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Windows 10 won't boot: what to do? Finding the cause and solving

Good time everyone!

Despite the fact that each new version of Windows is becoming more stable and more reliable - all the same, unpleasant incidents often happen to it ... 👀

For example, a seemingly banal thing, a power outage and an emergency shutdown can easily lead to the fact that after turning on the computer, Windows will no longer boot (and this also applies to the newfangled Windows 8.1, 10)! Although, of course, there are many more reasons for this misfortune.

Actually, in this article I want to analyze in more detail what can be done to restore Windows boot (or at least minimize my losses).

By the way, you should immediately clarify one moment:

  • if after turning on your computer does not show any signs of life at all, or immediately turns off, perhaps it gives some signals in the form of a squeak (that is, it does not even reach the moment the OS boots), then most likely the problem is of a hardware nature. I recommend that you read this article;
  • if you saw the start of Windows loading and then everything disappeared, or the loading takes an infinitely long time, some errors appear on the screen, etc. - then this is our case today. 👌

And so, now closer to the topic ...

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What to do if Windows won't boot

STEP 1: look carefully for errors

The first thing I would advise to do is pay attention to the screen. Often on it you can see the error message, its code, description (and knowing this information, it will be easier to find and diagnose the cause).

For example, the photo below shows one of the typical mistakes. "Disk boot failure ..." (error related to bootable media, for its solution, I have 👉 a separate instruction). Note that in your case the error may be somewhat different (there are quite a few of them).

Disk boot failure ... (one of the typical boot errors)

At all, all popular errors that can be seen at the stage of computer startup have long been sorted out by many experts (including on the official Microsoft website).

In general, the message of the first step is simple: if you see a specific error, write it down, and try to find a guide to solve this specific problem. The situation is worse when there are no mistakes at all and it is not clear what to do next ...

👉 By the way!

If after turning on the PC / laptop you just have a black screen (i.e. there is no image on it) - I recommend that you read this instruction.

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STEP 2: disconnect all unnecessary hardware from the computer

The next thing to advise is to disconnect all unnecessary equipment from the laptop / computer: the second monitor, printers, mice, speakers, headphones, etc. Particular attention to flash drives, CD / DVD disks, SD cards, and other storage devices.

The fact is that with certain BIOS settings, the computer can "look for" boot records on the same USB flash drive, and not finding them, it simply does not proceed to boot Windows from the hard drive.

Disconnect the USB flash drive and restart the laptop

Note: after disconnecting all "unnecessary" - restart your computer.

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STEP 3: check your BIOS settings

If you changed the BIOS settings (or reset them, for example) or connected another hard drive to the PC, it may turn out that incorrect settings will be indicated in the BOOT section (for example, the wrong boot device may be selected).

It is recommended that you check this and fix it if found.

👉 To help!

How to enter BIOS (on various PCs and laptops) - you can find out here

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As an example, below is a photo of the BOOT section. Pay attention to the sequence: the first is the CD / DVD drive, the second is the hard disk.

In some cases, the PC may "refuse" to boot Windows from the hard drive (in this sequence).

BOOT section - boot priority ...

What you need to do: put the hard drive in the first place, save the settings (usually the F10 key) and restart the PC.

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👉 To help! 

By the way, you can simply reset the BIOS settings to the factory settings (as a rule, they are universal and by going to them you can solve most of the problems)

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STEP 4: try to repair Windows bootloader

  1. for work we need installation flash drive with Windows (I'll take Windows 10 as an example). If you do not know how to create it, then see this instruction;
  2. then you need to connect it to the USB port and boot from it (how to configure the BIOS to boot from a USB flash drive);
  3. when the first Windows installation window appears (as in the photo below), click "Further" (we will not reinstall Windows - this is necessary to start recovery);

    Installing Windows (first window)

  4. in the next step click on the small link in the corner of the screen "System Restore" ;

    System Restore

  5. then select the section "Troubleshooting" ;

    Troubleshooting

  6. and specify the option Startup Repair (system files, Windows bootloader will be restored). As a rule, after such a procedure, Windows starts to boot into norms. mode ...

    Startup recovery

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👉 Addition!

Detailed instructions for restoring Windows functionality

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STEP 5: run your PC for viruses

Some viruses can spoil system files, delete information from the hard drive, block some functions and capabilities of the OS.

All this can lead to a wide variety of problems with Windows, including the one discussed in this article (moreover, the restoration in the previous step can help exactly until the next reboot).

In order to drive your disk from the OS to viruses (when Windows itself does not boot), you can resort to two ways:

  • remove the hard drive from the computer / laptop and connect it to another device with a modern antivirus with updated databases installed (How to connect a hard drive from a laptop to a computer);
  • create a LiveCD flash drive (i.e. from which you can boot, even if your PC does not have a hard disk) and run the HDD check from it. Now such images for writing to a USB flash drive can be downloaded from the official websites of antivirus software.

👉 To help!

How to create a bootable LiveCD / DVD / USB-stick or disk with Windows operating system and service utilities that do not require installation on a hard drive.

ESET antivirus welcome window - select the boot mode (graphic, text). As an example of downloading antivirus from a USB flash drive ...

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STEP 6: if Windows takes a very long time to boot

Often, many users wait for Windows to load for 5-10 minutes (some of them, by the way, believe that it is frozen and rush to restart the PC again and wait for this time again).

In general, the first thing I would advise to do in this case is to check the autoload (the more programs it contains, the longer it will take to load the OS).

Pay special attention to all sorts of torrent programs: if you have hundreds of torrents in them, the download can get very long!

In Windows 10, to view startup - just open the Task Manager (keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc). You can also use various specials. utilities, for example, AIDA.

Task Manager - Startup

In addition, check Windows using some utility to clean up trash, temporary files, fix errors in the registry, etc. All this in a compartment can also seriously affect the operating speed of the OS.

👉 To help!

I have a separate article on my blog dedicated to the best utilities for maintaining and cleaning Windows.

Issues found after scanning in System Care (10.6 GB of Trash!)

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Advice!

You can significantly speed up Windows boot by installing an SSD drive. Speed ​​Difference Between SSD and HDD, Should You Upgrade to Solid State Drive

Windows Boot: Difference Between HDD and SSD

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👉 Addition!

Why does the computer (laptop) take so long to boot / restart, what to do for faster Windows boot

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STEP 7: how you can copy your data from disk if Windows still won't boot

If all the previous recommendations have not been successful, then before formatting and reinstalling Windows (or some other more radical measures), it is advisable to make a copy of all important documents from your hard drive.You never know ... what if something goes wrong? ..

Method 1

The easiest way is to remove the hard drive, connect it to another computer and transfer all important data from it.

By the way, now on sale you can easily find various "boxes" for connecting HDD to a regular USB port (greatly facilitates the work).

Method 2

Boot from a LiveCD flash drive and copy all the necessary data. Please note that after booting from such a flash drive, you will see the most ordinary desktop on the screen (to work with which is the same as if you were in classic Windows).

Launching antivirus from under the LiveCD // Booting from a LiveCD flash drive - a normal desktop (even a completely novice user will "figure it out" with it)

Method 3

If you have two hard disks (or 2 partitions) on your computer, then you can install another Windows on one of them (the main thing: do not format the drive during installation!).

There are 2 partitions on the disk: please note that I do not "touch" the data disk - I install it on a free partition

The bottom line here is that after installation, when you turn on the PC, you will be offered a choice of 2 Windows OS: one old (non-working), and the other new. By choosing the second, you can boot and clean up ...

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👉 Addition!

Instructions for recovering data from a disk in case of problems with Windows.

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That's all for now ...

For additions - a separate merci!

Good luck!

👋

First published: 31.10.2018

Correction: 10/10/2020

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