Troubleshooting a Boot Issue After System Maintenance: A Cautionary Tale

Have you recently updated your system and found yourself facing a surprising issue? You’re not alone. A user on Reddit experienced a frustrating scenario after updating their NVIDIA drivers and performing system maintenance. This post explores their journey and offers some insights on what might have gone wrong and how to avoid similar problems.

The Setup: New Hardware and Cleanup

After installing a new NVME SSD, the user relocated various games, aiming for an optimized and smooth-running system. To prevent issues related to broken registry links—common after significant changes—they decided to run CCleaner. This tool is designed to clear unnecessary files and fix registry errors, which seemed like a proactive step.

However, after a few hours, they encountered difficulties while attempting to install the latest NVIDIA drivers. The installation process repeatedly failed, prompting them to restart the computer in hopes of resolving the issue. Unfortunately, this reboot led to an unexpected and troubling outcome: the computer refused to boot up.

The Symptoms: A Faint Glimmer of Hope

Upon restart, the user noticed several telltale signs that indicated a problem. The monitor remained completely unresponsive, showing no output, and the keyboard was unrecognized—no lights activated even when the Caps Lock key was pressed. Attempting to access the boot menu using F11 proved fruitless, deepening the sense of frustration.

Despite the issues, certain components were still operational. The CPU and case fans whirled to life, and the RGB lights on both the RAM and graphics card illuminated, suggesting that power was reaching the hardware. However, the absence of any display or BIOS options left the user in a bind. Even the power button failed to function as expected, necessitating a hard shutdown by manually unplugging the power source.

Under the Hood: System Specifications

For context, the hardware involved included:

• Operating System: Windows 10
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GTX 1070 Ti
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 2600
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 5 Wi-Fi

Possible Causes and Considerations

Issues like these can stem from various causes, especially following hardware changes and system updates. Here are some key areas to investigate:

1. Driver Conflicts: The update to the NVIDIA drivers may have caused conflicts with existing files or settings, exacerbated by the registry cleaning.

2. Power Supply Issues: