Your PC Did Not Start Correctly Error at startup (Solved)

If you face this error, you will have the choice to restart your PC. However, many users have reported that even after restarting for a couple of times, their PC still doesn’t boot to the desktop. If you are facing a similar situation, don’t worry, simply follow the troubleshooting procedures mentioned in this article to fix this issue.

What Causes The Automatic Repair Your PC Did Not Start Correctly Error?

This error generally occurs due to corruption in the MBR or BCD files. BCD or Boot Configuration Data contains the boot configuration parameters for starting Windows. If it gets corrupted, then Windows can face unbootable situations.

The MBR is a special type of boot sector that holds the executable code to function as a loader for the installed operating system. When MBR gets corrupted, Windows boot related issues can occur. Other than this, it can also occur due to corrupted system files and registry data. Also, hardware failure or sudden power failure are other known causes.

Now that you know the potential causes of this error, it is time to troubleshoot it.

How To Fix Error “PC Did Not Start Correctly” In Windows 10?

Here I have mentioned some troubleshooting methods that you can go through in order to fix this error. Follow the steps mentioned carefully to avoid making any mistake.

Solution 1: Restore To A Previous System Point

The easiest fix to this issue is to restore to a previously created system point. System restore points are saved states of your PC that you can later restore. In other words, it’s just like visiting the past state of your PC. However, this will only work if system restore was enabled previous to this error and a system restore point was created.

If yes, then you can simply restore it, which will hopefully let you boot into desktop without any issue. To restore a previous system point, follow the steps given below:

1. In the Automatic Repair screen during the error, click on the Advanced Options button. This will open the Repair Advanced options screen.
2. Click on the System Restore option.
3. Select one of the system points made previous to this error and follow the on-screen instructions to restore it.

After restoring to a previous system point, you should be able to boot in your computer normally.

Solution 2: Rebuild BCD And Repair MBR File

One effective solution to this error is to rebuild the BCD and repair the MBR file using command lines. To rebuild BCD and repair the MBR file, follow the steps given below:

1. On the Automatic Repair screen, click on the Advanced options button.
2. Select the Command Prompt option. This will open a command prompt on your screen.
3. Type the following commands and press Enter after finishing each one:
   a) bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd
   b) bootrec.exe /fixmbr
   c) bootrec.exe /fixboot
4. Wait for the commands to finish running.

After the above commands finish running, the boot sector problem should be fixed. If this error was caused due to corruption in the boot sector, then this solution should fix it.

Solution 3: Run SFC scan

Corrupted system files can also cause this issue. It is a common knowledge that corrupted system files can lead to various Windows boot errors. Fortunately, Windows has a System File Checker tool that can check corruption in the system files and fix them. Try running the SFC scan and see if that fixes this boot-in issue. To run the SFC scan, follow the steps given below:

1. Open the Command Prompt from the Automatic Repair screen as mentioned in Solution 2.
2. Type the following command and press Enter:
   sfc /scannow

3. The scan will take 20-30 minutes approximately. Do not close the command prompt before the scan finishes.

After the scan finishes, restart the computer and your computer should boot to the desktop normally. If the Automatic Repair Your PC did not start correctly error persists, then you will have to use the other troubleshooting methods mentioned below.

Solution 4: Run The Automatic Startup Repair

If none of the above solution works, you will have to get into some of the other extreme solutions. Before that, you can try running the automatic startup repair tool, which fixes any errors related to Windows booting. To run the automatic startup repair tool, follow the steps given below:

1. In the Automatic Repair screen, click on the Advanced Options button.
2. Select the Automatic Repair option.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

After the Automatic Startup repair finishes running, your computer should boot into desktop normally.

Solution 5: Reset Windows

If nothing works, then all you can do is reset your PC. To reset your PC, follow the steps given below:

1. Insert a bootable media or Windows installation media.
2. Enter the Language and time zones appropriately.
3. Click on the Repair my computer option located in the bottom left corner of the screen.
4. Select the Troubleshoot option.

5. Click on the Reset this PC option.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If even resetting the PC doesn’t work, then you may have to reinstall Windows to fix this issue.

Solution 6: Check Hardware

Have you made any recent hardware changes, before this error appeared? If yes, then likely the hardware change isn’t sitting well with your system.

The new hardware can be faulty or incompatible with your system. Check if this is the case by using another hardware component from a different PC. If the new hardware component is the issue, changing it should fix this error.

Wrapping Up

So, there you have it. Now you know how to fix the Automatic Repair Your PC did not start correctly error. Any of the above solutions or a combination of a few should be able to help you fix this issue. If you have any further questions regarding this article, ask them in the comment section below.