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.