What to do if Windows won't start

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This instruction will help you solve the main problems when loading the OS.

If the system doesn't even start to boot

In such cases, the OS logo screen does not appear. Instead, it displays a black background with various errors.

Disconnect peripherals

The system may not boot due to a malfunction of one of the connected devices. Try disconnecting USB drives, card readers, printers, scanners, cameras, microphones, and other auxiliary equipment.

After disconnecting, restart your computer. If that doesn't work, temporarily disable your keyboard and mouse and then hit the restart button again.

Check the status of the boot disk

In the BIOS - this is the name for the layer between Windows and the computer hardware - the boot settings could go wrong. For example, if the wrong drive is specified as the source of the OS files, the device simply does not find them when it is turned on and therefore cannot start the system.

1. Restart your computer.

2. Immediately after startup, press the BIOS Enter key until you see the settings menu. Depending on the PC manufacturer, this could be F2, F8, Delete, or another key. Typically, the option you want is displayed at the bottom of the screen immediately when you turn on the computer.

3. Once in the BIOS settings, find the Boot (boot menu) section and check if the disk with the Windows system files is set to the first place in the boot list. If not, move it to the very top. Your BIOS may look different, but its structure is always about the same.

4. Select the Save and Exit option to apply the changes.

The computer will then restart and the problem may be resolved.

Reset BIOS

If the previous method did not help, the system could have experienced a larger-scale failure. In this case, it is worth performing a BIOS reset. Lifehacker has already written how to do this. This will leave the files on your drives and Windows settings intact. But, most likely, you will have to go into the BIOS, find the section with the time and date settings and configure them again.

If the download starts but Windows freezes, restarts, or a blue screen appears

Incorrect updates, driver errors, as well as third-party programs and viruses can interfere with Windows loading.

Try to start the system in safe mode. It activates only basic Windows components without unnecessary drivers and programs. If the problem is in the latter, then the system will start and you can clean it.

To boot into Windows 8 or 10 in Safe Mode, shut down your computer while holding down the power button and turn it back on after a few seconds. Repeat this step until additional download options appear on the screen. Usually it takes up to three such reboots. Then click on Troubleshooting → Advanced Options → Boot Options → Restart. After the next reboot, select "Safe Mode".

To enable Windows 7 in Safe Mode, restart your computer and immediately after starting, press F8 or Fn + F8 (on laptops) several times. In the menu that appears, select "Safe Mode".

After turning on safe mode, remove the latest installed programs and check the system with an antivirus. If it does not help, open the Windows recovery menu in the settings and use one of the available options. The system will guide you with prompts.

If all else fails

Most likely, the Windows system files are corrupted. Try to restore them using special tools.

Use Windows Recovery Environment

This is a menu with tools to restore Windows operation. In case of problems with loading, the system often starts it on its own immediately after turning on the PC. The message "Automatic recovery" appears on the screen. In this case, select Advanced Options → Troubleshooting → Advanced Options.

If nothing like this happens, try invoking the recovery environment manually.

In Windows 7 and older versions of the OS, press the F8 key or Fn + F8 (on laptops) to do this, immediately after starting the PC. When the "Advanced Boot Options" menu appears on the screen, select "Troubleshoot computer problems" and use the recovery options that the system will offer.

To enter the Windows 10 or 8 recovery environment, shut down your computer while holding down the power button, and then turn it back on after a few seconds. Repeat these steps until the "Automatic Repair" menu appears on the screen. It usually takes up to three reboots. After entering the menu, select Advanced Options → Troubleshooting → Advanced Options.

Once in the recovery environment, you will see several options. Do the following.

1. Select "Startup Repair". The system will try to fix the problem on its own.

2. If it does not work, go back to the recovery environment and select the "Command Prompt" option. In the window that appears, enter the diskpart, list volume and exit commands one by one. After each press Enter.

A table with local drives will appear on the screen. Pay attention to which one is signed as a system one (disk with Windows files). This is important because its letter may not coincide with the label of the system drive in Explorer.

If no disk is marked as a system disk, calculate it by size: you need to find in the list a volume whose size matches the size of the local disk on which Windows is installed. If you do not remember or do not know this, it is better not to perform the next step and close the command prompt.

Enter the bcdboot C: / windows command, replacing C with the letter of the system drive. Press Enter and reboot your device.

3. If it does not help, try other available recovery options using the system prompts.

Use a bootable disk or flash drive

If the recovery menu does not open, you can start it using a bootable disk or a Windows flash drive. If you don't have any of these, you'll have to buy an OS installation disc.

But you can also use another computer to download the Windows image and burn it to a USB flash drive. Please note: for successful recovery, the bitness of the Windows image must match the bitness of the OS on your PC.

When you prepare the media, use it to boot your computer. To do this, insert a USB flash drive or disk and restart the machine. Immediately after starting, press the BIOS entry key (F2, F8 or Delete).

Once in the BIOS settings, find the Boot (boot menu) section and install a USB flash drive or disk with Windows in the first place in the list of devices.

Select the Save and Exit option to apply the changes and restart the PC.

When the device boots from the removable media, click Next and select System Restore.

Now try Startup Repair and the other options listed in the previous paragraph of this article.

If the recovery tools do not help, all that remains is to reinstall Windows using the inserted disk or flash drive. In the process, all data on the system disk will be deleted, but the OS will most likely work.

To reinstall the system, restart your device, click Install and follow the instructions on the screen.

If reinstalling Windows does not help, most likely the problem is in the hardware of the computer. In this case, contact the service center.