We all know the feeling of frustration when Windows boots up and we are greeted with a black screen. Most of the time when the pc won’t boot, the main culprit behind this could be the power supply, hidden viruses, corrupted boot files, and whatnot!
After a thorough investigation of the error, we have narrowed it down to the five methods that worked for us. This article will teach you those 5 methods that fixed problems with booting into Windows.
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What causes Windows Boot Issues?
Windows Boot Issues are often caused by corrupt or missing system files. It can also be due to viruses, malware, and spyware – which is why scanning your computer before troubleshooting (and regularly) is important as a preventive measure! These are some of the reasons that cause windows boot issues:
- Windows Boot Manager
- Windows Registry
- Hard Drive Issues
- Hardware Drivers (missing or corrupted)
- Windows Updates. Updates are often the cause of boot issues because they can change files that need to be in place for Windows to function properly. This is one reason why it’s important to wait until you are prompted to restart the computer before applying Windows updates.
- Corrupted or missing system files
- Viruses, malware, and spyware
5 Methods to fix Windows Boot Issues
Boot into Safe Mode
When Windows can’t load properly, the first thing to do is boot into Safe Mode. This will allow Windows to start in a limited state that does not require any third-party drivers or files (which are often at the root of Windows Boot Issues). To get Windows into safe mode:
- Click Restart on your keyboard and hold down the Shift key.
- Click Troubleshoot on the Windows Boot Manager screen and then select Advanced Options.
- Select Startup Settings, click Restart. Windows will restart with a “Choose an option”. prompt; choose Safe Mode, press Enter, and Windows will boot into Safe Mode.
- Restart Windows in safe mode by using one of the following methods:
- Restart Windows and select “Safe Mode” from the Windows Boot Manager screen.
- Press F12 or shift + F12 on startup (may require you to change your BIOS settings)
- Start Windows in safe mode with networking by typing msconfig in Run box, then selecting Startup tab, clicking Safe boot, and checking Network; click Apply and then OK. Windows will restart in Safe Mode with Networking.
- Boot Windows into safe mode by using Windows key + shift + F11
- Restart the computer and press F12 on startup to select a boot device, choose CD/DVD drive or USB drive with Windows installation files; when prompted for credentials, type your username and password. Windows will reboot and start Windows in safe mode.
Read: How to Speed Up Windows 10 PC (Master Guide)
Unplug attachments
In Windows Boot Issues, one of the first things you should do is unplug anything that’s not a critical component to Windows. You may want to start with your laptop and mobile device chargers. If Windows starts successfully in Safe Mode or if there are more Windows Boot issues after this step, plugging these back into Windows will help determine the source of Windows Boot Issues.
Restart your computer and wait for it to boot up completely; unplug one peripheral at a time until you figure out which one is the problem.
If Windows starts successfully in Safe Mode, plug a peripheral back into Windows one at a time to determine the source of Windows Boot Issues. If you notice that Windows is no longer booting up when it did before this step, then whichever device you plugged back in was likely the problem (and should be unplugged).
Run chkdsk and sfc
The chkdsk and sfc determines any issues with your hard disk drive, in order to do so, follow these steps:
- Open Windows Explorer and type cmd; right-click on the Command Prompt shortcut and choose Run as Administrator
- Type chkdsk followed by a space, then enter your C:\\ location. For example, “chkdsk c:\” will check your Windows Boot Manager’s hard drive
- Type sfc /scannow in the Command Prompt window; Windows will run a system file check which can fix Windows Boot Issues
Restart Windows and wait for it to boot up completely. If Windows starts successfully in Safe Mode, continue using the chkdsk /f command until there are no more errors detected by Windows Boot Manager’s hard drive (this is done automatically).
Check for viruses and malware
If Windows starts successfully in Safe Mode, a virus or malware may be the cause of Windows Boot Issues. The following steps will help you figure out whether this is the case:
Open Windows Defender and check to see if there are any viruses/malware present on your computer. If Windows Defender has found anything malicious, remove it by following the prompts, reboot Windows and start Windows in safe mode.
Open Windows Defender and click Scan Now to scan your computer for viruses/malware.
If Windows starts successfully in Safe Mode, run an anti-virus or anti-malware software program on Windows Boot Manager (not a third party program) with the recommended settings.
You can try other anti virus software such as:
- Malwarebytes
- Kaspersky
- AVG
Check for power supply issues
If Windows starts successfully in Safe Mode, the power supply may be a Windows Boot Issues. Follow these steps:
- Open Windows Explorer and type cmd; right-click on Command Prompt shortcut then choose Run as Administrator
- Type powercfg -energyquery followed by enter to see if Windows detects any problems with your computer’s electrical system (such as a power surge). Windows will also tell you how long it’s been since Windows Boot Manager had the issue detected
- Type powercfg -energy to see if there are any other Windows Boot Issues with your computer’s electrical system
- If Windows starts successfully in Safe Mode, replace or repair the machine and then restart Windows.
- Open Device Manager then Windows Properties, check to see if the battery is okay and that Windows Boot Manager’s display driver supports Windows Boot Issues
- Check for faulty hardware such as:
- Faulty power supply (power cable, outlet)
- Damaged motherboard/CPU
Wrapping Up
In this article, we talked about Windows Boot Issue and how to fix Windows Boot Issues. We also provided 5 methods that have fixed Windows Boot Issues in the past. The first step is to restart your computer and wait for it to boot up completely; unplug one peripheral at a time until you figure out which one is the problem.
If Windows doesn’t start in Safe Mode, then a virus or malware may be the cause. Moreover, check for power issues and faulty hardware such as damaged motherboard/CPU.
