Repairing Guides

how to repair my windows 10 operating system

by Ms. Hilda Kovacek III Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How to repair Windows 10 (and 11) in 4 steps
  1. The Windows 10 (or 11) repair drill.
  2. Step 1: Using DISM and SFC for system repair.
  3. Step 2: Try a recent restore point or image backup.
  4. Step 3: In-place upgrade to current Windows 10 version.
  5. Step 4: Completely reinstall Windows 10.
  6. Picking up the pieces after the repair.

How to fix Windows 10 not booting?

Windows 10 Not Booting After Update

  • Revert Installed Updates. Wait patiently for the Windows 10 booting procedure to begin after turning on your machine. ...
  • Recover Using Startup Repair. Windows 10 will not start can be fixed by running automatic startup repair in the recovery environment.
  • Boot in Safe Mode. ...
  • Checking For Errors Using Command Prompt. ...
  • Check Errors in Hard Drive. ...

How to run Windows 10 startup repair using command prompt?

How to Run Windows 10 Startup Repair Using Command Prompt

  • User Case. “Guys please help I have a laptop and I've been having the blue screen of death recently and I don't know what's causing it.
  • Instructions to Open Command Prompt. ✩ Press and hold the power switch on the computer case for about 5 seconds until the computer is completely shut down.
  • Quick Solution for Windows 10 Startup Problems. ...

Why wont Windows 10 boot?

Uninstall the latest Windows 10 update

  1. Start your PC using Windows 10 installation media. After entering the Windows Setup screen, choose the language, time, and keyboard or input method and hit “Next” to proceed.
  2. Click on “Repair your computer” on the lower left side of the screen.
  3. Then, you’ll be navigated to the advanced startup screen. ...

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How to stop automatic repair Windows 10?

One way to get to the bottom of the problem on a Windows 10 or 11 machine is to start ... and a message that says Preparing Automatic Repair should appear at the bottom of the screen.

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How do you repair an operating system?

To open Automatic Repair on a Windows 10 system, follow these steps:Boot into the recovery mode.Click Troubleshooting.Click Advanced Options.Click Startup Repair.Select the operating system.Select the Administrator account, if prompted to do so.Wait for the Automatic Repair process to finish.More items...

How do I repair Windows 10 for free?

If you're running into system problems or rogue settings, you should use these free Windows 10 repair tools to fix your PC....Now, on to the best programs to fix almost any problem in Windows 10.IOBit Driver Booster. ... FixWin 10. ... Ultimate Windows Tweaker. ... Windows Repair. ... Windows Repair Toolbox Windows Repair Toolbox.More items...

How can I repair Windows 10 without CD?

Restore without an installation CD:Go to "Start" > "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Recovery".Under "Reset this PC option", tap "Get Started".Choose "Remove everything" and then choose to "Remove files and clean the drive".Finally, click "Reset" to begin reinstalling Windows 10.

Does Windows 10 have a repair tool?

Answer: Yes, Windows 10 does have a built-in repair tool that helps you troubleshoot typical PC issues.

How do I repair Windows 10 with Command Prompt?

Open "Start", search for the Command Prompt, select it and run as administrator. 2. Then type the command: "sfc /scannow" and press "Enter". If SFC is unable to fix the problem, probably the utility cannot get the necessary files from the Windows image, which might have become broken.

Does F8 work on Windows 10?

Hi Richard, the F8 key does not work in Windows 10 . . . On the third start Windows will boot into the Recovery Environment and from there you can access System Repair, Safe Mode, Command Prompt . . . etc.

How do I restore Windows 10 without recovery media?

Hold down the shift key on your keyboard while clicking the Power button on the screen. Keep holding down the shift key while clicking Restart. Keep holding down the shift key until the Advanced Recovery Options menu loads. Click Troubleshoot.

How do I reset and reinstall Windows 10?

To reset your PCSwipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. ... Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.Under Remove everything and reinstall Windows, tap or click Get started.Follow the instructions on the screen.

How do I repair my computer without a disk?

How to Repair Windows Without CD FAQLaunch Startup Repair.Scan Windows for errors.Run BootRec commands.Run System Restore.Reset This PC.Run System Image Recovery.Reinstall Windows 10.

Can I repair Windows 10 without losing data?

By using Repair Install, you can choose to install Windows 10 while keeping all personal files, apps and settings, keeping personal files only, or keeping nothing. By using Reset This PC, you can do a fresh install to reset Windows 10 and keep personal files, or remove everything.

How do I fix Windows failed to start without disk?

Press a key when “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD” message appears on your screen. Click on Repair your computer after selecting a language, time and keyboard method. Select the drive where you installed Windows (usually C:\ ) and click Next. Select System Restore from the System Recovery Options window.

How do I restore a system image without repair disk?

Modifications of the settings are at your own risk.Insert the system image recovery disc.Restart your computer using the computer's power button. ... Click on Repair your computer.Click on Advanced options.Click on System Image Recovery option, and then follow the steps.

How do I repair Windows 10 with recovery USB?

0:004:50How to restore your PC with a USB Recovery Drive - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipData off the drive type the word recovery in the search box on the taskbar. Then select create aMoreData off the drive type the word recovery in the search box on the taskbar. Then select create a recovery drive from the results.

How do I fix error code 0xc000000f without disc?

How to Fix Error Code 0xc000000f on WindowsSolution 1: Check and Change Power Cord and Remove External Devices.Solution 2: Start Your Computer Using Bootrec.exe Utility.Solution 3: Use Startup Repair to repair BOOTMGR.Solution 4: Rebuild the BCD manually.Solution 5: Check your data cables, BIOS, and drivers.More items...

How do I repair corrupted Windows 10?

To repair corrupted system files in Windows 10, you can use Windows DISM tool and SFC tool to do it. The detailed guide is attached in Fix 2 in thi...

How do I repair Windows 10 with Command Prompt?

You can open elevated Command Prompt Windows 10, and use SFC Scannow, DISM command, CHKDSK, BooRec Commands to repair Windows 10 corrupted system f...

How do I repair Windows 10 with USB?

You can create a Windows 10 repair boot USB with Windows built-in Backup and Restore feature or using third-party Windows 10 backup and recovery to...

Can you still upgrade to Windows 10 for free?

No. The free upgrade offer for Windows 10 ends at December 31, 2017. Now you need to pay up at least $119 to get a Windows license. But you still h...

How to use SFC to repair Windows 10?

Step 1. Open Windows Command Prompt. To use SFC to repair Windows 10, you need to first access Windows Command Prompt.

How to scan a partition in Windows 10?

In the right plate, you can then select a partition of your Windows 10 PC. Click Scan button on the right-bottom to start scanning all lost/deleted and normal files from the chosen hard drive partition.

Why isn't my Windows 10 working?

If your Windows 10 PC isn’t working well because of errors in the recently installed app, driver, or update, you may try to reset the PC to repair Windows 10 errors.

How to enter sign in screen on Windows 10?

You can start your Windows 10 PC to enter into the sign-in screen. If you’ve logged in, you can press Windows + L key on the keyboard to enter the sign-in screen.

How to access recovery environment?

1. You can turn your Windows 10 computer on and off three times to enter into the Windows recovery environment. You can turn on the PC, when the Windows logo appears on the screen, immediately turn off the computer.

Can you use MiniTool Power Data Recovery?

In a word, you can use the extremely easy-to-use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to easily get back lost data after a system crash, hard drive failure/damage, accidental file deletion, and almost any data loss situations.

Is SFC a destructive tool?

Note: Although Windows 10 SFC and DISM command line tools are non-destructive tools, they make some changes to your Windows 10 system files and settings. Therefore, it’s suggested to make a full backup of your Windows 10 PC just in case.

How to fix corrupted files in Windows 10?

If you can boot Windows 10 or safe mode, you can type “cmd” in the search box. 2. Right click on the result Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator. 3. Type “sfc /scannow” (without quotes) and press Enter.

How to fix Windows 10 loading problems?

When Windows 10 cannot boot normally, you can use Startup Repair to fix Windows loading problems. 1. Boot your PC into recovery mode. If you are within Windows 10, you can click Restart while pressing and holding Shift key. If you cannot boot into Windows 10, you can press F11 at startup or boot your computer from Windows 10 recovery drive.

What to do if Windows 10 is not booting?

If Windows 10 is unable to boot, you can boot from the bootable media and then restore system from a backup. Repairing Windows 10 using a backup is far more efficient than trying several options to troubleshoot. Therefore, you should always keep more than system backup available in case system issues.

How to backup a file at a certain time?

If you want the backup to run at certain time point or event, just click the Schedule link down the button to configure one. Then click Start Backup to start the backup. When the backup is done, you can create a bootable media with a USB drive or CD/DVD.

How to install Windows 10 on a virtual drive?

1. Download the latest Windows 10 installation ISO file and save it on your hard drive. 2. Double-click on this ISO file to mount it as a virtual drive. (Windows 7 or older version of Windows will have to use third party tool to mount an ISO file) 3. Locate the Setup.exe file and double-click to run it.

Why do we need to create backups?

To avoid system issues and data loss, you should create backups at a regular basis. In order to save disk space and backup running time, you can perform incremental backups and differential backups to only backup newly added or modified files.

Where are Windows 10 restore points?

By default, Windows 10 creates system restore points on C: drive. You probably have several restore points that you may not be aware of. 1. Boot into Windows 10 recovery mode and navigate to Advanced Option menu. 2. Select the option System Restore. 3. Select your username and enter your password. 4.

How to make sure a system file is a good copy?

You may perform a System File Checker process on that computer to make sure the system file that you intend to copy is a good copy. Take administrative ownership of the corrupted system file. To do this, at an elevated command prompt, copy and then paste (or type) the following command, and then press ENTER:

What to do if Windows Update client is broken?

However, if your Windows Update client is already broken, use a running Windows installation as the repair source, or use a Windows side-by-side folder from a network share or from a removable media, such as the Windows DVD, as the source of the files . To do this, run the following command instead:

The Windows 10 (or 11) repair drill

The idea is to first try the initial step in the sequence. If that doesn’t fix what’s broken, advance to the next step. Keep working through the steps in order until you reach the end, and you are bound to fix the vast majority of problems.

Step 1: Using DISM and SFC for system repair

Since I wrote the original version of this story, I’ve obtained direct advice from Microsoft that it’s best to run DISM before running the System File Checker, a.k.a. SFC. Hence, I am reversing the order of events for this step. I’ll echo Microsoft and say “Always run DISM first, then SFC second, not vice versa.”

Step 2: Try a recent restore point or image backup

A restore point is a snapshot of a Windows PC’s OS state from a specific point in time. If enabled, the Windows System Restore capability can create and maintain restore points on your behalf. To see if this is an option on your target machine, type restore point into the Windows 10 search box.

The In-Place Upgrade Repair Install

It’s little-known and underappreciated, but one can install the same version of a Windows 10 OS onto an existing copy. This uses the Windows installation files in ISO format.

Creating a Windows Install ISO

There are several ways to get a Windows 10 install ISO, but the easiest comes directly from Microsoft’s download page.

Performing the In-place Repair Upgrade Install

Established best practice dictates a bit of preparation before you start this operation. You’ll want to save any work, and close all open applications. If you have external storage devices attached to your PC, you’ll want to “safely remove them” so they can’t impact or interfere with repairs.

How to restore computer to previous state?

To restore the operating system to an earlier point in time, follow these steps: Click Start, type system restore in the Start Search box, and then click System Restore in the Programs list.

What is system restore?

The System Restore tool uses restore points to return system files and settings to an earlier point in time. You can use it to restore the operating system to a point in time in which you did not experience the issue. When you use System Restore to restore the computer to a previous state, programs and updates that you installed are removed.

How to run system file checker?

To run the System File Checker tool, follow these steps: Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box. Right-click cm d in the Programs list, and then click Run as administrator. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password or click Continue.

What is a dism command?

DISM command Windows 10 can be used to repair and prepare Windows images, including, Windows Setup, Windows Recovery Environment, and Windows PE. Also, DISM can be used to fix the recovery image within an installation of the operating system. To repair Windows 10 using DISM commands:

What is SFC in Windows 10?

SFC (System File Checker) is a command-line utility that can scan for corruption in Windows system files and replace any corrupted or missing protected system files with a known good version. When you feel buggy with your computer or notice problems during boot, you can use SFC to diagnose problems and repair it.

How to repair Windows 10 with SFC?

To repair Windows 10 using SFC with detailed steps: 1. Open "Start", search for the Command Prompt, select it and run as administrator. 2. Then type the command: "sfc /scannow" and press "Enter".

How to restore computer to safe mode?

If this is what you need, see below. To run system restore in safe mode, follow the steps below: 1. Start your computer and press "F8"repeatedly until the Windows advanced options menu appears . 2. Click "Safe Mode with command prompt"and press "Enter".

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