How to fix the error “The digital signature for this file could not be verified” in Windows 10?

Question

Problem: How to fix the error “The digital signature for this file could not be verified” in Windows 10?

Hi there. I need help seriously. I cannot start my PC due to an error, which says: “The digital signature for this file could not be verified.” I am not a technical specialist but I would like to solve the problem without having to pay money. Could you tell me if this is a fatal error or if it is possible to fix it from home? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Resolved answer

“The digital signature of this file could not be verified” (also known as Error Code 0xc0000428) is a boot manager error that can occur on all versions of Windows. However, since these days Windows 10 is much better than its previous versions and attracts more users every day, it may be that this article is aimed at Windows 10. Many users have complained about this error in online forums already, but the solutions they are not working and are almost always the same.

Before proceeding to fix the error “The digital signature of this file could not be verified”, we would like to explain what a “digital signature” is and what could be the culprit of this error. As various sources have explained, a Digital Signature is a mathematical technique used to validate the authenticity and integrity of a digital message, software or document.

In other words, if a software, document, message, financial transaction is digitally signed, its user or recipient is assured that the software, document, etc. it is safe and owned by a particular organization or person. Therefore, the digital signature helps prevent cheating, falsehoods and lack of responsibility.

With this in mind, the meaning and culprit of “The digital signature of this file could not be verified” is clear – a file or program that has been installed on your operating system is not digitally signed by a proper party, which is by which cannot work on Windows 10 system.

How to fix the error “The digital signature of this file could not be verified” in Windows 10?

This phenomenon can occur if you have recently installed third-party programs so, for example, you cannot pay Microsoft for your digital signature or it has been recently launched and you do not yet have it. You should check the system with ReimageMac Washing Machine X9 and look there for any malware or system errors that can potentially fix this problem automatically.

In any case, the error “The digital signature of this file could not be verified” prevents you from booting your operating system, which is bad, of course. However, you may not need to contact a professional technician after following the steps below.

A recent hardware or software change might have installed a file that is signed incorrectly or damaged, or that might be malicious software from an unknown source.
File: \ windows \ system32 \ winload.exe
Status: 0xc0000428
Info: The digital signature for this file couldn’t be verified.

Method 1. Rebuild the Boot Manager

NOTE: this method requires having a recovery disk or bootable with a Windows 10 installation. To do this, you can prepare a USB and download the ISO file from the official Microsoft website from a working computer.

1. Insert a USB disk drive and boot up the PC.
2. Press any key to boot from USB.
3. Set the language preference and click Next.
4. Choose Repair this computer and later Solve problems.
5. Click on Advanced Options and select Symbol of the system.
   
6. To continue, select your account and type the following commands in the Command Prompt window. Don’t forget to press Enter every time you insert each of them:
   C:
   cd boot
   attrib bcd -s -h –r
   bootrec / rebuildbcd

NOTE: C: here is the root disk, so don’t forget to change it if your root disk is a different one.

Method 2. Repair the boot

1. While a USB with a Windows 10 installation is connected to your PC, press the power button and any key.
2. In the event that the system fails to detect the hard drive automatically, it reads whatever appears during the reboot process and attempts to reference the key, which must be pressed to interrupt a normal boot (typically F1, F10 , ESC or DEL).
3. Then use the arrow keys to go to the option, for example, Boot, Boot Options, Boot Order or something similar and then press Enter.
4. After that, find the CD, USB drive or DVD under the boot list and change its place from bottom to top using the arrow keys. Once done, press Enter.
5. Once done, hit the F10 key to save your changes.
6. When the confirmation window appears, click Yes and wait for the system to reboot.
7. Select your preferred language, time, currency, keyboard, and other settings, and then tap Next.
8. Then select Repair your computer and wait for the System Recovery Options to open.
9. Once open, select the Windows installation disk and press Next.
   
10. After this, click on the option Repair Boot and wait for the process to finish.

Method 3. Disable digital signature temporarily

1. Click on the keys Windows + S and select Updates and Security.
2. Choose Get it back In the left side.
3. Down the page, you should see Advanced boot with a button Restart now.
4. Click on the button Restart now and wait for the system to reboot.
5. Once the PC has restarted, select the option to Problem solver.
6. Choose Advanced Options and click on boot configuration.
7. Find the option of Disable enforcement of driver signature and click on F7 to enable it.

Method 4. Run a System Restore in Safe Mode

1. Reboot your pc.
2. As soon as you see the Windows animation, press and hold the Power button on your PC until it shuts down. Do the same thing two more times and you should enter the mode of Advanced Boot automatically.
3. From here, choose the following options: Troubleshooter> Advanced Options> Boot Configuration and click on Restart.
4. Once loaded, write Create restore point in Windows search and press Enter.
5. Click on Restore system.
6. Pick a point before the problem existed and click Next.
7. Your PC will will restart repeatedly.

Fix your Errors automatically

The pcseguro.es team is trying to do everything possible to help users find the best solutions to eliminate their errors. If you don’t want to bother with manual repair techniques, please use the automatic programs. All recommended products have been tested and approved by our professionals. The tools you can use to fix your error are listed below.

To remain completely anonymous and prevent ISP and government from spying on you, you should use Private Internet Access VPN. It will allow you to connect to the internet being completely anonymous, encrypting all the information, preventing trackers, advertisements, as well as malicious content. Most importantly, you will stop illegal activities that the NSA and other government institutions carry out without your consent.

Unforeseen circumstances can occur at any time while you are using your computer: it could be due to a power outage, a blue screen of death (BSoD) or because random Windows updates can restart your computer when you are away for a few minutes. As a result, school work, your important documents and other data can be lost. To get back your lost files, you can use Data Recovery Pro – it searches through the copies of the files that are still available on your hard drive and recovers them easily.