Fairly new Dell Inspiron 660 desktop, running w8, installed 17th November, has stopped working.
It starts normally, I enter the password, the little circle rotates for 20 – 30 seconds, then a permanent black screen. Ctrl/Alt/Delete opens when selected, but clicking Task Manager reverts to the black screen. The icon at bottom right shuts down as normal, and Lock has an arrow, which I think was always there, placing the cursor over the which brings a popup with Cancel. I’ve clicked that a few times, in case the PC had become locked, may have locked it myself by now.
PROBABLE CAUSE Last night, after midnight Online Armor firewall was downloaded and installed. Shortly afterwards a warning reported something suspicious in App.data, did I want to allow or block it. I was under the impression the software was supposed to tell me what was unsafe, not vice versa, but, acting in the belief that they know more than me about computer technology, I blocked it.
As the computer continued working for the few tasks completed before going to bed, but not now, it presumably means the object blocked is vital to start up.
Unless somebody can think of another solution, it looks as though my rescue disk and image will be put to the test sooner than anticipated, and it will be necessary to try to remember all the data added in the last few weeks. Must remember not to install software beyond my area of competence!
George.
