'Your PC Did Not Start Correctly': Every Option on That Screen Explained

What this screen means in plain English

The exact wording sounds final, but this is what it means. Windows tried to load as usual, ran into a problem, and stopped. Windows then ran Automatic Repair on its own, tried to fix the start-up problem, and still could not get to your normal sign-in screen.

That alone does not mean your files are gone. Seeing this screen has not deleted your photos, documents, emails, or other personal files. It also does not prove your computer is broken for good. It only says Windows itself could not start normally this time.

This is a real screen built into Windows, part of its recovery tools. It is not a virus warning, a scam pop-up in a web browser, or a message asking you to call a number or pay for help. If you see a phone number, that is a different screen.

Before you choose anything, pause and write down when the problem started and what changed just before it. Note a recent Windows update, a new program, a power cut, or anything else you remember. That short note can help you pick a sensible next step and explain the problem if you ask for help.

Restart: try it once, then move on if you land back here

Restart is the safest first click on this screen. It changes nothing and deletes nothing, so your photos, documents, and programs stay exactly as they were. All Restart does is close this recovery screen and try to start Windows again, from the beginning, in the normal way.

That can be enough, and it is worth one try. Windows sometimes fails to start once after a start was interrupted or a temporary fault stopped it loading. On the next try, it may load cleanly and take you straight to the usual sign-in screen.

If the same screen comes back after Restart, take that as your answer. The problem that stopped Windows starting is still there, so a second or third restart is unlikely to fix it. Click Advanced options instead of going around in a circle, and move on to the checks there.

Startup Repair: safe to try, even though it often fails

To find it, select Advanced options on the first screen, then Troubleshoot, then Advanced options again, then Startup Repair. Windows may ask you to pick your account and enter your password before it starts. You will see it listed with the other repair tools on that screen.

Our verdict is simple: Startup Repair is safe to try. It checks the files and settings Windows needs to start, and it tries to repair any it finds damaged or missing. It does not remove your photos, documents, or other personal files, and it will not fix a broken program or remove a virus.

Plug the PC in before you start, if it is a laptop, and give it plenty of time. The repair can finish in a few minutes, or it can take an hour or more on an older PC. Do not switch the PC off while it is running, and leave it alone until it finishes or shows a result.

If you see 'Startup Repair could not repair your PC,' that is a common result, not a disaster. It means this repair did not fix the start problem, and your personal files are not lost because of that message. Other options are still open to try next. If the message mentions the SrtTrail.txt log, our separate guide to that file explains it.

System Restore: turn back the settings without touching your personal files

You will find System Restore in the same Advanced options menu. A restore point is a saved copy of Windows system files, settings, and drivers from an earlier date. Some points are saved by Windows before changes such as updates, and others may have been saved by hand. Choosing one puts those parts back as they were on that date.

Our verdict: this is often the best next choice if the problem started suddenly after a change, such as a Windows update, a new program, or a new driver. It works only if the list shows a restore point dated before the problem began. Pick the most recent date from before that change, so you lose as few later changes as possible.

Before you pick a date, be clear about what will change. Personal files are not affected, so photos, documents, downloads, and music stay as they are now. Programs and drivers installed after that date are removed, though. Make a note of anything you added since then, because you may want to install a needed program or driver again afterward.

If no restore point is listed, nothing has been changed and nothing has been deleted. Close System Restore, go back to the Advanced options menu, and consider the other options there. A missing restore point is common, especially if System Restore was turned off. It does not mean your files are gone, and it does not make the starting problem worse.

The other Advanced options: two worth knowing, three to leave alone

That leaves five more tiles in the Advanced options menu. Two are worth knowing about for a home repair. The other three you can safely leave alone unless someone you trust is guiding you in person or on the phone. None of them runs on its own. Each one waits for you to select it. Knowing what each label means takes away the guesswork.

Uninstall Updates is the first of the two. Its verdict is narrow: it is worth trying only when this screen appeared right after a Windows update. It can remove the latest update, which may be the change that broke the start. If the problem began at another time, skip it and look elsewhere. Our guide to removing a bad update covers the choices you will see.

Startup Settings is the second one worth knowing. It does not fix anything itself. It restarts the PC to a list of start choices, and Safe Mode is on that list. Safe Mode starts Windows with only the basics, which can help you check a driver or remove a new program. Our Safe Mode guide gives the steps. Do not guess your way through that list.

Command Prompt and UEFI Firmware Settings are for guided repair work only. One opens a text window for typed commands, and the other opens the PC's built-in settings before Windows loads. Changing the wrong thing in either can add a new problem. System Image Recovery is different. It needs a system image you made in advance, so most home users will find nothing to restore.

Reset this PC: the last resort on this screen

Reset this PC sits under Advanced options, then Troubleshoot. It reinstalls Windows, so it replaces the system you have now rather than repairing a small fault in it. That is why the verdict is last resort only, after Restart, Startup Repair, and System Restore have been tried or you have a clear reason to rule them out.

You will see two choices once you open it, and the names sound closer than the results really are. Keep my files keeps your personal files but removes installed programs, while Remove everything wipes the PC. Do not pick from those short labels alone; read our Reset this PC comparison page first, and only return to this choice if you still think a reset is right.

Neither choice is a backup, and clicking one does not protect the files you care about. If your photos, documents, or other files matter and you are unsure whether safe copies exist on another drive or somewhere else, stop here. Take your time and get help from someone you trust before you click anything.

If you have not tried the earlier options yet, go back to them first, even if Reset looks like the simplest option on the screen. Reinstalling Windows is a big change to make while you are still worried about your files. The verdicts in order are simple: Restart once, Startup Repair is safe, System Restore rolls back settings, Reset is last.