It is a dreaded time where your PC does not boot to the desktop. Maybe your PC has crashed and now can’t recover, or maybe everything was fine when you turned it off, but now Windows Fails to Start for some reason. There are many possible reasons for this, and it is even possible that the problem is not with Windows but with your BIOS or even with your PC hardware.
Here we will show you how to identify the problem if Windows Fails to Start and how to fix it.
1. Windows 10 Startup Repair
Windows 10 has a built-in startup repair option that can be used to scan and repair missing or corrupted startup system files.
The fastest way to get to Startup Repair is to shut down your PC three times during startup. Usually this is done by simply holding down the power button on your PC. So hold down your PC’s power button while it starts up three times in a row, and the fourth time your PC loads Windows 10 Startup Repair.
Alternatively, you can use the Windows 10 installation disc or create a Windows 10 recovery drive.
Once you have your recovery media, insert it into your PC and restart your PC. It should boot directly from the recovery media. (If not, you should be able to select the recovery drive while your PC is starting.) On the Windows setup screen, click Next and then Repair your computer.
This opens boot options that you can use to troubleshoot many Windows problems. Go to Troubleshoot> Advanced Options> Startup Repair.
Clicking “Startup Repair” will restart Windows and scan your PC for system files that it can repair. (Microsoft account authentication may be required.) If a problem is found, it will be resolved automatically.
2. Reset your CMOS
Resetting your CMOS will reset your BIOS settings to factory defaults. This shouldn’t have any negative impact on your PC and could actually cause Windows 10 to start up again.
You can usually reset your CMOS through your BIOS (accessed by pressing F2, F8, Clear, or a similar key while your PC is booting).
If you don’t see the option there, turn off your PC, unplug it, and then try holding down your PC’s physical restart for about five seconds. After that, check if Windows starts.
There are other more complicated methods to reset the CMOS. If the above methods don’t work, you can try resetting your CMOS using this guide.
3. “Windows Failed to Start” 0xc00000f
One of the most common error codes associated with Windows Fails to Start is the above code. The most common reason for this is an error in the BCD (or boot configuration data).
The best way to correct this error is to repair the BCD. Follow the instructions in Tip 1 to the point where you click “Repair your computer.”
Now instead of going to Startup Repair, go to Troubleshooting> Command Prompt and then enter the following commands:
bootrec /FixMbr bootrec /FixBoot bootrec /ScanOs bootrec /RebuildBcd
After this last command, type exit at the command prompt, press Enter, and restart your PC (without any installation media inserted).
4. Check Your Motherboard Connections
If you get a completely blank screen when you start Windows, then if you’re reasonably sure it may be worth looking inside to make sure all of your hardware is seated correctly. These are the key components to consider.
- Memory/RAM: Memory comes in the form of thin sticks that can be easily removed if it hits your computer. Modern laptops generally keep RAM in a slot at the bottom so you don’t have to open everything to take a look. Open your RAM bay (or PC tower), remove and reinsert the RAM to make sure it is properly connected.
- OS Hard Drive: Another possibility is that your main Windows hard drive has become disconnected from the motherboard (or power supply). Press down on the SATA cables firmly and make sure they are also connected to your power source.
- PCI-E Cards: It is less likely, but still possible, that a disconnected GPU or other PCI Express device could be causing your Windows Fails to Start. Make sure everything is connected correctly.
5. Check External Flash Drives and Disks
Your PC may be configured to prioritize booting from an external drive, which means that your PC will try to boot from this if you have a different operating system or recovery drive on a USB stick and that memory is plugged into your connected PC.
If such an external storage device is connected, Windows may try to boot from it, but it fails because the correct device with the recovery files is not connected. Before starting Windows, remove all external storage devices and see if it helps.
6. Windows Boot Record Errors
The data sets of the boat are an essential cause of the Windows Fails to Start, but fortunately, it can easily solve with some command commands.
7. Use Safe Mode to Solve the Problem
Whenever I come across a Windows issue that causes the operating system to crash, the first thing I do is go into Safe Mode. Safe mode can answer many questions quickly and also solve them more easily. In Safe Mode, Windows starts with the minimum required drivers and only the required boot system files, so a faulty file, program, or driver will most likely not load in that mode, making it easy to identify and resolve the problem. trouble.
While there are many ways to access Safe Mode, now that Windows 10 won’t boot, we have limited options. If you have restarted Windows several times and it failed, Windows will automatically open the boot options. If for some reason this option is not available to you (very rarely), you can do one of two things:
1. Restart the PC and as soon as Windows 10 tries to load; Remove the power supply or press and hold the power button to force a shutdown. Repeat this three to four times and Windows should automatically load the boot options.
2. You can also try pressing the F8 key repeatedly while Windows tries to start and see if the startup options load. This most likely won’t work on Windows 8/10 as the boot time is too fast, but it can still work on slower computers.
In Boot options, go to “Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Settings -> Restart.”
After restarting the PC, you can press the number key 4 to select Safe Mode from the list.
Once you are in Safe Mode, here are possible steps you can take in Safe Mode to resolve Windows issues (including the issue of Windows not starting).
Last Resort
If for whatever reason nothing helps and you are sure that you need to do a clean install of Windows 10 and lose all your data in the process, there is still hope of saving at least some of your data.
You can boot from a Windows 10 installation or recovery CD (which we discussed earlier in this article). Then at startup choose Troubleshoot> Reset this PC> Keep my files. This will back up and save all files, documents, images, etc. that are stored in user profiles in Windows 10 (and the profiles themselves). Programs, games, etc. will be removed. from third parties.
Are You Inside Now?
After going through all the above options, you should be in Windows. If repairing the startup process or fixing startup registry errors doesn’t help, restoring or resetting your PC will likely fix the problem, and you can do this from both the start menu and safe mode. However, these options may cause some of your recent data to be erased, but at least you’re on Windows 10.
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