On Tue, 25 May 2021 07:54:33 -0500, Brandon wrote:

On Tue, 25 May 2021 00:15:03 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

Brandon wrote:

Does a True Image copy of the C: partition also contain the old boot
menu? It would mean installing a bunch of the newer programs all over
again.

Make an image backup now. If going back to an older image doesn't work,
you can restore the image you created now.

That's what I had planned on doing. Just out of curiosity more than
anything else.

I don't know if your image
backups cover just the OS drive (boot sector + OS partition), just the
OS partition, or all drives and all their partitions. Image backups can
also exclude some destinations, like OneDrive, Google Drive, temp
folders, and so on. Been too long since I used Acronis True Image
although I used it for several years. I moved to Macrium Reflect.
An image backup of C: should include the boot sector where is the boot
program (that then loads the OS).

We'll find out for sure.

However, restoring a past image where the problem doesn't exist will not
prevent causing the same problem again with whatever programs or tweaks
you performed in the interim. If the old image restore works, you have
to be diligent on what you tweak or install thereafter to avoid the same
problem.

I'm dang sure that what caused it was my screwing around
installing/uninstalling a bunch of 'security' programs for a few days.
(You gotta have something to pass the time with while sundowning at
87.)

I'll spend 2-3 hours imaging what's here today, then spend the same
amount time loading up an image from far enough in the past that will
tell us something - hopefully.

I'll let you know either later today or tomorrow what happened.

Well, I recalled an Acronis C: image from the beginning week in March.
The image from then also did not boot through any menu choices but
went right to the Windows splash screen.

I know that back then I wasn't screwing around with loading any
"security" proggies. So, it's either that the problem happened before
then, or Acronis does not include the boot stuff in the saved image of
the C:

And there is this - I'm not sure at all when this boot stuff went
missing. That's because when I turn on the box in the morning, I go
right into the kitchen and start brewing my coffee, so I don't see the
start up stuff happening. When I do come back to the comp with my
coffee, Windows is already sitting there loaded and waiting.

Now what this means is that I have no idea as to when this problem
actually began. I could roll back my True Image to an image made in
December of '20*, but why? Even if the boot menu did appear then, I'd
have no more idea of why it screwed up than I have now. So, to heck
with it.

*(Why I have images sitting around that were made in December of 2020,
I have no idea. But i can assure you, they're going to be gone as
soon as I'm finished with this nonsense - which is now.)

Thanks everyone for having allowed me to waste your time. )