SOLVED So Many Win 10 Issues PC Crashed

[Norton]

Yesterday out of the Blue I had a major crash, so many issues with Win 10 Pro for the first time ever since the original install.
Browser would freeze, unable to initiate any functions with Start, unable to use Search (Cortana) run box, apps stopped working such as picture, people, phone, messaging, skype...
I rebooted with no luck, even system restore was unable to restore to previous restore points, OK on to the Options advanced Recovery "Reset this PC" still nothing, after a reset received a message that said "missing apps, apps didn't install, reinstall apps" What!
I had to resort to performing a clean install from ISO disk as the PC stopped recognizing external USB devices too?
Fortunately I was able to make copies of all my important Docs and downloads before the reinstall.
What a painful process. I still don't know what caused so many issues with no warning. A bad update Windows Defender? That was the last update that I was aware of.

 

[Trouble]

WOW! Sorry to hear about that.... sounds really bad.
During the initial problem and before the panic set it and the attempted reset ensued.....
Did you try creating a new user as a member of the local administrators group (not a standard user), just to see if it was a global system wide issue or simply an issue with your profile?
I hope, you're now looking at maintaining a disk image.
Seems like a perfect opportunity to employ something like that.

 

[Norton]

Trouble No I didn't try to crate a new user. I was seriously thinking of it. But since my local and administrator accounts were working with the same results a reinstall was the option I chose. I do make regular routine disk images always have 2 or 3 most recent on two separate external USB HD. However one of the many problems was that the PC wouldn't recognize any external USB devices. I was literally screwed.

 

[Trouble]

IF you used Acronis and took the time to create the Rescue Media ( I think most of these types of software have something similar), then you should have been able to boot from the Rescue Media and load the Acronis interface and that should have taken care of your USB problems as it doesn't rely on the OS, it loads a generic Linux kernel, which contains generic USB drivers, that I've found perfectly suitable for the computers and devices I've had to deal with.

 

[Norton]

Trouble I did boot from Acronis bootable media. However, I don't recall now if I was able to see any external drives to extract my most recent image from.
I may be mistaken, but, at that point I was so frustrated I went to the my last resort, a fresh install from Win 10 ISO. Everything is up an running again. Yes! I did create a new Acronis image, manual restore point and registry backup after the new install and had all of my programs, features and desktop set up. .

 

[Trouble]

Nothing beats a custom clean install.

 

[Norton]

Nothing beats a custom clean install.

And a Clean Acronis disk image.

 

[Trouble]

Now might be a good time to mount it and explorer it and make sure that everything is where you think it's suppose to be.

 

[Norton]

Trouble Been there and done that.
Thanks!