I am a big Microsoft Windows fan but when windows does not start at all this can be a nightmare for any computer user, experienced or not. Now days we are all lacking in patience and want things to just work, but unfortunately these problems just happen when you least expect it. Also please note that not all problems are caused by Windows itself as other programs or files on your computer can still cause Windows to not start at all.
When Windows does not start at all for me, the first thing I do is stop and think. I never rush into anything as this may cause more problems. I try to remember what I did last on the computer. Did I install a program or download updates?
Options to try when Windows does not start at all
When people say their computer is not starting, there are so many variables it is simply crazy. You might have a black screen on your computer screen, you might have a black screen with a blinking cursor, your computer might be continually restarting. The list can go on therefore I have some general options to try when Windows does not start at all.
Restart
The first action I take is to always restart my computer to make sure that Windows is really not working because sometimes a new start is all you need to get your computer back up and running.
Restart in Safe Mode
If a simple restart does not work I like to start my computer in safe mode.
To access safe mode:
When starting your computer press the F8 key on the keyboard and in the Advanced boot options menu choose safe mode. Safe mode with networking will allow you to connect to the internet and safemode with a command prompt will allow you to type in dos commands.
In safe made you can:
Use System Restore to restore your system to an earlier point before the error occurred. This is a good option to try when you just installed a software update or done something yourself to cause the problem. Open System Restore by clicking the Start button , clicking on All Programs, choosing Accessories, then System Tools, and then clicking System Restore.
Update Drivers by accessing device manager.
- Simply go to the start menu and choose control panel.
- Then click on system.
- In Windows Vista and Seven you will see the screen shown below.
- Click on the Device manager link in the left column.
Check Event Viewer in Windows. This will show detailed entries about system and program events on your computer. It can be helpful when trying to figure out what is wrong with your computer.
- To open the Event Viewer go to the Start menu and choose Control Panel
- Then click Administrative Tools and then double click Event Viewer.
Startup Repair
This is a Windows recovery tool that will help you fix startup problems. It will repair certain things like damaged system files, which are one of the most common causes of startup errors. This option is available for Windows vista and Windows Seven but you will need your operating disc to access this tool. If your computer has preinstalled recovery options, it might also be stored on your computer’s hard disk.
Disable Automatic Restart on Errors
If your Windows does not start at all and seems to be in a loop of restating you can disable automatic restart on errors by accessing the advanced boot options menu. As shown above you can get to this menu by pressing F8 when starting your computer. Then you will see an option to disable automatic restart on system failure. Another solution for a computer continually restarting is to check your computer memory.
Reinstall Windows
This is your last resort and hopefully you have a recent backup of all your important files to backup. This is because formatting a hard drive will erase all your saved files on your computer.
If not you can try to recover your files from your hard drive first, before formatting your hard drive. I usually put my hard drive into an external hard drive case and recover the files that way.
More info from Microsoft
Windows Does Not Start at All – How To Avoid This Problem
Of course I would say that regular computer maintenance will be your best defense against any problems occurring. This alone will keep your computer running junk free and smoothly.You can get a free scan for your computer to see if you have any junk files that need cleaning.
Another tip is to watch what you download and install on your computer. Ask yourself a simple question, “Do you really need the program you are about to install?” Most of the time software is installed on computers and never used anyway. Let’s face it, the less you have on your computer, the less problems you are likely to have.
This post was written by...
Mitz – who has written 923 posts on Computer Tips.
My name is Milica Pantic but everyone calls me Mitz. …I am a computer freak but I do not always talk in tech language. Hope you enjoy my website and learn everything you need to know in an easy to understand way.. If you like what you see please join: Follow Tips4pc On Twitter | Become A Facebook Fan | Subscribe RSS Feed | Tips4pc Youtube Channel
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
when i start my computer after 30 or 40 minutes my computer turn off automatically and then never restart or start what can i do?pls send me solution
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I have come into a problem as such but even though I Safe Mode , I cannot click anything with the mouse I have due to a downloaded file of my brothers which does allow me to do anything. One of the two programs is OptimizeMyPC don’t know what it is and the other used to be on my desktop but not anymore but the picture is a girl with a headset like something from a tech support place but I do not know the name of such program.
Very nice Mitz!
I am am IT, back tracking what happened before the error will surely give a good help in troubleshooting. I also like to do a thorough investigation before performing repair.
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Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after looking at many of the articles I realized it’s
new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back
frequently!
Hi, I’m running Windows 7 on my laptop…. I’ve been having problems with what I’m assuming is a rather nasty virus. It’s deleted my NETAPI32.dll file, and since then I’ve gotten notifications about the missing file and windows progressively stopped working, or was slow to load. It wouldn’t let me update my virus protection programs, and I wasn’t sure how else to handle it. I have yet to be able to back up my hard drive, and the computer blue screened this morning. After doing a system repair it started up, blue screened and took me back to system repair. I let it repair multiple times. I was not able to choose to boot in safe mode or not but I did a system restore and now whenever I restart my computer it boots the first screen with the esc and f10 options (I tried f8 and it did not work….) and then takes me directly back to system repair. I let it repair once more and then it restarted and did it again.
Is there even a way to fix this…?
Hey hii!!! I’m trapped in a really wierd problem…..i use a windows 8 laptop…a few days ago it showed a problem with windows startup……and even after 3 days….my lapptop doesn’t start up…..whenever i switch it on it shows a black Screen and a cursor and nothing can be done…please help me out! Pleaes! Asap! Please
hello, my laptop doesnot start normally…..it only starts after pressing enterbutton 4-5 times ……what to do………..ihav format the system but still it shows the same problem…………
i am using windows 7. i shut down my lappi couple of days ago.
when i started it it is not starting up
when windows logo appear nothing and after few minutes it goes to hibernate mode
and i tried to reinstall the windows from cd but it is also not installing
after taking option it shows “windows is set up” and nothing happens
plz help me
I have pc with windows 7 .Recently bought and just 30 minutes used and did shut down the system.Next time when start the PC message was windows does not start.
How to solve the problem ?
Hello all. I am having a similar issue. My computer was operating fine until the other day. Now it will not start windows (XP). Windows will not even start from the installation disk so i cannot get to the repair option. When bootin regularly, it will go through the normal process but when it starts loading windows it just shuts off. I finally got a clue out of the computer when it told me the ohci1394.sys file is corrupted. I cannot get to a point to fix this though. Windows will not load normally or from the disk. Could anyone offer some advice?
Hi dustin
in the old days, in this situation where I got the clue… I would rip the hard drive out and replace that file manually. Sometimes they were not easy to find on the installation disc so I would get the file from another computer with the same operating system.
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I get to screen that gives options to start in ‘safe mode’ etc but even after choosing safe mode the pc hangs with a blank screen and a movable mouse pointer.
So going back to the topic of what to do if your pc does not start at all – what do you do? Saying use safe mode is a cop out.
Thank you! Finally, someone having same problem as me. I’m taking it in to get looked at tomorrow. Hopefully your’re problem’s been solved. If so, please let me know how it was resolved. If not, I suppose I’ll tell you how mine was fixed.
im currently using Windows Vista. I am also facing the same problem. But i am not having Recovery Disc.. My laptop itself contains a backup drive.. After start button is on, its not at all repsonding to any key, even if the option for system recovery is choosen, nothing happens except a blue screen appears with a curser even waiting for more than 1 hour.. what can be the options to get it repaired.
I haven’t encountered this ever since I used Windows 7. Before with windows XP I do reinstall Windows at least 1 a month or every 2 months. It’s a good thing microsoft has improved their OS. I just don;t know with Windows 8 if its better than 7.
Hi Mitz
That is some great tips do deal with Windows start-up issues. I could just add Startup up in “Last known good configuration” from the same menu as Safe mode is selected. That option has saved me a couple of times.
The option that has saved me the most times is for sure System restore that lets us restore Windows to an earlier state where everything was running fine.
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I have to say that since I’ve installed Windows 7, I has no problems with either my PC or my laptop. When I was using Windows XP I had to reintall my OS every 6 months or so.
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I’ve had this problem before and I had run to an expert for help. The charge was quite costly. I didn’t know it was this easy! Should’ve known.
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You could also use a live Linux disk such as Ubuntu or Mint to recover your data.
Simply set your first boot device to your CD drive, put in the Linux disc and follow the on screen instructions . It loads into your RAM not onto your HD so none of your data is over written , then copy the data to an external HD or flash drive
Thank you for sharing these tips! Very helpful post.
I’m not much of a technical person.
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Great Mitz,
Article is just splendid.Awesome tips for new users. Thanks for such great suggestions.
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Thanks for another great post on the ever glitching effects of windows. It is nice to know of a place to go that has done quite a bit of troubleshooting on PC’s.
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Thanks for this tip. I have never faced any problem like this. But my friend having problem like this I guess. Let me pass this info to him. Hope it will be helpful to him also. Nice share
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Thanks for another great post on the ever glitching effects of windows. It is nice to know of a place to go that has done quite a bit of troubleshooting on PC’s.
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System Restore is a useful tool in Microsoft Windows. If you have a system failure or another problem on your computer, you can use the System Restore function to return your computer to an earlier operating state which may resolve those issue..
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Hello, thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic about Windows and also the tips as well. I also got the same problem and it is truly quite annoying. Glad I found this tips that you shared and it is extremely helpful for me.
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Thanks for the good tips provided here! We should learn if this case happen on us.
It’s very important we know how to fix our computer or laptop. wonderful post.
Good thing you post such useful information like this..We know it’s a kind of short notice, but very valuable and informative post..It was a grateful feeling to get some learning here.
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Thanks for the tips Mitz.. I am actually very unfamiliar with the things to do whenever my computer is not working or something is not working at all…Anyway, thanks for your help…
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Cool list of solutions for users stuck with the black screen problem Mitz.I’ve had the problem a few times myself, especially with my older PC running Windows XP. These fixes are a mighty big help.
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One thing you forget to explain, that is Registry errors. This could also cause your windows to not start and make you panic. So, at first you should fix your registry otherwise your system would become inaccessible.
By the way Mitz, What’s the main problem when i boot up my system, It only shows black screen and return to the cursor again and again?
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I have also faced one strange problem. When I was trying to format my computer, It got hangs. Don’t know how to fix it. So, I have given it to the computer repairer. He fixed my problem at all. Next time, I will try these tips given by you.
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Hi, Mitz! I agree that people nowadays lack patience and we just want everything to work
We live in a fast-paced world and we cannot afford to lose our precious time. I’m not much of a technical person but when I’m having problems with my computer, restart and System Restore are my good buddies. We should also be mindful of what we download and install. If we don’t really need it, then don’t install it – it will just take up more space and memory.
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I really need this kind of tips as i am slowing down on some parts and details about my system. Thanks a lot!
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Hi Mitz,
I am lucky in this case and restart option always work for me but you have given here A to Z solution for starting a windows and I could take help from this article if I cant resolve my problem by restarting windows in future.Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Mitz,
I am currently using windows vista and I found vista little bit complex as campared to xp.I havenot suffered from this startup problem but I think if such thing happens to me then I could repair it now by myself.
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My laptop is kinda slow these days. Recently my Windows failed to start on quite a number of occasions. Restart in safe mode and use system restore seems to be helping. But I’m still tempted to format my HDD and reinstall Windows.
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Windows Does Not Start at All. It was a help post. I’ve been experiencing a lot of problems in my window. Thanks that you shared.
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Hi, thanks for sharing these tips. I do have the same problem sometimes and mostly I just restart my computer. Most of the time it works but if it doesn’t, I don’t mess around with it and just let my husband fix it. Now, I think I can do a bit more thanks to your article LOL
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Great points here! I used to experience same problem whenever I start my windows too. Sometimes, I’m getting those error codes (not really sure what’s the right term used by computer experts on that). As like what you’ve said at the end of the post, only install programs that I actually need.
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Restart in safe mode is the best and effective option in such circumstances specially if you are using windows XP, on the other hand windows 7 is loaded with many new different features to deal with different problems. Nice piece of information Thanks.
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Most probably we start our system again when windows doesn’t start properly. Startup repair seems quite informative for windows seven and windows vista. Very helpful post.. All points are highlighted in well manner..
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