Windows cannot boot due to driver failure: troubleshoot the error

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The truth is that any problem with the startup of our Windows PC is a serious setback. More if at that time we were about to carry out some important task with the PC, so solving all this as soon as possible becomes a priority. In this specific case we are going to focus on the problems that you may encounter when starting the PC and find a problem with the drivers or Windows drivers.

At that moment on the screen we will see a message that says that the operating system cannot start due to important errors with the system drivers. Of course, considering the importance of these small software components, the problem can be worrisome. Anyway, before this unpleasant moment occurs, we must know that keeping these drivers always updated may help us avoid it in the future.

How to update drivers and avoid crashes in Windows

Therefore, first of all, we are going to show you the best and fastest way to keep these Windows drivers updated. Thus, in addition to improving the general operation of the components to which they refer, we can avoid future failures such as the one discussed here. Well, this is something that we can do easily from the System Device Manager. We access it, for example, by clicking the right mouse button on Start. Here we find the option of Device administrator, where we click.

A new window will appear with a list in which we see all the detailed components that are part of our PC. Well, for the purpose that we are looking for here, that is, to update their corresponding drivers, we only have to click on these components with the secondary button.

update drivers

In the contextual menu that at that moment we will see in screen, we will only have to select the Update driver option. This, as you can imagine, will be very helpful when it comes to keeping these drivers up to date, and avoiding potential failures with them.

How to fix the crash with the drivers in Windows when booting

But, as we mentioned before, we can find that the system cannot start suddenly due to a failure with those controllers. So, in the event that we see the message that the operating system cannot boot due to major driver errors, let’s see what we can do. As it is easy to think, this means that the system cannot boot normally.

At the same time and to give us an idea of ​​all this, it is worth mentioning that this failure to which we refer is usually accompanied by the code of error 0xc0000221. It is for all this that in these same lines we show you some of the possible solutions that you can use to solve all this.

Make sure external devices are connected

This could be said to be a somewhat basic or elementary solution, but this does not mean that it is not effective. What’s more, on many occasions this is a mistake that we commit without realizing it and that could solve the error we are facing. And it is that we must bear in mind that this error in the boot period can occur due to a malfunction of an external peripheral. Components such as the mouse, keyboard, external hard drive, or hub USB, among others.

Therefore, we recommend that you first disconnect these elements one by one and reconnect them. In the event that we find one that is not faulty or does not connect well, the best we can do is try it on another computer. If the failure suddenly appears on the other computer as well, we already know where the failure comes from. At this point we may have to manually install a compatible controller or take a look at the physical connector.

This is something that, for example, we can achieve by obtaining the official drivers for that component from the device manufacturer’s website.

Run the SFC command to fix the drivers

When we refer to the internal Windows command called SFC, we are actually talking about a system file checker. Therefore, a possible solution to the problem we are now facing is to run it in Safe Mode. This is something that will be very useful in the event that we have startup problems related to the operating system files.

For this that we tell you, the first thing we do is start Windows in safe mode, and in the window that appears, we click on the link of Repair Windows. Next we go to Solve problems from where we will already have the possibility of opening a Command Prompt window.

Safe mode system symbol

Therefore, once in the new screen that we will see that appears, we only have to use the following command:

sfc /scannow

At that time the scanning process will begin and problems with the system files will be searched, such as the drivers, for resolution.

sfc drivers Windows

Eliminate the faulty driver causing the failure

Another of the possible solutions that we can use for this that we tell you, is to eliminate the controller that is failing and causing the problem. To do this, as we told you before, we can open a Command Prompt window in Safe Mode. One that opens the window corresponding to the CMD, in it we have to write the following command followed by Enter after each line:

cd..
cd Windows/system32
del NOMBRE_ARCHIVO.inf

This will help us to eliminate the .inf file that is giving us problems from the computer, so we only have to write the corresponding one in that same place. Say that the problematic controller with its name and path, usually appears in the error message at Windows startup.

Reset Windows to an earlier point

For those of you who don’t know, the operating systemor from Redmond every time we make a major change to the system, it automatically creates a restore point. With an important change we mean the installation of a program, the installation of an update, etc. These allow us, in case of problems, to go back to a previous point in Windows 10, when everything worked fine, and thus make it reboot in the case that it does not occupy.

Therefore we can start the computer in Safe Mode again, and in Repair computer / Solve problems, in this case we opted for Restore the system.

Restore safe system

This will allow us, as we have mentioned before, to recover a restore point created previously, to return Windows to a state without problems with the drivers.