How to fix Windows Boot Error (Error code : 0xc000000d)
This is a Windows Blue Screen error that occurs when trying to boot windows and is accompanied by a error message titled “Your PC/Device needs to be repaired”. You come across this issue when the task/action you performed messes up with PC boot configuration and system cannot boot to windows. There can be multiple causes for this problem, such as : corrupted HDD, incomplete windows installations, etc. Mentioned below are the steps that can be followed to resolve this issue without losing data:
Solution 1 : Startup Repair
Step 1 : Insert a recovery drive
Use bootable CD or create your own recovery drive/bootable media using CD/DVD/Pen drive. For that, download Windows Media Creation tool from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and create an ISO file for installation. Make sure that USB device is blank because data gets deleted in this process.
Step 2 : Start your machine using recovery drive
a. Start the computer and press F12 continuously to get list of boot options.
b. Select the USB device you just inserted to boot up your machine.
c. Once the setup starts, select date, time, etc. as needed. Then, click on Next Button and select Repair Your Computer.
d. Select Troubleshoot->Advanced Options->Startup Repair.
Windows will make few attempts to fix the problem. If it does, restart computer and it should boot successfully. If the issue is not resolved, move to next solution.
Solution 2 : Use Command Prompt
Start the computer and go through the options a-c of Solution 1, Step 2
Then, Select Troubleshoot->Advanced Options->Command Prompt
Run the following commands one by one :
bootrec/fixmbr
bootrec/fixboot
bootrec/scanos
bootrec/rebuildbcd
Restart computer to incorporate changes. If issue is not resolved, move to Solution 3
Note : If you don’t have backup of your data, you can still preserve it from command prompt. Insert another flash-drive and change your drive to the drive whose data needs to be backed up.
Use: xcopy <source> <destination> /s/h/i
where source is the folder of the drive which needs to be backed up and destination is the location in flash-drive. e.g.
xcopy C:\Test G:\Testfolder /s/h/i
Solution 3 : Custom Installation of Windows
If none of the above solutions work, next solution would be to reinstall windows. You will however loose your data from drive on which reinstallation will be done(for example C:). Steps are mentioned below :
i. Boot your computer using recovery drive once again. Once the setup starts, select date, time, etc. as needed and click Next
ii. Click Install now and wait until the setup starts
iii. Accept the license terms and click Next
iv. Click on “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option
v. Select the partition/drive on which installation is to be done and click Next. It is the partition where windows was previously installed. In most of the cases, it’s C: drive.
vi. You will get a popup that mentions old files and folders in the installation drive will be moved to windows.old folder. You will be able to access that data but won’t be able to use previous version of windows
vii. Machine reboots automatically after windows setup/installation is completed.
Issue should be resolved and windows should boot successfully now.