PC issues

Hi there,
I’m running into some trouble with my IBM computer. It’s only about a year old, but it recently gave up on me. Here’s the situation: I left the machine in sleep mode overnight while I was out, and we had a power outage during the night. When the power came back on, I turned the computer on, and it seemed fine at first, but it immediately prompted me with a choice: boot into Windows 7 normally or run a startup repair since the system hadn't shut down properly. I tried booting normally, but it hung on the "Windows is starting" screen for a couple of minutes before just shutting itself off completely. I then tried the startup repair option. It would get to the "loading files" stage, but once that finished, the machine died again. Thinking it might be a software glitch, I attempted to install Windows 8 via a USB drive, but I ran into the exact same issue—the Windows 8 logo appears, and then the system shuts down. Even trying to reinstall Windows 7 didn't work. After several failed attempts, I decided to take things apart, blew out all the dust, and reapplied fresh thermal paste. Now, when I turn it on, it doesn't shut down abruptly anymore, but it just freezes indefinitely on the "Windows is starting" screen. If I try the startup repair, it loads the files and then just sits there on a black screen. I’m a bit lost. Could it be a hardware failure? I suspected the RAM, but the BIOS-CMOS correctly reports that 4GB of memory is installed. I’ve also tried booting into Safe Mode multiple times, but it gets stuck there as well. Any advice on which component might be failing? 🙂

Maybe try plugging the drive's data cable into a different port, and if that doesn't work, you might want to give it a shot with a completely different cable altogether.

Here is how I would handle it:
Enter the BIOS and check if the voltage for the BIOS-CMOS battery is correct.
It should be at least 3.18V, though ideally closer to 3.25V or 3.3V.
Next, reset the BIOS-CMOS, return to the settings, and switch to AHCI Mode.
Restore your backup to the hard drive. If you don't have one, wipe the partitions entirely. If there is data worth saving, you really should have handled that with a friend or brother beforehand.
Delete all partitions so no trace of macOS remains, then perform a clean installation without any internet connection.

My apologies for being away; I managed to get everything sorted out. It turns out the issue was a faulty hard drive. I tested the exact same cable and slot using a different drive with Microsoft Windows already installed, and the computer booted up perfectly. Thanks again for the help regardless. 🙂