How to fix ‘Windows 10 Fails to Start’ Issue – Guide
When your computer won’t start, there are a few things you can do to try and fix the problem. First, try restarting your computer. If that doesn’t work, you can try to boot into the recovery environment. This is a small operating system that lets you troubleshoot when Windows 10 won’t start. There are several troubleshooting steps users can try, outlined below. ..
Although Microsoft is constantly improving its Windows operating system, problems like this still occur from time to time. However, don’t give up yet – we have a solution for you. Below we will see all possible methods to restart the computer when Windows won’t boot up. Let’s start with that now.
How to fix ‘Windows 10 fails to start’ issue
Try Windows Safe Mode
Switch to Safe Mode via Windows Restore.
- Choose the option to start Windows in Safe Mode.
- Type “recovery” into the text box and press Enter.
- Click on the arrow next to “Safe Mode”.
- Choose the option to continue from where you left off in Safe Mode.
In the startup settings, you can restart your computer in safe mode, with Internet on or off.
Safe Mode with a Windows 10 Recovery Drive.
If you are unable to switch to safe mode, you will need to create a Windows 10 USB recovery drive. The recovery drive contains the Windows 10 Recovery Environment, which you used to access by tapping F8 at boot time. Unfortunately, Microsoft has decided to eliminate this feature. Creating a recovery drive requires another Windows 10 computer and a USB drive with at least 512MB of space. If you want to create a system backup (you will see an option to backup up system files to the recovery drive), you will need 16 GB of space. ..
To create a recovery drive, launch the Launch Control Panel. ..
- Follow the instructions to activate your account.
- Enter your email address and password to log in.
- Click on the “My Account” tab to view your account information.
- Click on the “Activate My Account” link to activate your account. ..
If you have enabled USB drives as bootable from the POST environment, also known as UEFI or BIOS, you can only boot your computer from a USB drive if you have created a recovery drive. After creating the recovery drive, insert the drive into your computer and reboot (this may require a reboot button or keeping power button down for a few seconds). ..
check your battery
If you are using a laptop, your battery may not be holding a charge. Try using a different charging cable or remove the battery and test it with another laptop. If the problem persists, you may need to replace the battery.
Remove the battery from the device to determine if a hardware issue is causing the problem. If power issues are affecting the device’s ability to boot, be sure to determine if the battery, charging cable, or other component needs replacing.
Disconnect all USB devices
Windows 10 updates can sometimes conflict with USB devices, causing your computer to not boot. To resolve this issue, you can disconnect all USB devices and restart your computer. ..
If your computer remains on the same loading screen, unplugging all USB devices may resolve the issue. If you are experiencing other issues, you may need to restart your computer. ..
Disable fast startup
In your BIOS or UEFI, there is a setting called Fast Boot that allows Windows 10 to boot faster by preloading drivers. Unfortunately, Windows Update can break Fast Boot compatibility. Fortunately, you can enable and disable Fast Boot through the BIOS instead of Windows 10, and the method for accessing the BIOS/UEFI screen varies from computer to computer.
In most cases, pressing the Del key during boot should trigger the POST environment. The other two keys that might work are F2 and Escape. After entering BIOS or UEFI, the Fast Boot option is usually in the advanced options, but it can also be found anywhere. If you don’t see a Fast Boot entry, your computer was manufactured before 2013 because it didn’t include a Fast Boot option.
Check your other BIOS/UEFI settings.
-The computer’s BIOS/UEFI settings should be set to the following: -Boot from a CD or DVD -Use a Legacy BIOS/UEFI Boot Device -Disable Secure Boot
Safety mode
Secure Boot can prevent your computer from booting if the Secure Boot configuration is incorrect. You can disable Secure Boot in the BIOS, but this may require resetting Windows 10 to factory defaults and/or resetting the BIOS. Disabling Secure Boot may also prevent you from upgrading to Windows 11. The reason Secure Boot causes problems is that it was designed to protect computers from malware. ..
Since the drivers and hardware components that Windows loads at startup are verified, any driver or hardware component that the system does not recognize will cause a startup error. Secure Boot settings are located under Boot Options. You can enable or disable them. It must be configured for Windows UEFI mode and not another OS (usually Linux).
Compatibility Support Module (CSM).
A boot drive formatted with a system BIOS must have an MBR partition table. A UEFI-formatted drive requires a GPT partition table, which allows the UEFI system to function like the older MBR system. CSM (Compatibility Support Module) allows the UEFI system to function like the older MBR system. ..
Booting into the command prompt
You can use the command prompt to troubleshoot problems with your computer. You will need Windows 10 on a bootable disk or USB drive to do this.
To boot from a USB drive or DVD in Windows 10, look for a key combination that you can use to enter the BIOS. This information is usually displayed next to the manufacturer’s logo. Switch to the Boot tab and make the USB drive or DVD the first bootable device. Your choice will depend on where your copy of Windows 10 is located. Again, the details of this process may vary from system to system, so follow the onscreen instructions. ..
Windows 10 installation disk or drive:
- Save your configuration and restart your PC.
- When prompted, use the keyboard to indicate that you want to boot from disk or drive.
- Enter your desired language, currency and input settings and select Repair Computer on the next screen.
- Then select Troubleshooting > Advanced Options > Command Prompt and a window for entering commands should appear.
Use System Restore or Startup Repair
If you’re already booted Windows 10 from a disk or drive, it’s worth using a few utilities that are available as part of the process. After booting from the drive as described above, you will have access to options that can help you recover your PC up and running. Look for the System Restore and Startup Repair links on the Advanced Options screen.
System Restore is a utility that allows you to restore your computer to a previous restore point. It can fix boot problems caused by a change made instead of a hardware failure. Startup Repair is a general troubleshooting program for problems that prevent Windows from starting. If you have trouble finding the cause of your startup problems, run the utility so it can find a solution.
Final note
If you’re having trouble starting your computer, it may be because of a problem with Windows 10. In this guide, we’ll show you how to fix the issue so that your computer starts up correctly again. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us. We would be more than happy to help you out.
