Windows 10 error

[kylesgranma]

I was working on a jig saw puzzle at the puzzle site that I have been using for a very long time. All of a sudden I get a light blue screen and windows says there is an error and needs to work on recovering data and that it could not find my hard drive(or something like that) I has gone through several screens, mostly black I could not save anything,was not given any option. Now I have a black screen with the option to use the F1 key to try and reboot, or the F2 key to run the setup utility. My question is what is the utility?. Will I loose all my folders and pictures on my desk top? Is it to re install windows 10? I am very up set and do not know what to do I did use the F1 and it did not help

 

[Trouble]

Sounds like your hard drive might have just failed.
Do you have a disk image or at least backups of your important, critical data?
F2 will likely take you into your System setup / configuration utility, commonly referred to as BIOS.
Check there and see if the BIOS is still seeing and reporting the hard drive accurately and also double check your boot device priority / order and make sure that it is configured to point to your Windows installation

 

[kylesgranma]

[

Sounds like your hard drive might have just failed.
Do you have a disk image or at least backups of your important, critical data?
F2 will likely take you into your System setup / configuration utility, commonly referred to as BIOS.
Check there and see if the BIOS is still seeing and reporting the hard drive accurately and also double check your boot device priority / order and make sure that it is configured to point to your Windows installation

I do not have a disk as I upgraded to 10 on the computer in November. I cannot access anything on the other computer except to click on F1 or F2.The screen is just black with white writing. So if I do use F2, that will not wipe my hard drive and I lose all my folders? How did the hard drive just fail> My computer is about 5 years old and I have had no other trouble. Sorry to be so dense.

 

[Trouble]

F2 should just be "setup" (BIOS).....
What does the screen say it is that is suggesting that you choose F1 (which is usually continue) and F2 (which is usually setup)?
That is where, for lack of a better more complex explanation.... your computer stores its' information about the hardware it has at its' disposal.
IT is also where you can tell it to boot first from CD/DVD or another storage device and you configure a boot device priority list. Different BIOS are different and even different BIOS versions from the same vendor are different.
It is not likely that you can do anything in there that would result in any loss of data, but.....
From what you are saying, it may be that the data is already lost.
Your best bet might be to have someone more technically savvy have a look at it.

How did the hard drive just fail

That's what they do. They work... until they don't. Just like any mechanical device.
That's why we do backups and disk images.

 

[kylesgranma]

F2 should just be "setup" (BIOS).....
What does the screen say it is that is suggesting that you choose F1 (which is usually continue) and F2 (which is usually setup)?
That is where, for lack of a better more complex explanation.... your computer stores its' information about the hardware it has at its' disposal.
IT is also where you can tell it to boot first from CD/DVD or another storage device and you configure a boot device priority list. Different BIOS are different and even different BIOS versions from the same vendor are different.
It is not likely that you can do anything in there that would result in any loss of data, but.....
From what you are saying, it may be that the data is already lost.
Your best bet might be to have someone more technically savvy have a look at it.

That's what they do. They work... until they don't. Just like any mechanical device.
That's why we do backups and disk images.

The F1 key is to reboot. But I tried that and it didn't work. I'll try the F2 and hope I havent lost all. I do have some folders copied to my external hard drive. I keep it on and always plugged in. Should I remove it?

 

[Trouble]

Should I remove it?

Sure. I don't see any reason to complicate things with an external drive. If it's just a data / backup drive, it shouldn't help or hinder the boot process, but.... you never know.
Personally, I'd disconnect anything I didn't need from the computer, keeping only a monitor, USB wired keyboard and USB wired mouse. Just to make sure that nothing was interfering

 

[kylesgranma]

Ok. I thank you for all the help. I am going to wait till my grandson gets here from work, in case there is a question that needs an answer. He may know. I'm sure he knows more than I do. However your help is muchly appreciated.

 

[Trouble]

I am going to wait till my grandson gets here from work

That sounds like a plan.
Basically, you're going to have to determine that your system BIOS still sees your hard disk drive and that, that drive is listed at the top of you boot priority list.
In the case of UEFI BIOS, it may just say something like "Windows Boot Manager".
And even if all that seems to be in order, there is still a chance that the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) or system files have become corrupt and your machine may still not see the drive as containing a bootable OS.
THEN.... you may have to boot from the installation media and attempt a Startup Repair.

 

[Allan10]

kylesgranma

You are lucky to have Trouble's attention, that is for absolute sureness.

But just a wee thought, if you will Trouble? If F2 doesn't get you into the bios, try the del key. Many bios use the del key to enter into their menu. But stick with Trouble. He knows what he's doing.

allan