Why Won’t My Windows 10 PC Boot?

 

Why Won’t My Windows 10 PC Boot?

Experiencing issues with your Windows 10 PC not booting can be a frustrating and concerning situation for many users. When your computer fails to start up, it can disrupt your work, leisure, and overall productivity. Several reasons can cause your Windows 10 PC to not boot properly, ranging from software glitches to hardware failures. This comprehensive guide will help you understand common causes behind this issue and provide troubleshooting steps to help you get your PC up and running smoothly again.

Potential Causes of Windows 10 PC Not Booting:
1. Corrupt System Files: Windows system files can get corrupted due to various reasons such as sudden power cuts, malware infections, or improper shutdowns, leading to booting issues.
2. Hardware Malfunctions: Faulty hardware components like a failing hard drive, malfunctioning RAM, or a damaged motherboard can prevent your PC from booting.
3. Incorrect BIOS Settings: Incorrect settings in the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) can impact the startup process and result in a failed boot.
4. Incompatible Peripheral Devices: Sometimes, connecting incompatible external devices like USB drives or printers can interfere with the boot sequence.
5. Software Conflicts: Conflicting or outdated software, recent driver installations, or incompatible applications can also lead to booting problems. Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Windows 10 Booting Issues:

Troubleshooting Steps to Fix Windows 10 Booting Issues:

If you see a black screen Windows Boot Manager with an error along the lines of Status: 0xc0000605 Info: A component of the operating system has expired, then it means something went wrong with WINLOAD.EXE. 

This is obviously not a good thing.

Performing a Startup Repair

1. Click Advanced options when the recovery screen appears. 

2. Click Troubleshoot. 

3. Next, choose Advanced options. 

4. Then, click Startup Repair. 

Fix Windows 10 Winload.exe By Command Prompt

If windows unable to perform a startup repair, then your next option is to try using your Windows 10 installation media to fix the boot error.

1. After booting into setup, choose the Repair Computer option > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. If you are using a recovery drive, click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. 

2. Once you have the command prompt up on the screen, you will need to issue a set of commands to find and resolve issues that might be preventing your computer from booting.

3. Type BOOTREC /FIXMBR and hit Enter. This CMD will attempt to fix any corruption problem with the master boot record.

4. If all goes well, you should see The operation completed successfully. 

5. Next, type BOOTREC /FIXBOOT then hit Enter. This CMD will attempt to write a new boot sector on the hard disk if Windows detects error. Usually, this happens in cases where an older version of Windows was installed, or no compatible operating system such as Linux was installed.

Rebuilding the Windows 10 Boot Manager Record

If you are seeing an error such as Boot Manager is Missing, then the BOOTREC /RebuildBcd CMD might be able to fix it. This operation can also restore boot files for older versions of Windows if you have a double boot configuration.

 If BOOTREC /RebuildBcd does not work, then Microsoft recommends you back up your BCD (Boot Configuration Data) store, then run the BOOTREC /RebuildBcd cmd again. To do this, type each of the following commands, hitting Enter after each one.

bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

c:

cd boot

attrib bcd -s -h -r

ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

bootrec /RebuildBcd

What if None of These Options Work?

Your next best option is to try Save your data and then reinstalling Windows 10 and your applications. If you have your Windows 10 on USB Install Media, you can boot from USB, then perform a custom install. It will create an archive of the old installation Windows.old. You can recover your personal files from this folder.

Note: Make sure you perform a custom install that migrates your Windows.old data. Otherwise, all your data will be erased.

If you don’t want to risk overwriting your data by reinstalling Windows, you can also try to recover your data from the hard drive when your installation windows finish.

Conclusion:

Facing booting issues on your Windows 10 PC can be a daunting experience, but with the right knowledge and troubleshooting steps, you can diagnose and resolve the problem efficiently. By understanding the potential causes behind boot failures and following the recommended troubleshooting methods outlined in this guide, you can successfully get your PC back up and running smoothly. If the issue persists despite your efforts, seeking professional help from a technical expert or contacting Microsoft support may be necessary to identify and fix more complex underlying problems. Remember to regularly back up your important data to prevent data loss in case of unforeseen system failures.