How to repair Windows 10 or 11 PC when it won't start

This time, we will explain how to repair your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC when it does not start.

We will introduce solutions for cases where Windows does not start, appears to be spinning on the screen, or does not load correctly.

We will also explain the causes and repair methods when automatic repair fails or occurs repeatedly, so we hope you will find this helpful.

If Windows does not start and progress beyond the spinning screen

If Windows does not start and you cannot proceed beyond a spinning screen, there may be a problem with your hard disk.

Basically, you need to remove the hard disk from your PC and connect it to another computer to examine it, or boot from the startup disk (USB) and use the command prompt to repair it.

• Check for hard disk failure
• Boot from startup disk and try repair

Check for hard disk failure

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC won't start, you should first check to see if there is a problem with your hard disk.

If your hard disk has failed, you may want to clone it using ErrorSkip Duplicator.

A duplicator is a duplicating machine for copying data, and there are ones specifically for HDDs. This is convenient because you can copy data even if you do not have access to a computer. Also, some duplicators can skip errors occurring on the HDD.

If you have a hard drive with an error, try cloning it using something like this and try to rescue the data.

If you hear strange noises coming from your hard disk, there may be a problem.

In addition, the following is a method to check whether there is a problem with the hard disk by connecting it to another computer.

[How to check if there is a problem with the hard disk]

1. open control panel
2. Select "Security and Maintenance"
3. Select "Maintenance"
4. If "All drives are working properly" is displayed, there is no problem.

Other ways to check hard disk errors:Check hard disk for errorsis.

If there is no problem, try to repair by booting from the startup disk.

If the hard disk is not faulty, try to repair it by booting from the startup disk.

[How to start Windows from the startup disk and attempt repair]

1. Create a startup disk (installation media)
   1. Downloading a Windows 10 disk image (ISO file)
      or
      Download Windows 11Download the installation media file at
   2. Connect the creation media (USB, DVD, etc.) to the PC
   1. I accept the license terms
   2. Select "Create installation media for another PC (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file)"
   1. Select "Next"
   2. Select the language, architecture, and edition that best suits your computer.
   3. Uncheck "Use recommended options for this PC"
   4. Select "Next"
   5. Select "ISO file"
   6. Select "Next"
   7. If you want to write to a DVD, select "Open DVD writing drive"
   8. If you don't have a DVD inserted, put it in the drive and select "Burn".
   9. Select "Close" when finished
2. When writing to USBRufus – Easily create bootable USB drivesuse software such as
   1. After downloading Rufus, start it by double-clicking it.
   2. Select the USB you want to create media on your device
   3. Select the obtained ISO file
   4. Select "Start"
   5. Select "Close" when finished
3. Make a backup of your hard disk
4. Connect the startup disk to the PC and start the PC
   (If it does not start, you need to change the boot device order in BIOS (UEFI))
5. When “Windows Setup” opens, select “Next”
6. Select "Repair your computer"
7. Select "Troubleshoot"
8. Select "Startup Repair" (trying it several times may solve the problem)
9. If it doesn't improve, try performing a "system restore".
10. If the problem still does not improve, try repairing using the command prompt in the next chapter.

How to use Command Prompt when Windows 10 or 11 does not start

If Windows 10 or Windows 11 does not start, checking for errors or repairing the boot sector using Command Prompt or PowerShell may solve the problem.

• Check hard disk for errors
• Try repairing the boot sector

Check hard disk for errors

If Windows 10 or Windows 11 does not start, you can check your hard disk for errors using Command Prompt or PowerShell.

The Check Disk command can scan your entire hard disk, detect system errors, and even repair them.

[How to check hard disk errors with PowerShell]

1. Right click on "Start (Windows mark)"
2. Select "Windows PowerShell (Administrator)"
3. In the window that appears, enter "chkdsk appropriate drive letter:/option"
   (Options: None...run scan only, f...run scan and repair errors, r...run options in f plus bad sector detection and repair, b...options in r plus scan for bad sectors again)
4. Pressing Enter will run chkdsk
5. If the message "Do you want to schedule the check?" appears, type "Y" and press Enter.
6. If you see the message "This volume will be checked at the next system restart," restart your PC.
7. Results will be displayed once the scan is complete

If Windows does not start and the above methods do not work, you will need to boot into the recovery environment and run chkdsk from the command prompt.

[How to check hard disk errors using command prompt]

1. Repeatedly force shutting down the PC or using installation media to boot into the Windows recovery environment
2. Select "Advanced options"
3. Select "Troubleshoot"
4. Select "Advanced options"
5. Select "Command Prompt"
6. Select administrator account
7. enter password
8. Command prompt starts
9. Enter the chkdsk command (similar to PowerShell)

[Try repair with sfc /scannow command]

1. Start Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
3. A scan will be performed, and if any inconsistencies are found, repairs will be performed automatically.

Try repairing the boot sector.

To repair the boot sector using Command Prompt when Windows 10 or Windows 11 does not start, please follow the steps below.

The boot sector is the programs required to start Windows.

[How to repair the boot sector using command prompt]

1. Boot your PC with a startup disk (installation media), etc.
2. Select "Repair your computer"
3. Select "Troubleshoot"
4. Select "Advanced options"
5. Select "Command Prompt"
6. Type "bootrec /FixMbr" or "bootrec /RebuildBcdr" ("bootrec /FixMbr" is invalid depending on the system drive) and press the Enter key.
7. Restart your PC when the work is complete

How to repair when the message "Recovery windows did not load correctly" appears and the system does not start up.

If the message "Recovery Windows did not load correctly" appears and your computer does not start, performing Startup Repair or System Restore may resolve the issue.

→If there is no problem, try to repair by booting from the startup disk.

Causes and repair methods when automatic repair cannot be performed repeatedly on Windows 10 and 11

If automatic repair fails or repeats on Windows 10 or Windows 11, the most likely cause is a problem with the MBR (Master Boot Record) or boot configuration data.

The master boot record is the part of your hard disk that is read first when your computer starts up.

If there is a problem in the part that is first loaded, it will be impossible to complete the process up to booting the OS.

In this case, the problem may be resolved by repairing it using the steps below.

→Try repairing bad sectors.

How to repair Windows 10, 11 that won't start using WinRE

If Windows 10 or Windows 11 won't start, booting and repairing your PC using WinRE may resolve the issue.

WinRE is a recovery tool included with Windows and is also called Windows Recovery Environment.

Here's how to use WinRE to repair Windows 10 or Windows 11 that won't start.

[How to repair Windows 10 and 11 that won't start using WinRE]

1. Windows fails to start multiple times or starts recovery environment from boot media
2. When “Windows Setup” opens, select “Next”
3. Select "Repair your computer"
4. Select "Troubleshoot"
5. Select "Startup Repair" (trying it several times may solve the problem)

How to repair when Windows 10 or 11 won't start with a black screen

If Windows 10 or Windows 11 does not start up with a black screen, there may be a problem with the memory or motherboard. Also, if your computer is a laptop, it may be charged.

In such cases, the BIOS is often not even booted.

Therefore, first make sure that the monitor and computer are connected, that the monitor is turned on, and that nothing is malfunctioning.

If the screen remains completely black and the manufacturer's logo is not displayed, there may be a malfunction in the components required to start the BIOS.

How to repair when memory is the cause

• Try removing and reinserting the memory.
• Replace the memory with one that works properly.

If the problem is with the memory, it may be due to poor contact, so try unplugging it. If multiple memories are inserted, do this one by one.

If the symptoms do not improve even after removing and reinserting the memory, it is necessary to replace the memory with one that operates normally.
If replacing the memory with a working memory does not improve the problem, it means that the memory is not the cause of the failure, so try another method.

If you have a laptop, try discharging it.

If you are using a laptop, there may be a charge inside the laptop that may prevent it from starting. Please discharge using the following method.

• remove battery
• Open the case, find the button battery, and remove it (there may be cases where it is missing)
• Find the part where the power supply is plugged in, and short the positive (+) and negative (ground -) terminals with a screwdriver, etc.

The discharge work is now complete.

It is often written that when discharging a laptop computer, it is enough to remove the battery and leave it for about 5 minutes, but that may not be enough. You can completely discharge the button battery by removing it and shorting it.

Try clearing CMOS

For laptops, there are few models that can do this, but for desktop computers, one solution is to clear the CMOS.
The steps are as follows:

• Remove all cables from the power supply unit to the motherboard.
  Probably a 24-pin cable, a 4-pin or 8-pin CPU power cable, and, if you're using a graphics card, a 6-pin cable that goes to your graphics board.
• Remove the button battery.
• Short the CMOS clear jumper. (2-3 seconds)

CMOS clearing is now complete. If the computer starts up successfully, the date and time have changed and you need to correct them.

If the problem does not improve even after performing these steps, it is probably a problem with the motherboard or CPU. From my experience, CPU problems are very rare, so try replacing the motherboard.

Furthermore, if Windows 10 or 11 does not start with a black screen displaying the manufacturer's logo, please try the method below.

It is possible that the startup is slow after Windows Update.

In this case, when the manufacturer's logo appears, press and hold the power button to force shut down, then repeat this three times to boot into safe mode and try to repair it.

[How to start in safe mode]

1. Open the automatic recovery screen (forced termination x 3)
2. Select "Select options"
3. Select "Troubleshoot"
4. Select "Advanced options"
5. Select "Startup Repair"
6. Select "Restart"
7. After restarting, select "4 (Enable Safe Mode)" or "5 (Enable Safe Mode with Networking)"
8. After booting in safe mode, try scanning with antivirus software and deleting unnecessary/suspicious applications.

Summary of how to repair Windows 10 or 11 PC when it does not start

This time, we explained how to repair your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC when it won't start.

There are many reasons why Windows will not start, such as hard disk errors.

In some cases, the computer may not be able to boot from the BIOS due to component failure. If the cause is a malfunctioning part, you will need to replace or repair it, which may be difficult to handle on your own.

If you try to fix it yourself, you may end up making the situation worse, so if possible, it's best to contact the manufacturer or a contractor.

Also, even if Windows does not start, there are several ways to deal with it, such as using a startup disk or trying to repair it on another computer.

If Windows no longer starts due to a hard disk error, the data on the hard disk may be damaged, so take measures such as using a duplicator to copy the data as soon as possible.