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How to Fix Windows 10 Boot Failure After Power Outage

By: Author Alex Lim

Posted on

Categories Troubleshooting

Learn how to troubleshoot and fix Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage, using a USB installation media and some commands.

A power outage can cause serious problems for your Windows 10 computer, especially if it happens while the system is updating or installing a new feature. If your computer won’t boot after a power outage, you may see a black screen, a blue screen, or a message saying “It looks like Windows didn’t load correctly”. In this article, we will show you how to fix Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage, using a USB installation media and some commands.

How to Fix Windows 10 Boot Failure After Power Outage

What Causes Windows 10 Boot Failure After Power Outage?

A power outage can interrupt the normal operation of your Windows 10 system, causing corruption or damage to the files, drivers, registry, or boot configuration data (BCD). These are essential components for your system to start up and function properly. When they are corrupted or damaged, your system may fail to boot, or display errors or warnings.

How to Fix Windows 10 Boot Failure After Power Outage?

To fix Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage, you will need a USB installation media that matches the version and edition of your Windows 10 system. You can create one using another working computer and a USB flash drive of at least 8 GB. Follow these steps to create a USB installation media:

  1. Download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft’s website.
  2. Run the tool and accept the license terms.
  3. Select “Create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC” and click “Next”.
  4. Choose the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) that match your Windows 10 system and click “Next”.
  5. Select “USB flash drive” and click “Next”.
  6. Choose the USB flash drive that you want to use and click “Next”.
  7. Wait for the tool to download and create the USB installation media.

Once you have the USB installation media ready, follow these steps to fix Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage:

  1. Insert the USB installation media into your computer and restart it.
  2. Press the appropriate key (usually F12, F10, F9, F8, or Esc) to enter the boot menu and select the USB flash drive as the boot device.
  3. On the Windows Setup screen, select your language, time and currency format, and keyboard or input method and click “Next”.
  4. Click “Repair your computer” at the bottom left corner of the screen.
  5. On the Choose an option screen, select “Troubleshoot”.
  6. On the Troubleshoot screen, select “Advanced options”.
  7. On the Advanced options screen, select “Command Prompt”.
  8. In the command prompt window, enter the following commands one by one and press Enter after each command:
    • bootrec /fixmbr : This command will fix the master boot record (MBR), which is the first sector of the hard drive that contains information about how to boot the system.
    • bootrec /fixboot : This command will fix the boot sector, which is the part of the hard drive that contains the code to load the operating system.
    • bootrec /scanos : This command will scan the hard drive for any Windows installations and add them to the BCD.
    • bootrec /rebuildbcd : This command will rebuild the BCD, which is the database that stores the boot configuration data for the system.
    • bcdedit /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreshutdownfailures : This command will prevent Windows from displaying the “It looks like Windows didn’t load correctly” message after a power outage.
  9. After entering all the commands, type exit and press Enter to close the command prompt window.
  10. Remove the USB installation media and restart your computer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: What if the commands don’t work or I get an error message?

Answer: If the commands don’t work or you get an error message, you may need to use a different USB installation media that matches the exact version and edition of your Windows 10 system. You can check the version and edition of your Windows 10 system by using the winver command in the command prompt window. Alternatively, you can try to use the Startup Repair option on the Advanced options screen, which will attempt to fix any problems that prevent Windows from starting.

Question: What if I don’t have another working computer or a USB flash drive to create a USB installation media?

Answer: If you don’t have another working computer or a USB flash drive to create a USB installation media, you may need to contact a professional technician or a local computer repair shop for assistance. They may have the tools and expertise to fix your Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage.

Question: How can I prevent Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage in the future?

Answer: To prevent Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage in the future, you can take some precautions such as:

  • Using a surge protector or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect your computer from power surges or fluctuations.
  • Avoiding turning off your computer or interrupting the system updates or installations by force.
  • Keeping your system files, drivers, registry, and BCD in good condition by performing regular scans, backups, and repairs.

Summary

In this article, we have shown you how to fix Windows 10 boot failure after a power outage, using a USB installation media and some commands. We hope this article has helped you to troubleshoot and fix your Windows 10 boot problem. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. We are not responsible for any damage or loss that may result from following the instructions in this article. Please use the information at your own risk and discretion.