Resolved Restore failed, now no Start menu

Okay. Where to begin.

I wanted to install a newer (faster) wireless adapter so I bought the adapter (Dlink 182) and followed the instructions.

1. Disable ethernet
2. Uninstall onboard or older wireless adapters
3. Insert CD and follow instructions.

So I did all that and seem to have burned a bridge...

First, I got an administrator message that said I was denied the right to install the new adapter drivers. That's not so, as I'm the only user on the unit and was logged in as administrator.

After tweaking the permissions I finally said to myself, "Okay - I'll run restore and set it back to before I started all this. "

I proceeded from there and soon got a "restore failed" message.

However -- and in addition, the unit will not completely reboot and it yields a critical message indicating the Start menu failed to load.

Suggestions?

As always, thanks in advance,
Rick

 

Yes, it takes longer than it did but I can get to the desktop. The program shortcuts all load but then I get this message:

The cursor shows as normal as long as it is over the main screen but when I position it over the Start button or any of the Task bar areas it goes into the working circular motion.

When I log out and back in and I get the same sequence and message.

Safe Mode: I have done the Shift+R restart to Safe Mode several times only to get to the "choose an account" screen and it locks up.

For my first post I logged on from a spare computer at work. I'm at home now so it will be tomorrow before I can get back to it at the office.

 

If you have 'Fast Boot' in operation via BIOS - try stopping Fast Boot to see if that helps. Neil.

 

Well strangely enough it rebooted when I got to the office a short while ago and I'm posting from the afflicted computer.

The browsers work, and Outlook works, but the start button does not work and I cannot get to a command prompt or anything in the Settings to run a utility.

Suggestions?

 

Thanks, but I'm running Windows firewall, AVG, and Malwarebytes.

At the moment I'm using my phone and posting via Tapatalk.

I was able to use the Win+R keyboard shortcut to get to the control panel so I disabled the virus protection and reran Restore to an earlier date. It's at the Registry segment of the operation now so we'll see if that works.

 

Okay - that worked and the unit is completely back in service.

I'm just weirded out by the whole ordeal. My thought is that my failure to turn off the antivirus and other protections before running restore the first time was the cause of the crash.

Then again, I might be wrong.

 

Thanks. I left it downloading updates while I ran out for dinner (at home now and back to work within the hour) so if it's still perking along with no problems when I get back to work I'll call it done.

 

It's still working so I'm going to call it resolved.

Ah ... the pleasures of the upgrade learning curve.

Thanks again to all,

Rick