This Seems Hopeless...

First of all, I'm posting this from a 15+ year-old PC because the new PC I bought less than a year ago is totally non-functional. It's a Dell laptop, 64-bit, Windows 10 machine — was pretty good machine. Then Dell updated Windows. I don't know if it's legit or not but I also got a notification about the same time that the BIOS needed updating, so I approved it.

Things immediately became very slow, sometimes for an hour before I could sign in. Then things progressively got worse, where it now goes to a diagnostic screen where nothing happens, no response to any keystrokes, and it seems to be locked up. I'm sure, however, that the virus is very active milking my PC for data. Closing the lid does not turn it off, nor does opening the lid turn it on. I have to do a hard stop with the power button. None of the function keys has any effect. There is nothing that I can access.

Before I lost all control, I also was unable to turn on "Windows Defender" or, later on, AVG. I think it's about ready to be taken out and shot.

Where does one begin to troubleshoot when there's no open door?

 

I neither run win10 nor a Dell. So, I can't help much, but here's a place you can get some possible pertinent info
http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/sln297926/computer-will-not-boot-to-windows-10?lang=en
See if you can at least boot into safe mode with networking if not normal Windows.
You might have malware, but the symptoms you describe, leads me to think more likely the BIOS update failed and/or one or more Windows updates are the problem. If you can get into safe mode, you can things checked in the Malware (specialist) forum.
Hope this helps to open the door.

 

You need to say what the exact name and model number of the problem Dell system is.
You can also go to the Dell site to run diagnostics but you must use your Dell Service Tag number for that system which is on a sticker on that system and also in your purchase documentation.
Windows Defender is automatically DISABLED when AVG is installed and running so forget about that.
In Windows Safe Mode you can run scans with AVG and then Malwarebytes free version.
If you continue to have problems after, you can either go to the Specialist Malware forum and follow the Read & Run Me Malware Guide steps so a trained specialist can advise, or your other last option is a simple completely fresh reinstall of Windows 10 using the Microsoft Media Creation tool with a blank USB pen drive with at least 6gb of space. The USB drive method is much easier than the DVD-R method.
The situation is definitely not hopeless.

 

Thanks to all who have tried to offer useful information. I went through Dell support and continued troubleshooting with them. As it turned out, the hard drive seems to have failed after only 8 months of use. So Dell has sent me a new one and I had to reinstall Windows on it. While I'm not happy to have lost everything — bookmarks, apps, books, movies, pictures, passwords — at least Dell had tried to do the right thing to get me running again. I should practice periodic backups for such events as this.

 

Yes, you should. There are great free programs for that here on Major Geeks and you should save the back ups to an external USB Pen Drive.
http://www.majorgeeks.com/mg/sortname/drive_cloning_imaging.html