[6 Ways to 100% Fix] the 'Your PC Did Not Start Correctly' Error

Q: What is the blue screen of death?

The Blue Screen of Death is often displayed when your Windows PC freezes. Microsoft calls it an official stop error. It displays the message that your computer has encountered a problem. The Blue Screen of Death is named so because the background of the message was a blue color. Windows 11 changed the colour of this message to black. When you get this error, you usually restart your computer and go back to whatever you were doing.

You may receive the error “Your PC Did Not Start Correctly” when your computer is unable to boot in Windows. The error means that something has interrupted the booting process. You may or may not need to take action. Sometimes restarting your computer can fix the issue, but there are other solutions if this doesn’t work.

What Is the ‘Your PC Did Not Start Correctly’ Error?

The Windows 11 boot process was interrupted. Causes include:

If the computer shuts down or loses power before Windows has a chance to boot,
Configuration incorrect
Bad drivers
Update for Windows: Recent Windows Update

How to Fix the ‘Your PC Did Not Start Correctly’ Error

To fix it, you will need to check each one in turn. You can continue to use your computer normally if your PC boots up into Windows at any time.

Solution 1: Restart your computer

The first thing you should do when this error occurs is to restart your computer. When your computer has a temporary issue, it will reboot, and Windows will begin normally.

Select Restart to restart your computer.

Windows 7:

You can reboot Windows 7 or Windows Vista by using the Start menu.

Open the Start Menu from the taskbar.
Select the small arrow located to the left of the Shutdown button in Windows 7 or Vista.
Select Shut down or turn off the computer on Windows XP.

Windows 8:

Open the Charms bar by moving your mouse to either the bottom-right or top-right corner.
You can also press Windows + C to open the file.
Click on the Settings charm.
Click on the Power icon in the Settings menu.
Restart by clicking on the Restart option.

Windows 10:

Press the Windows key or click on the Start button at the bottom left corner of your screen.
Click on the Power icon in the Start menu. The icon looks like a circular shape with a vertical bar at the top.
Restart by clicking on the Restart option.

Windows 11:

Press the Windows key or click on the Start button in the middle of the taskbar.
Click on the Power icon in the lower right corner of the Start menu. The icon looks like a circular shape with a vertical bar at the top.
Restart by clicking on the Restart option.

Solution 2: Use the Startup Repair Tool

Windows comes with a repair tool capable of fixing many problems that prevent computers from booting. Try the Startup Repair Tool if your computer has failed to boot up Windows after restarting.

Select Advanced Options, Troubleshoot, Advanced Option, and Startup Repair to use the tool. Log in to your user account, and then let the tool do its work. After it’s finished, restart your computer and check if Windows boots up.

Boot in Safe Mode forces Windows to load the minimum components necessary to get your operating system running.

From the error screen, select Advanced Options > Troubleshoot Advanced Options > Startup Settings and click Restart.

Remove any Windows updates installed recently that may be the cause of this startup error. Here’s how:

Windows 11: Settings Windows Update Update History Uninstall Updates. Click Uninstall next to the latest update.
Windows 10: Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update, View Update History > Uninstall Updates. Right-click the most recent update that you installed and select Uninstall.

Solution 3: Restore your system

System Restore will fix the issue if the changes made by you, another person, or a program caused the problem.

This tool is accessible via Advanced Options > Restore the system from the error screen.

Solution 4: Repair your Windows boot configuration data

Your boot configuration data may be corrupt and prevent Windows from loading correctly.

From the error screen, click Advanced Options > Command Prompt and follow the instructions.

Solution 5: Reset the PC. If you can’t boot Windows, here is what you need to do

If your computer still won’t boot up after reinstalling Windows or you’re unable to install Windows, it may be due to a hardware problem that requires you to replace the defective components. If your computer still has a warranty, you can contact the manufacturer to get additional support.

FAQs

What is the blue screen of death?

The Blue Screen of Death is often displayed when your Windows PC freezes. Microsoft calls it an official stop error. It displays the message that your computer has encountered a problem. The Blue Screen of Death is named so because the background of the message was a blue color. Windows 11 changed the colour of this message to black. When you get this error, you usually restart your computer and go back to whatever you were doing.

Why does restarting a PC help fixing so many computer problems?

Restarting clears out the current working memory of a computer (RAM) and allows the computer to start over from when you last turned it on. Sometimes software leaves behind some information in memory that it shouldn’t have, which then causes a conflict with other software. Also, sometimes files are temporarily corrupted or malformed, and when other software reads the file, it gets an error it can’t handle (it doesn’t know what to do) and stops responding.