Reasons why a computer would display machine language in Windows7?

[MikalE]

I have a computer I'm getting ready to perform a wipe and reload on for a client as soon as I hear back, but in the mean time, why would a Windows 7 64 bit machine display machine language after performing a (seemingly) successful CHKDSK scan upon re-booting?

The machine will not respond, or respond extremely slowly (in many minutes) for a simple command of even opening a menu such as the Control Panel, and when it does respond all of the type font is machine language. But it did this before the CHKDSK scan too.

I've never seen this before. Could it be the way a hacker tries to keep the owner from reloading the O/S from an onboard backup, or the recovery partition?...to keep them from eliminating their link to the computer? Or is this hard drive really toast even though it passed the CHKDSK? Before this happened I didn't see anything unusual in the Services or Processes list.

I'm not looking for on-the-job help, I just really want to know why this machine is displaying machine language.

[ajkula66]

Or is this hard drive really toast even though it passed the CHKDSK?

Run HD tune on the drive checking for errors. You can even test it in an ultrabay of another machine.

I was never all that keen on chkdsk but that's me.

[MikalE]

OK, thanks. I'll see what happens.

[Neil]

So am I correct in understanding that this "machine language" is only displayed after Windows boots to the desktop? What about the BIOS? Is the display still corrupt displaying the BIOS? How about when booted from a live DVD or USB operating system?

[MikalE]

Only Windows. I booted a DVD of Tails and it displayed fine, same with BIOS. I think Windows was corrupted.

It reloaded fine and the computer is running as-new...as slow as that is with an i3 and 4GB of RAM. But it runs.