How to Fix the 'Your PC Did Not Start Correctly' Error on Windows 10/11

Last updated on February 9th, 2024 at 12:30 pm

An error notice that states, “Your PC did not start correctly”, can appear after you boot into Windows. There are a number of reasons why the problem might occur, including a recent hardware upgrade, a new or updated driver, or a damaged file system. If you are also experiencing this error, you are probably very frustrated. However, there are a few fixes that will fix this issue. So, now without any further ado, let’s get started with the guide.

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What Are The Causes of the ‘Your PC Did Not Start Correctly’ Error Message?

It is possible for Windows 10/11 to display the “Your PC Did Not Start Correctly” error for a variety of reasons. In order to troubleshoot and resolve the issue more effectively, you need to understand the possible causes. There are several causes of this error, including:

Failed Windows Update: A failed or incomplete Windows update can lead to a system that is incompatible with the operating system, resulting in problems when it starts.
Corrupted System Files: There are various reasons for system files to become corrupted, including sudden power outages, malware infections, and disk errors.
Hardware Issues: Hardware-related problems, such as a malfunctioning hard drive or RAM, can prevent the system from booting.
Incorrect Shutdown: When the system is improperly shut down, such as by forcefully powering off, file system errors can occur, and the normal startup process can be interfered with.
Driver Problems: A device’s out-of-date, incompatible, or corrupted drivers may lead to an error message during startup.
Software Conflicts: There may be conflicts between certain software applications or third-party drivers, which cause the system to become unstable when it is first powered up.
Registry Issues: Unreliable registry entries can affect the system’s ability to start.
Virus or Malware Infections: Sometimes malicious software compromises system files, disrupts normal operations, or causes errors during startup.

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How to Fix Your PC Did Not Start Correctly Error Message on your Windows 10/11 PC

So, here are some fixes that will help you resolve this error message on your Windows PC:

Fix 1: Run the Startup Repair Tool

Using Windows’ startup repair, you can diagnose and fix PC problems if your PC doesn’t start correctly. Use the Startup Repair tool once if your computer doesn’t boot correctly and keeps landing on the Automatic Repair screen. To run the Startup Repair tool on Windows, follow these steps:

If “Your PC did not start correctly” appears, select Advanced options rather than Restart.
Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
Then click on Startup Repair. You will see a new screen telling you Windows is currently trying to fix your device’s boot problems.
Nevertheless, if the blue screen persists after the above step, click the Restart button.

Fix 2: Try Safe Mode

If you need access to your PC urgently, you can boot in Safe Mode. You will, however, only be able to boot your PC with the bare essentials.

Hold the physical power button on your PC for a few seconds while it is booting until it restarts. The startup repair screen will appear on the fourth attempt after you interrupt the boot process three consecutive times. Select Advanced options.
The next step is to click on Troubleshoot.
Next, click Advanced Options.
Afterward, go to the Advanced Options screen and click Startup Settings.
To access the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Last but not least, restart your PC in Safe Mode by pressing 4 or F4.

Fix 3: Use System Restore

In Windows, system restore lets you restore your computer’s state to a previous point in time. Using this method can help you to recover from Your PC did not start correctly error message that may have been introduced by a recent change.

If there is an error, click Advanced options.
Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
Select System Restore.
Follow the instructions on the screen to find the point in time when the problem did not exist.
It will restart your system.

Fix 4: Rebuild BCD

In Windows terminology, BCD is boot configuration data. Essentially, it tells the Windows boot loader where to search for boot information based on information from the Windows runtime environment.

It might be worth a shot to fix your system’s BCD in case one or more files have become corrupt or gone missing if none of the previous fixes have worked. Here are the steps you need to follow to repair your boot configuration data:

You can access WinRe by selecting Troubleshoot > Advanced options.
Open Command Prompt from the subsequent options.
Thereafter, enter the following command in the Command Prompt: bootrec /rebuildbcd
After that, the system will scan for Windows installations that aren’t included in the BCD. It will prompt you to add them if any are found.
You can confirm by typing Y and pressing Enter.
After that, run all the following commands:
bcdedit /export c:bcdbackup
attrib c:bootbcd -h -r -s
ren c:bootbcd bcd.old
bootrec /rebuildbcd

To avoid errors, ensure to type each command one by one. Once you’re done, press Y and Enter. Finally, restart your computer once you’ve corrected the boot configuration data.

Fix 5: Check for Missing or Corrupt System Files

There is a possibility that Windows will be unable to boot if one or more system files are corrupt or missing. It is possible to fix the Your PC Did Not Start Correctly error message issue by using the System File Checker (SFC) utility. Here’s how you can run the SFC utility by using the Command Prompt:

On the error screen, select Advanced options > Command Prompt.
To boot Windows correctly, run DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) from the Command Prompt window. Here’s how to do that: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
You can then perform a System File Check using this command: sfc /scannow
You can use the SFC tool to check if there are any missing or corrupt system files on your PC. You can restart your PC automatically after it finishes scanning and repairing your system files with this command: shutdown /r

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So, that’s all we have for you on how to fix the error message Your PC Did Not Start Correctly on your Windows 10/11 PC. It’s our hope that this guide has helped you. But feel free to comment below and let us know if you have any doubts or queries.

How to Fix the ‘Your PC Did Not Start Correctly’ Error on Windows 10/11

What Are The Causes of the ‘Your PC Did Not Start Correctly’ Error Message?