This is a very frustrating moment when you press the power button on your computer but Windows does not boot. Maybe the computer is broken and can no longer be restored, or maybe everything was fine when you turned it off, but for some reason Windows does not start when you turn it on. There are many reasons for this problem and it may not even have anything to do with Windows, but the BIOS or even the computer hardware has a problem. Here we show you how to detect and fix this problem when your computer does not boot Windows. Be with the Wironal.
1- Fixing the problem of starting Windows 10 (Startup Repair)
Windows 10 has a built-in boot repair option that can scan and repair lost or damaged boot system files.
The fastest way to access Startup Repair is to manually turn off your computer three times via the power button. You must do this by holding down the power button. After shutting down the system three times before booting it, your computer will call Windows 10 Startup Repair for the fourth time.
If you have a DVD or USB to recover, insert it in the drive and then restart your computer. In this case, the computer must be booted directly from the DVD or USB that entered the computer (otherwise, you must change the boot order of the computer from different sources in the system BIOS). Click Next on the Windows Setup page and then select Repair your computer.
This option opens the Boot where you can fix many Windows problems. Now go to Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Repair.
When you click Startup Repair, Windows will reboot and scan your computer for system files that it can repair, and if a problem is found, it will be fixed automatically.
2- Reset CMOS
Resetting the CMOS resets the BIOS settings (the program used by the computer microprocessor to boot the computer system after turning on) to the factory defaults. This will not have a negative effect on your computer and may actually cause Windows 10 to restart.
You can usually reset your CMOS via the BIOS (which can be accessed by holding down the F2, F8, Delete, or similar keys when your computer boots).
If you do not see an option there, turn off your computer, unplug it, and then try to hold the physical reset switch on your computer for about five seconds. After that, check if Windows starts working or not!
3- “Windows Failed to Start” error message 0xc00000f
One of the most common error codes that occurs when booting Windows 10 is the above code. The most common reason for this is a BCD (or Boot Configuration Data) error.
The best way to fix this error is to repair the BCD. Follow the instructions in Tip 1 until you click Repair your Computer.
Now, instead of going to Startup Repair, go to Troubleshoot -> Command Prompt, then enter the following commands:
bootrec / FixMbr
bootrec / FixBoot
bootrec / ScanOs
bootrec / RebuildBcd
After the final command, type exit in Command Prompt, press Enter and restart your computer (without connecting the recovery DVD or USB to the computer).
4- Check motherboard connections
If you see a completely blank screen when Windows starts, it might be worth taking a look inside to make sure all the hardware is connected properly. Here are the main components to look out for.
- Memory or RAM: which comes in the form of small thin rods that you can easily remove if your computer breaks down. Modern laptops usually hold RAM at the bottom, which means that you do not need to open the entire device to see it. Open your RAM compartment, remove it and reinsert it to make sure it is securely connected.
- Operating system hard drive: Another possibility is that your main Windows hard drive is disconnected from the motherboard (or power supply). Push the SATA cables into place and make sure they are connected to the motherboard.
- PCI-E cards: This is less likely, but the graphics card or other components may be disconnected from the PCI-Express slots. So make sure they are all connected properly.
5- Check external flash drives and disks
Your computer may have prioritized booting from an external drive. This means that if the operating system or USB recovery drive is connected to the computer, your computer will try to boot from it.
If such an external storage device is connected, Windows may try to boot from it, but it fails due to not connecting the proper device containing the recovery files. Before starting Windows, unplug all external storage devices and see if it helps solve the problem!
6- Using safe mode to solve the problem
Whenever the system encounters a software problem, the first thing to do is to enter safe mode. Safe Mode can answer many questions quickly and also make them easier to solve. In safe mode, Windows starts with the minimum required drivers and only the necessary boot system files, so a faulty file, program, or driver is unlikely to load in this mode, making it easier to diagnose and troubleshoot.
Although there are many ways to access safe mode, now that Windows 10 does not boot at all, we have limited options. If you restart Windows several times and it fails, Windows will automatically open the boot options. But if for some reason it does not show you this option (which is very rare), you can do one of the following:
- Restart the computer, and as soon as Windows 10 tries to load, press and hold the power button to force it to shut down. Repeat this process three to four times so that Windows automatically loads the boot options.
- You can also press the F8 key repeatedly while Windows starts up to see if boot options appear. This trick probably won’t work on Windows 8 or 10, as boot time is very fast, but it may work on slower devices.
In the boot options, go to Troubleshoot -> Advanced options -> Startup Settings -> Restart.
After restarting the computer, you can use Safe Number 4 to select Safe Mode from the list.
Once you’re safe, you can follow this guide to fix your Windows problem. Here are some things you can do safely to fix Windows problems.
The last option
If for any reason none of these solutions helped you and you are sure that you should reinstall Windows 10 and lose all your data in the process, it is good to know that you can still get at least some of your data. Keep it.
You can boot Windows from the Windows 10 installation or recovery disk (described above), and then when booting, go to Troubleshoot -> Reset this PC -> Keep my files. This will back up and save all files, documents, images, etc. stored in the user’s profile in Windows 10 (and the profiles themselves). But third-party applications, games, etc. are removed.
Did you find your way to Windows?
After going through all the above options, you should now have access to Windows. If booting or resolving boot recording errors does not help, restoring or resetting the computer will probably solve the problem, and you can do so from both boot menu and safe mode. Although these options can delete some recent information, at least you will be logged into Windows 10.
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