If your Windows computer is experiencing startup issues, you may need to force Startup Repair to diagnose and fix the problem. Startup Repair is a built-in tool in Windows that can help resolve various startup problems, such as missing or corrupted system files, registry errors, or hardware conflicts. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to force Startup Repair in Windows and provide additional troubleshooting tips to help you get your computer back up and running.
Step 1: Power Down Your Computer
The first step in forcing Startup Repair is to power down your computer completely. Press and hold the power button until your computer shuts off, then wait a few seconds before turning it back on.
Step 2: Access the Advanced Boot Options Menu
As your computer is booting up, repeatedly press the F8 key. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu, which provides access to various troubleshooting tools, including Startup Repair.
If you have trouble accessing the Advanced Boot Options menu using the F8 key, you can try the following alternative methods:
- Use the Shift Restart method: Open the Power menu, hold down the Shift key, and select Restart.
- Use the Automatic Repair method: Restart your computer more than twice until you see the “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen. Then, select “Advanced options” and choose “Troubleshoot” to access the Advanced Boot Options menu.
Step 3: Select “Repair Your Computer”
Once you’re in the Advanced Boot Options menu, use the arrow keys to highlight “Repair Your Computer” and press Enter.
If “Repair Your Computer” is not listed as an option, it means your computer does not include Startup Repair as a preinstalled recovery option.
Step 4: Select a User Account and Enter the Password
On the System Recovery Options menu, select a user account with administrator rights and enter the password. This is necessary to access the Startup Repair tool.
Step 5: Run Startup Repair
Once you’ve selected a user account and entered the password, click on “Startup Repair” to begin the process. Startup Repair will scan your computer for issues and attempt to fix them automatically.
During the repair process, Startup Repair might prompt you to make choices or restart your computer as it makes repairs.
Additional Troubleshooting Tips
If Startup Repair is unable to resolve your startup issues, here are some additional troubleshooting tips to try:
- Run a disk check: Use the “Check Now” option in Disk Properties to scan your hard drive for errors and bad sectors.
- Restore your system: If you have a system restore point, you can try restoring your computer to a previous state using System Restore.
- Reinstall Windows: As a last resort, you may need to reinstall Windows using a bootable installation media or recovery partition.
Remember, forcing Startup Repair is just one of many troubleshooting methods available in Windows. If you continue to experience startup issues after trying these steps, it’s recommended to seek further assistance from Microsoft Support or a qualified computer technician.