How to Fix the "Windows Didn't Load Properly" Error

Quick access: Fix the “Windows didn't load correctly” issue

To fix the error message that says "It looks like Windows didn't load properly", you can choose to restore your computer to an earlier point, though note that some downloaded files and applications, as well as personal files saved on the system partition, might be lost. The easiest way is to watch this video, which shows three ways to fix the issue of "Windows didn't load properly."

• 1 - Repair MBR and system files
• 2 - Fix BCD errors
• 3 - Uninstall software or drivers in Safe Mode

If you need more guidance, read the solution below for more information.

Please provide the content you want to translate into English, and I'll do my best to help you with the translation.

It looks like Windows didn't load properly.

"Autorepair"

Windows failed to start properly.

"System Restore" can try to return your computer to an earlier state when it was working normally. This fix won't alter your personal data, but it might delete some apps you recently installed. The process can't be undone.

Restore | Cancel

It looks like Windows didn't load properly.

This is a Windows Automatic Repair issue, called Windows failed to start, or you might see various variants like Windows failed to start correctly, your PC didn't start correctly, or Windows failed to restart correctly. Each specific error has additional information that tells you what to do next. Before you can fix the error, you need to understand what caused it.

What could be the reason for "your computer didn't start up properly"?

The "Windows failed to load correctly" error is typically caused by:

1 - Lost or Damaged BCD

BCD is missing or corrupted. This could be due to a disk writing error, power failure, a boot sector virus, or an error when manually configuring the BCD.

2 - File system corruption

The file system itself may be corrupted or damaged.

3 - Corrupted system files

System files can become corrupted.

With the reasons figured out, you can accordingly fix the “Windows failed to start” error. To resolve your issue, I've rounded up 5 effective ways to fix the “Windows failed to start” error on Windows 10/8.1/8/7.

• Solution 1: Recover Data to Another Drive
• Solution 2: Boot into Safe Mode
• Solution 3: Run CHKDSK
• Solution 4: Rebuild BCD
• Solution 5: Perform System Restore

Solution 1: Recover data to another disk to avoid data loss

Before fixing the "Windows failed to start" error, it's essential to export or recover your data to avoid further complications. Since your computer isn't able to load or boot, you'll need to create a bootable disk to access your computer. You can run the Data Recovery Wizard WinPE version tool. This allows you to recover data to another drive even if you can't boot into Windows. Additionally, this data recovery software boasts several notable features:

• Recover Data from a Dead Hard Drive
• Recover Data from a Broken Windows 10/8/7 System
• Retrieve Photos, Videos, Documents, and Emails

Step 1. Run the Data Recovery Wizard. Select the drive where you lost your files and start the scan. This software lets you recover lost data from all kinds of devices, including HDD, SSD, USB drives, SD cards, flash drives, cameras, and more.

Step 2. Review the complete scan results. You can use the file type filter to select the file type you need. The Stellar Data Recovery tool supports over 1000 file types, including photos, videos, documents, emails, audio files, and more.

Step 3: Select the files you want to preview. Click “Recover” and set a location to save your recovered data.

Fix 2: Enter Safe Mode to Address Incorrect Windows Loading

Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode of Windows. It's your safest and most likely option for troubleshooting when you can't start Windows due to the “Windows failed to load” error. Since you can't get into Windows with this error, you'll need to use your Windows installation disc/DVD to do this. If you don't have an installation disc, follow Microsoft's instructions to create a Windows Installation Media here. Then, boot into Safe Mode:

Step 1. Connect the Windows installation media to your computer.

Step 2. Select Boot from install media on the screen.

Step 3: Wait for the file to load.

Step 4: In the Windows Setup window, click Next.

Step 5: In the Windows Setup window, click on Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.

Step 6. Select a Safe Mode option (Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt) to proceed into.

You can uninstall suspicious software or drivers in Safe Mode.

Fix 3: Run CHKDSK to fix the issue with Windows 10 not loading properly

Since you can boot normally, you need to create a Windows 10/8/7 installation disc. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Insert the Windows 10/8/7 installation CD/DVD or USB into your computer > Boot from it.

Step 2: Click “Repair your computer” or hit F8 while the installer is loading.

Step 3: Click on “Troubleshoot” > “Advanced options” > “Command Prompt.”

Step 4. Type chkdsk E: /f /r /x and press “Enter.”

"E" is the letter of the drive that you want to repair.

Fix 4: If Windows fails to load correctly, rebuild the BCD

If the BCD goes missing or gets corrupted, Windows 10/8/7 fails to load properly. Hence, you can rebuild BCD to fix the error. You'll also need a Windows installation disc for this.

Step 1. Insert the Windows 10/8/7 installation CD/DVD or USB into your computer > Boot from it.

2. Click “Repair your computer” or press F8 while in the installation screen.

Step 3: Click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.

Step 4. Type each line and press Enter:

Back up the BCD file as BCD.old

bcdboot C:\Windows /l en-us /s G: /f ALL (Note: C:\ is the drive where Windows 10/8.1/8 is installed)

5. When you're done, type exit in the Command Prompt, and restart your computer.

Solution 5: Run System Restore if Windows Still Won't Start

If a System Restore point was created before the “Windows failed to start” error occurred, you can perform a system restore to fix this issue.

Step 1: On the blue screen, choose “Advanced options,” then navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore.

Step 2: Choose a restore point to which you want to return your computer.

Step Three: Wait for the recovery process to complete, and then restart your computer.

If you don't have a system image, you can install Windows 10/8/7 on your own via USB. Install Windows 10/8/7 from USB

Conclusions

If you're seeing the "Windows didn't start correctly" error, you've come to the right place. Here, you'll find five practical solutions to fix this issue. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to contact us and share your fixes.

"Frequently Asked Questions: 'Windows Failed to Start' Issues"

If you're still having issues, see the Troubleshoot questions for more help. You can also get more help with Windows startup problems.

How do I fix the "It looks like Windows didn't load properly" issue? When encountering the error "It looks like Windows didn't load properly," try the following steps to resolve it: 1. Restart your computer: First, simply restart your PC. Sometimes, this can solve temporary system issues. 2. Boot in Safe Mode: If normal startup doesn't work, attempt to boot into Safe Mode. Press the power button to turn on your computer and repeatedly press the F8 key before the Windows logo appears. Select "Safe Mode" and log in. In Safe Mode, the system starts with basic drivers and services, which aids in diagnosing problems. 3. System Restore: While in Safe Mode, open "Control Panel" or "Settings," find the "Recovery" option. Choose "Open System Restore" and follow the wizard to select a restore point, ideally one from before the issue occurred. 4. Check for hard drive errors: Use the built-in "Disk Check" tool to check for errors on your hard drive. Search for "cmd" in the Start menu search box, run Command Prompt as an administrator, then type "chkdsk /f /r C:" (replace C: with your system drive letter) and press Enter to execute. 5. Windows Automatic Repair: Restart your computer and repeatedly press F11 (or F8 on some systems) during startup to access the "Advanced Startup Options." Choose "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced options" > "Automatic Repair." The system will attempt to detect and fix boot issues. 6. SFC Scan: In Command Prompt, type "sfc /scannow" to scan system files and repair any damaged or missing ones. 7. Last resort: If all else fails, you might need to perform a repair installation or a full reinstallation of Windows using installation media. Make sure to back up all important data before proceeding. Note that these steps may vary slightly depending on the version of Windows you're using. Throughout the process, carefully follow on-screen instructions to avoid unnecessary data loss.

You can fix the issue of Windows 10 loading incorrectly with the following solutions:

• Restore data to another drive
• Boot into Safe Mode
• Run CHKDSK
• Rebuild BCD
• Perform a System Restore

What's causing your computer to fail to start up properly?

As mentioned above, Windows might fail to start normally due to a third-party program, recent hardware changes on the system, BCD errors, or file system corruption.

Why isn't Windows 10 working properly?

Sometimes, a third-party antivirus or anti-malware program might interfere with certain Windows apps.

How do I fix issues with starting Windows?

This issue can be fixed by uninstalling the new software or driver.

• Insert the bootable Windows installation drive and boot from it. • Select your language preferences and click "Next." • Click "Repair your computer." • Choose "Troubleshoot" > "Advanced options" > "Startup Settings" > "Restart." • Press F4 to start Windows in Safe Mode. • You can then uninstall the newly installed software or driver.