- All
- Engineering
- Computer Hardware
Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community
1
Corrupted or missing system files
2
Faulty or incompatible hardware
3
BIOS or firmware issues
4
Driver or software conflicts
5
Virus or malware infection
6
User or human error
7
Here’s what else to consider
Have you ever turned on your computer and encountered a frustrating error message that prevented you from booting up normally? If so, you are not alone. Many computer users face this problem at some point, and it can be caused by various hardware issues. In this article, we will explain some of the most common reasons for a computer to display error messages during startup, and how to troubleshoot them.
Top experts in this article
Selected by the community from 94 contributions. Learn more
Earn a Community Top Voice badge
Add to collaborative articles to get recognized for your expertise on your profile. Learn more
- Nigel Griffiths Still interested in AIX on Power: System admin, RDBMS, tuning, benchmark, new product intro from hands-on experience…
30
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer |…
11
-
5
1 Corrupted or missing system files
One of the most common reasons for a computer to display error messages during startup is that some of the system files that are essential for loading the operating system are corrupted or missing. This can happen due to malware infection, power outage, disk failure, or improper shutdown. Some of the error messages you might see are "BOOTMGR is missing", "NTLDR is missing", or "Windows failed to start". To fix this problem, you need to use a recovery tool or a bootable media to repair or restore the system files.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer | WordPress | PHP | MySQL | Python
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Those are excellent points! Here's a more detailed breakdown of the most common reasons for computer error messages during startup:1. Corrupted or missing system files:These are essential files for the operating system to boot and run properly. Damage or deletion can lead to various startup errors.Causes: Hard drive problems, malware infections, software updates gone wrong, etc.Solutions: Run system file checker/integrity check, perform system restore, reinstall the operating system in severe cases.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
11
- Filippo A. Tognarelli Highly Technical Results-Driven IT Expert
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Common startup error messages stem from hardware issues (faulty components), software misconfigurations (BIOS/UEFI settings, drivers), OS errors (corrupted files), malware infections, disk problems (errors, bad sectors), and boot configuration issues (misconfigured settings). Power supply problems, overheating, and incompatible peripherals can also trigger errors. Diagnosing based on specific messages helps identify and address the root cause efficiently.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
4
- Abdullah Musa IT Support Specialist lll @ Allvue Systems | Desktop Support
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Speaking from experience, I find this happens a lot with bad driver updates, roll back usually fixes the issue but you must ensure Recovery is enabled for your user machines or else there will be no recovery point to roll back to.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
4
- Risildo Sadiku IT Specialist
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
FAULTY RAM, (BIIIP BIIIP)OS CORRUPT, BOOTMGR IS MISSING,NO BOOT DEVICE,UPDATES FAILUR,IN UEFI MODE NO BOOT MANAGER,FAN (1/2) ERROR
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
3
- Dhaval K. IT Manager · DCE · BECSE · MCP · MCSA · MCSE · CCNA · AI · CCA
(edited)
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
When essential operating system files are corrupted or missing, the computer may struggle to initiate the startup process.Most common causes listed in original article, in additional with respect to missing system file some causes as follows..1) Operating System Updates Failure2) Registry Errors3) Boot Configuration Data (BCD) Corruption4) Hal.dll Missing or Corrupted5) Master Boot Record (MBR) Corruption6) Winload.exe Errors7) DLL File Errors8) Inaccessible Boot Device ErrorAddressing these errors may involve using tools, such as System File Checker (SFC) or Deployment Image Service and Management Tool (DISM), to repair corrupted files. In severe cases, reinstalling or repairing the operating system may be necessary.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
Load more contributions
2 Faulty or incompatible hardware
Another common reason for a computer to display error messages during startup is that some of the hardware components are faulty or incompatible with the system. This can happen due to physical damage, wear and tear, overheating, or incorrect installation. Some of the error messages you might see are "No boot device found", "Memory management error", or "Reboot and select proper boot device". To fix this problem, you need to check the connections and settings of your hard drive, RAM, CPU, and other devices, and replace or remove any faulty or incompatible ones.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
-
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Dentro de mi experiencia, los componentes que normalmente generaban errores en la carga de S.O. pueden ser la memoria RAM y el disco duro.En el caso del disco duro almacena los archivos necesarios para la carga del S.O., y la memoria RAM trabaja en conjunto para impulsar dicha carga de archivos y procesos.Si esto se encuentran defectuosos dará mensajes de error.
Translated
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
5
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer | WordPress | PHP | MySQL | Python
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Faulty or incompatible hardware:Hardware malfunction or incompatibility can interfere with the boot process. Common culprits include faulty RAM, a failing hard drive, or outdated BIOS.Causes: Aging hardware, component failure, improper installation, incompatible upgrades, etc.Solutions: Diagnose hardware using diagnostic tools, replace faulty components, update BIOS firmware, ensure compatibility of new hardware.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
3
- Dhaval K. IT Manager · DCE · BECSE · MCP · MCSA · MCSE · CCNA · AI · CCA
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Faulty computer hardware can contribute to various startup errors. Here are some possible PC startup errors associated with hardware issues1) Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) with Stop Codes2) Memory Management Errors3) Disk Boot Failure4) Graphics Card Issues5) CPU Fan Failure6) Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) Initialization Failure7) Overheating Components 8) Power Supply Problems9) Peripheral Device Conflicts10) Motherboard Issues11) External Storage Device IssuesSolution: Troubleshooting hardware-related startup errors involves diagnostic tools, hardware testing and replacing/repairing faulty parts.Regular hardware maintenance and monitoring can help prevent issues before they lead to startup errors.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Javier Bobyn Database Development Manager @ Abarca Health | Microsoft SQL Server
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Faulty Ram or Video Card issues are pretty common causes for these types of errors Usually you diagnose this during post if its Ram HDD/SSD issues could also have a similar symptom like Boot device not found message or Not a bootable drive in the cases where it defaults to an alternate boot drive like an USB flash drive left on the PC
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Neranjan Viduranga Engineer, IT Support at Verdentra | MSc in NIS (UK) | BSc (Hons) in CSDF (UK)
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Apart from HDD, SSD issues, errors can pop up due to malfunctions in the power supply unit. In a laptop, this can be due to a battery issue or a problem in the charging unit. Also power surges in USB, HDMI or any other port can also lead to these errors.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
Load more contributions
3 BIOS or firmware issues
BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System, and firmware is a type of software that controls the hardware functions of your computer. Sometimes, these components can cause error messages during startup, especially if they are outdated, corrupted, or misconfigured. Some of the error messages you might see are "CMOS checksum error", "BIOS ROM checksum error", or "Invalid partition table". To fix this problem, you need to update, reset, or flash your BIOS or firmware, and make sure they are compatible with your hardware and operating system.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Dhaval K. IT Manager · DCE · BECSE · MCP · MCSA · MCSE · CCNA · AI · CCA
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
BIOS or firmware issues can lead to various startup errors on a PC. Here are some possible PC startup errors1) CMOS Checksum Error2) Invalid Boot Disk3) Boot Device Not Found4) UEFI/BIOS Corruption5) BIOS/UEFI Update Failure6) BIOS/UEFI Password Issues7) Incompatible Firmware Settings8) BIOS POST Errors9) Secure Boot Violation10) UEFI Boot Order Problems11) BIOS Beep Codes (Most popular :)12) Firmware Initialization Failures13) BIOS/UEFI Corruption Warning14) Boot Loop Addressing BIOS or firmware-related startup errors often involves accessing the BIOS settings, updating or reinstalling firmware, and ensuring that the configuration aligns with the system's hardware.Professional assistance may require.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
4
- Sai Palekar Senior System Engineer at Roche Information Solutions India Private Limited, |Google Workspace | CSuite | | ITIL | IT Infrastructure |Windows | GitHub, Gitlab| Jenkins | MacOs| Linux| ITSM | ServiceNow |
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
BIOS is a crucial component of computer hardware. If a BIOS firmware update fails, the system will stop working. BIOS difficulties can affect how quickly a computer connects to the operating system.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer | WordPress | PHP | MySQL | Python
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
BIOS or firmware issues:The BIOS acts as the intermediary between hardware and software during startup. Glitches or outdated firmware can cause errors.Causes: Corrupted BIOS settings, outdated firmware, hardware conflicts, etc.Solutions: Reset BIOS settings to defaults, update BIOS firmware (carefully!), troubleshoot hardware conflicts.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Peter Jolly Experienced Technology Manager
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
In my experience the #1 most common from a device that’s been working if a failed update. Other typical item from and undisturbed device: memory, hard drive and CPU. CPU most the is from improper cooling caused by device placement or just buildup of dust overtime.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Natraj Angappan Network AAA Security, Cisco ISE, Posture
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
We need to check the lithium battery power and change the CMOS battery in the motherboard components. Also the latest efi bios download required the latest version with trusted website page and make it to usb bootable as a firmware. Then upgrade it carefully it may cause the motherboard to be destroyed.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
Load more contributions
4 Driver or software conflicts
Driver is a type of software that allows your computer to communicate with your hardware devices, and software is any program or application that runs on your computer. Sometimes, these components can cause error messages during startup, especially if they are outdated, corrupted, or incompatible with each other or with the system. Some of the error messages you might see are "Driver IRQL not less or equal", "Inaccessible boot device", or "Bad system config info". To fix this problem, you need to update, uninstall, or reinstall your drivers or software, and use safe mode or system restore to undo any changes that might have caused the conflict.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer | WordPress | PHP | MySQL | Python
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Driver or software conflicts:Drivers (e.g., graphics, sound) or conflicting software applications can disrupt the boot sequence.Causes: Outdated drivers, incompatible software, incorrect driver installation, software conflicts, etc.Solutions: Update drivers, uninstall recently installed software, perform clean boot to identify conflicting programs, disable unnecessary startup programs.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
5
- Amit Naskar || Windows || Virtualization || Azure || AWS II End Users Support || SOPHOS Central ||
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Driver or software conflicts can cause various problems- like a blue screen. Because OS communicates with every hardware device.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Allan Javier Jiménez Barrantes Informática en BAC|Credomatic
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Siempre debemos de estar seguros de que el contralor que vamos a instalar sea el correcto de nuestro hardware. Validando el modelo, versión y serie del dispositivo. Porque de instalar el equivocado puedo provocarnos conflictos en el sistema operativo o inclusive impedirnos poder iniciarlo. Consejos: 1. Crear siempre un punto de restauración por si se nos presenta alguna dificultad podamos regresar al estado anterior. 2. Actualmente validar que nuestro controlador sea el correcto es muy sencillo gracias a las auto detecciones de software o desde la pagina web del fabricante. O en el caso de una portátil desde el l soporte de la misma. Donde escanean la maquina y validan las versiones y tipos de controladores.
Translated
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
- Sai Palekar Senior System Engineer at Roche Information Solutions India Private Limited, |Google Workspace | CSuite | | ITIL | IT Infrastructure |Windows | GitHub, Gitlab| Jenkins | MacOs| Linux| ITSM | ServiceNow |
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
When two or more hardware devices share resources or when an installed driver is incompatible with the system, driver conflicts may occur. Hardware issues, blue screen failures(in general we call it as BSOD error), and system instability might result from such conflicts.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
- Nikola Jevtic at MICELINI
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Latest problem I’m having with Windows 10 and Windows 11 is that during the updates of the system, the system partition isn’t big enough to apply the update. The solution is very hard to find, usually finalize with completely new installation of the OS.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
Load more contributions
5 Virus or malware infection
Virus or malware is a type of malicious software that can harm your computer or steal your data. Sometimes, these components can cause error messages during startup, especially if they modify, delete, or encrypt your system files or settings. Some of the error messages you might see are "Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart", "Your computer is locked", or "Your files are encrypted". To fix this problem, you need to use a reliable antivirus or anti-malware program to scan and remove the infection, and use a backup or recovery tool to restore your data.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer | WordPress | PHP | MySQL | Python
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Virus or malware infection:Malicious software can corrupt system files or interfere with startup processes.Causes: Downloading infected files, visiting unsafe websites, opening suspicious attachments, etc.Solutions: Run antivirus/anti-malware scan, perform system restore, reinstall the operating system in extreme cases.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Sai Palekar Senior System Engineer at Roche Information Solutions India Private Limited, |Google Workspace | CSuite | | ITIL | IT Infrastructure |Windows | GitHub, Gitlab| Jenkins | MacOs| Linux| ITSM | ServiceNow |
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Any kind of malicious software, regardless of how it operates, what it's intended use for, or how it spreads, is collectively referred to as malware. A virus is a particular kind of malware that spreads by infecting other programs with its own code.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
- Thomas Campbell Owner
(edited)
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
I would have to say computer virus or malware defiantly are the main cause for computer issues when starting up. Never click on an email from someone you don't know. Hackers these days know the hardware/software of an organization is usually protected, so they target individual users though Social Engineering attacks. If one email can slip in, someone clicks a link, and that is all a hacker needs to infiltrate the organization.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
- Natraj Angappan Network AAA Security, Cisco ISE, Posture
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Be aware of external mails and links and to be updated with virus signature software as well as make sure of components and patch up to date. Do not untrusted web pages it might be led to attack ransom malware attack in the client devices.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
- Renan Morais da Veiga Desenvolvedor front-end
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Minha experiência com infecção por vírus e malware começa com o entendimento do porquê que estão acontecendo as infecções e isso vai muito além de bloquear um acesso ou mexer com softwares e firewall, a melhor maneira de resolver a longo prazo é informar o usuário e auxilia-lo com treinamentos e apoio com uso de seus softwares, investir numa proteção anti-malware simples e que possa ser de fácil entendimento para que o usuário não veja aquilo como algo a temer e sim auxiliar.
Translated
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
Load more contributions
6 User or human error
The last but not least common reason for a computer to display error messages during startup is user or human error. This means that you or someone else who uses your computer might have made a mistake or changed something that affected the system. Some of the error messages you might see are "Operating system not found", "Disk read error", or "Non-system disk or disk error". To fix this problem, you need to check your BIOS settings, boot order, disk partitions, and system files, and make sure they are correct and consistent.
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
-
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
OK, lets confess up.While configuring the LPAR (Power Systems speak for a virtual machine) I have forgotten to configure one or more of the following: boot media or even a boot disk.Fortunately, this is reported quickly on boot and after the "Doh! That is embarrassing. Thankfully no one was watching! " it is very simple to fix and retry.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
6
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer | WordPress | PHP | MySQL | Python
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
User or human error:Accidental hardware modifications, incorrect BIOS settings, or improper software installations can lead to errors.Causes: Accidental deletion of system files, incorrect hardware tinkering, messing with BIOS settings, etc.Solutions: Undo recent changes, revert to previous configurations, seek technical help if unsure.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Gustavo Vegas CEO cl*t Solutions. Especialista TI en cl*t. BPO. Soporte IT. Trabajo remoto. Call Center. Help Desk.
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Based on my experience, most of the cases related to error messages or boot problems are caused by the human factor. Installation of software that does not correspond to the hardware. Improper hardware installation (physically). Static electricity shock, among others.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
7 Here’s what else to consider
This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
-
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
I use IBM's large Power Systems for AIX, IBM i and Linux. We only power up the servers once. Then they run for many years.Occasionally, I upgrade the main System Firmware which includes the Hypervisor. All the virtual machines are migrated to other servers beforehand. Then it is a quick upgrade and bounce. I have not seen a hardware problem during this operation.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
30
- Muhammad Awais Google and IBM Certified Professional | I.T Support | Help Desk | I.T Project Person | I.T Team Lead | Web Developer | WordPress | PHP | MySQL | Python
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Here's what else to consider:Specific error message: The exact error message displayed can provide clues about the root cause.Event logs: Checking system logs can reveal details about recent events and potential errors.Safe mode: Booting in safe mode can help diagnose software conflicts by disabling non-essential services.Professional help: For complex issues or hardware problems, seeking professional repair or technical assistance might be necessary.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Dmitri Granovski Technical Support
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
I used to service a number of computers in a stone-cutting facility. A combination of ultra-fine stone dust and high humidity (due to water being used as a cooling agent for the cutting blades) produced occasional hardware (and consequently) software failures reflecting errors on screen.Also, separately, plenty of computer errors occurred when people smoked regularly around equipment as the fans would suck in the tar and oils-filled smoke and combined with dust, the mixture would clog the cooling fins with almost clay-like substance.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
2
- Shaun Beers Identity Access Management Analyst (IAM)
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Don't forgot that peripherals start at boot up and any issues with accessing them can put a stop to the OS starting. Always try removing peripherals then rebooting to see if a sequence has been stuck in a loop.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
-
- Report contribution
Thanks for letting us know! You'll no longer see this contribution
Incomplete Firmware upgrade (not bothering to read the README and the pre-reqs before executing) OS upgrades that involve the libraries, device drivers and components that may impact the boot image itself - again down to failure to actually read the README guides or the INSTALLATION guides.Basically what I am saying is yes, there maybe a hardware error or a virus, but these days with virtual systems, the weakest link IMHO is the failure to * Understand the release notes or the README guides which clearly state conflicts, on what hardware or software to apply upgrades, what minimum levels should be in place before applying updates or fixes.* Lack of Testing on POC systems to observe behaviour, identify issues.
LikeLike
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
1
Load more contributions
Computer Hardware
Computer Hardware
+ Follow
Rate this article
We created this article with the help of AI. What do you think of it?
It’s great It’s not so great
Thanks for your feedback
Your feedback is private. Like or react to bring the conversation to your network.
Tell us more
Tell us why you didn’t like this article.
If you think something in this article goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
We appreciate you letting us know. Though we’re unable to respond directly, your feedback helps us improve this experience for everyone.
If you think this goes against our Professional Community Policies, please let us know.
More articles on Computer Hardware
No more previous content
- Your hardware upgrades face unexpected budget cuts. How will you navigate through the planning phase?
- Your computer hardware is overheating. What steps can you take to prevent thermal throttling?
- Your client wants high-end hardware, but their budget is limited. How do you navigate this tricky situation?
No more next content
Explore Other Skills
- Programming
- Web Development
- Machine Learning
- Software Development
- Computer Science
- Data Engineering
- Data Analytics
- Data Science
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Cloud Computing
More relevant reading
- Computer Repair Your computer has crashed and you can’t get it to reboot. What’s the first thing you should do?
- Technical Support How can you ensure that a computer repair meets performance standards?
- Business Operations What are the risks of not setting boot priority correctly in your BIOS?
- Technical Support How can you diagnose boot issues on your computer?