startup. I had a slow startup problem last year and it turned out to be my speakers. I fresh installed win 10 before i figured that out.

Try doing a clean boot and see if it makes any difference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/929135/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows (read steps carefully as turning too much off can stop windows loading completely)
If it does, it means the problem is a start up program, slowly add them back to find the cause

 

[haroonriazrewa]

Also the slowness persists way after the OS is loaded in Safe mode, which makes me wonder if it is about Startup programs at all...

 

[Colif]

How it acts in safe mode makes me think its hardware, but the fact it boots fast before login and is slow after seems to contradict that idea. Usually if its the hard drive, it will be slow before as well.

See if this helps
right click start button
choose powershell (admin)
type SFC /scannow and press enter
once its completed, copy/paste this command into same window:
Repair-WindowsImage -Online -RestoreHealth and press enter
SFC fixes system files, DISM cleans image files, re run SFC if it failed to fix all files and restart PC

that will just check if its actually windows itself causing problem

Try making a new local account and see if it has same slowness logging in


Try running the free version of hdtune on your hard drive and just check the health tab

 

[haroonriazrewa]

I have just checked the hard drive and it fails the Short and Long DST checks but it passes the SMART Check. It is a HP PC check. Does that mean the disk is failing? If yes, can I still clone it datawise?
The following are the failure IDs:
Long DST: 6BVXPR-7ML8SJ-MFPWLJ-61C403
Short DST: FAILURE ID: 6BVXPR-7ML8SJ-MFPWLJ-60UU03

Trying SFC too. Taking ages though.

 

[Colif]

Yes, its a sign you need to clone the data and get a new drive.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but according to HP, that error message means that your primary storage drive (i.e., hard drive) is in imminent danger of failing. While it could last for several more days, it could also fail immediately! The more you use the drive, the less likely you'll be able to recover anything on it.

So, there are four issues to address here:
1) Data Recovery
2) Drive replacement
3) Recovery Media
4) System restoration

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Desktop-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Hard-Drive-Short-DST-Check-and-Long-DST-Check-Warning/td-p/6079894

I wonder if fast startup is reason its fast to get to windows but slow everywhere else, as fast startup uses ram to store drivers for loading so it may camoflage a failing drive until its needed.

 

[haroonriazrewa]

You don't recommend I try resetting Windows while keeping my files, right?

Also, please tell me if my only Windows account is an administrator, should I remove or set a new password to it? I happened to have removed the password just in case I have to get it checked up. Will setting a new password cause troubles in data access? Sorry if you think the question is stupid but Windows reads that by setting the new password, the user (me) will lose access to EF-3 encrypted files and stored passwords etc.

Furthermore, I am not able to add a user account from PC settings. I can only get this far in the Safe mode.

Thank you very much for your help, Colif.

 

[Colif]

I wouldn't worry about user info right now, I would be more concerned about saving all the files in documents and anything else you don't want to lose as the article I quoted said the drive could die at any moment. Get data, replace drive and reinstall win 10 and then worry about passwords

 

[haroonriazrewa]

The disk was neither accessible from a bootable Ubuntu USB nor from the SATA-USB enclosure, though I suspect it has to be the problem with this particular enclosure, as in multiple computers, it appears as a faded drive icon briefly and then disappears. Power issues? Disk Management shows the drive as removable drive with "no media." This should rule out power problems though. This pertains to data I guess.

Fortunately, I had backed up the incremental data a few days ago when the startup problem first showed its face. Had a hunch the drive was failing after I got a read error. Replaced the drive but having trouble reactivating my Windows now. Oh well. BTW, is there a way to convert a Windows 10 Home edition to a Pro one?

 

[Colif]

What did you do at the step where the installer asked for a licence key? Since win 10 had been on PC already, all you should have needed to do was click "I don't have a key" and win 10 would have continued install and then checked activation servers to confirm PC was okay to use win 10.

If you are having activation problems, the only people who can help with passwords etc are Microsoft

To convert home to Pro, you just put a Pro Key into the settings/update & security/activation screen. windows will enable all the extra features based on the key.