Is your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer or device unable to load the operating system successfully? Is Windows reporting missing or damaged system files? If that's the case, you should try to boot from a recovery drive and use the Startup Repair tool. It’s a very helpful tool that can repair your system and save you from having to reset or reinstall the operating system. Here's how it works:
Startup Repair running on a Windows 11 computer
Obviously, this tool is safe, as it’s made by Microsoft itself, and it comes in handy when Windows fails to boot correctly.
Boot your computer from a Recovery Drive, System Repair disc, or Windows installation media
TIP: Here’s how to boot from a USB drive on your PC.
Choose your keyboard layout
The list of available keyboard languages is quite long, and you may have to scroll until you find the layout you want to use. Then, on the next screen, click or tap on Troubleshoot (Reset your PC or see advanced options).
Select Troubleshoot
On the Advanced options screen, click or tap on Startup Repair (Fix problems that keep Windows from loading).
Launch Startup Repair
Now scroll to the “How to use Startup Repair in Windows 10 and Windows 11” section of this guide to see what happens next.
Complete the first step of the Windows Setup
On the second step, click or tap on Repair your computer at the bottom-left corner of the wizard. Alternatively, you can also press R on your keyboard.
Repair your computer
On the Choose an option screen that shows up next, click or tap on Troubleshoot.
Choose Troubleshoot
This loads the Advanced options screen. On it, press the Startup Repair option to “Fix problems that keep Windows from loading.”
Initiate the Startup Repair
Next, here’s what the Startup Repair tool does:
Startup Repair is Diagnosing your PC
After a while, if problems have been found, Startup Repair will attempt to repair them.
Startup Repair is Attempting repairs
If Startup Repair manages to repair your problems, you are informed, and you can restart your Windows computer or device and use it normally again.
On the other hand, if it can’t repair the problems, Startup Repair will tell you about it, and you’ll have the option to access the Advanced options screen again, where you can find other troubleshooting tools. Or... you can simply Shut down your computer.
Startup Repair couldn't repair your PC
In case you’re wondering about “How long should a Startup Repair take?” we can tell you that it should all be over in a few minutes on a modern computer with a solid-state drive. However, on a slow PC that still uses a hard-disk drive and a lot of boot issues, the whole process will take longer than that.
TIP: If nothing seems to work to make your computer boot normally, your MBR or EFI Bootloader might be broken. In that case, you might want to try troubleshooting them using the bcdboot or bootrec tools. You’ll find instructions here: Repair the EFI Bootloader or the MBR (Master Boot Record) for Windows.
What is Startup Repair & What does it do on your computer?
Startup Repair is a tool designed to fix problems like missing or damaged system files used to load the Windows operating system. It can’t detect or fix hardware failures, nor does it help against virus attacks and the damage they do. Instead, it scans your computer or device for system issues (corrupt system files, invalid boot files) and then tries to fix the problem.How to launch Startup Repair
Obviously, your computer or laptop can’t boot Windows properly, which is why you’re trying to run Startup Repair. So, you can’t rely on your operating system to launch it. But, in order to use this tool, you can and should boot your Windows computer from a recovery drive, a System Repair disc, or a Windows installation drive. Either one will work, and you can create any of them on a working Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer. If you don’t know how to do that, here are some tutorials that will guide you through the required steps:- How do you create a USB Windows 10 recovery drive?
- How to create a System Repair disc in Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Windows 10 Media Creation Tool: Create a setup USB stick or ISO
- Windows 11 Media Creation Tool: Create a setup USB stick or ISO
How to launch Startup Repair from a USB recovery drive or a System Repair disc
Once your PC boots, you might be asked to choose the keyboard layout you want. If this happens, click or tap on the layout that matches your keyboard. To navigate between all the available keyboard layouts, press “See more keyboard layouts.”How to launch Startup Repair from a Windows installation drive
If you’ve chosen to boot your computer or laptop using a Windows installation drive, wait for the Windows Setup wizard to load. Select the language, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method you prefer, and press Next.How to use Startup Repair for Windows
Regardless of how you started Startup Repair, it will now automatically begin “Diagnosing your PC.”
Discussion (10)
Thanks for all that precious knowledge that you’ll share with the world….!! but i got a question? I would like to know how do you start a Desktop or loptop, notebook etc when you have a bsod? no display to figure out what is happening with your pc? when you don’t have any extra equipment or parts to swap out to diagnose the equipment you having the issue with? For me I think this is something to think about? like we all say is not rocket science we are dealing here is just basic things that we may face any time during our routine lives you’ll. thanks i hope you”ll have a simple fix for it.
I have a HP Compaq 8200 Elite upgraded with windows 10, its been sitting in a box for 3 month, I set it up turn in on and it works, turn it off come back the next day and get the PC repair program , none of the options worked ” system registry file is missing or contains error . I dont have restore cds and I hope I dont have to lose my files ……….HELP !!!!
I had a question. Something happened, im not sure what, but occasionally my Lenovo windows 8.1 touchscreen desktop would blue-screen and say “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” but it would just sit there. Id turn it off and back on a few times till it says “advanced Options” and id hit “Exit and continue to windows 8.1” where the lock screen would come back and id use the computer like normal. But this time, when the lock screen came back, I couldn’t do anything. My finger wouldn’t work, my keyboard wouldn’t either. I try turning if off and back on, and still nothing. What happened and how do I fix this?
What should I do if my computer (with Windows 8), right after it’s powered, goes in a big loading screen saying “Wait”… and stays like that for – right now – 5 fucking hours? The only clue I have is that I might’ve accidentaly shut it down hard, because some asshole put that power button in such place a slight move may power it down…
My computer freezes on the ‘Preparing Automatic Repair’ screen. Does anyone know if the recovery drive on a flash drive still work for this issue? And if so, do I insert the flash drive before starting the computer? Thanks.
Sounds great, but what do you do if you don’t know anyone with a Windows 8.1 computer?
You should note that on newer computers (such as Toshiba P-50B) with Win 8.1 it is possible to reach the “Choose an Option” screen without a recovery drive. Press and hold the 0 key while starting up. Hold down 0, a menacing looking Red screen with come up telling you that you are in the HD Recovery area – press Yes to continue. THIS DOES NOT wipe out your HD, yes takes you to the “Choose and Option” screen.
Holding down zero (0) worked for me. Thank you
Wow, that is news to me, and I work in a PC Shop. Point is, there’s a million different secret manufacturer and software company shortcuts that they do not want anybody to know about, or else who makes the money? Basically, however you found that trick out, is awesome. That may be a strictly Toshiba firmware feature for their newer laptops, or it sounds like Windows 8.1 just had a bunch more of secret shortcuts to give out? Anyway, I thought about putting my two cents out there and say thanks for that awesome tip! Remember, we’re all in this together, even Microsoft. lol
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