Computer crash

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damage

Sorry Rick, I'm suffering of "s" disease, infected by SOMEONE...  
I wanted to say "computer"  

Everything started with a capacitor explosion on the video card (I knew what was it the day after); it sounded like a noisy hand clap. I looked at the case where I thought the sound came from, but there was neither smoke nor the classic burn smell. Anyway, I precautionary turned the PC off. My wife told me "I have just used the plastic water bottle; probably the sound came from the bottle when pop up, as it seldom does after being squeezed..."
Well, to make it short, when turning on again, I got a black screen during the boot, after the Windows logo, at the logon point.    Panic!!  my nightmares came true!! Well, what came after is a long, long story. Briefly, I had to format the C: drive; the video driver was lost and we couldn’t find a way to fix it.
Now, I changed the physical C: drive for a bigger one AND I still having an  UNTOUCHED old drive C: and a full  C: backup on drive D: made with  COMODO backup software two days before.
My question is: does it worth to restore the backup to a new C:? this would save me a lot of work reinstalling the myriad of programs, in the other hand, how could I make, if I wanted, just to make things easier,  the backup to the OLD C: if Comodo software was in there and I can’t boot on it ?


Here is were all begun...




We surely will continue this discussion, so Sami, please, move it to the appropriate place, thanks.

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Ok moved post, changed topic name.

I don't understand why you formatted the C drive.  
If a capacitor on the mother board fried, you would replace the mother board (or just the video part of it if you can...I can't)

From what you say, the drive and data would have been intact.

I am not a hardware nerd. I can do a few things but am very limited here....

(at first the picture looked like several spools of thread to me.      Glad to know the "s" is spreading!    )

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I don't understand why you formatted the C drive.  

No, I didn't, that was a lapsus... I wanted to say REPLACE instead of FORMAT...sorry.
My ORIGINAL C: drive was removed and replaced for a new 500 Gb

If a capacitor on the mother board fried, you would replace the mother board (or just the video part of it if you can...I can't)

I noticed the exploded capacitor the day AFTER, when the repair was in process and the video graphic card already replaced (without noticing the blow capacitor). Only then I associated the damage with the noise heard... we were convinced that had been a plastic bottle close to the computer that had made the noise. I say "we" because we were in three when it happened: my wife, my son and I very close each other.
If I had found that blown capacitor just after the noise, you can be sure that the problem would not have spread.

From what you say, the drive and data would have been intact.

As far as I know for sure, only the video driver went lost, but it is not bootable any more. We could made a complete copy from it and store it in a folder, in addition, there is a complete and untouched FULL DISC copy on drive D:, including MBR, made with Comodo, but, as Rick said, I agree that it would be better to restart step by step, as needs ask, to reinstall the programs; all other files (Word, Excel, pictures, etc.) can be retrieved from the copied C: folder [/quote]

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Ah!  got it!

Did not know you could blow a capacitor like that.  Have seen a power supply unit blow and catch on fire while machine was being used.  Was loud POP like a soda bottle (your description is PERFECT).  Was SCARY! Especially since it was in an over-loaded corner of the office. Thought the other equipment would be damaged and paper would catch on fire too.

Do you have your system plugged into a UPS (uninteruptable power supply)?  I use them on the computer, printer, even the tv out in the living room.  Helps protect equipment from damage caused by surges and spikes. Won't help a direct lightning strike but for day-to-day running, the power is more consistent and managed so the equipment doesn't get "shocked" easily.

What a pain having to reinstall everything again!  Sorry to hear of it but at least the DATA is intact!