You recently updated your computer with the latest Windows 11 update. You’re happy everything works as before, but your computer fails to boot again. You have no idea why, but it just won’t start for some reason.

Whether your PC isn’t loading, shows a black or blue screen, fails to boot and keeps shutting down, or Windows 11 freezes on startup, read on to learn how to fix it.

Why Your System Won’t Boot After An Update

Even with all the great new features and convenience brought to us by the Windows 11 update, some PCs won’t start, even if you’ve followed the official installation guide.

One issue you may run into is a problem with the power supply.

Simply plugging your computer into the wall outlet doesn’t always guarantee your computer will power on because the connection could be faulty.

You may also come across a problem with the hard drive. Hard drives age by the day, and the files stored inside are at risk of corruption, especially if you share your computer with others.

If the hard drive in your computer is damaged, you may not be able to update to the latest version of Windows.

Here are other reasons for failure after an update:

Some external devices connected to the PC could be interfering with Windows 11.
Software-related issues – corrupt, missing, or damaged system files.
Your PC could be having trouble with hardware, either the CPU, hard drives, monitor, or motherboard.

Unfortunately, there’s no permanent way to keep these issues at bay.

All you can do is check for any problems that may have come from the update and see if you can fix anything.

1. Check your system requirements

If you can’t boot your PC, it is likely your system requirements weren’t satisfied before installation. Therefore, you should check if your computer meets the minimum system requirements for running Windows 11.

If it doesn’t meet the requirements, you’ll have difficulty fixing the boot issue. Once you know what’s required for Windows 11, continue downloading and installing the latest drivers.

Before troubleshooting your PC, it’s always advisable to download and install all the latest drivers for your computer’s hardware. This will ensure everything works properly and enable you to fix hardware compatibility issues.

You can also download different drivers, delete some, and do a little testing to find what works. Tampering with drivers involves a bit of a learning curve. Only do it if you’re sure about what you’re doing.

2. Turn off the power supply and turn it back on again

System updates consume quite a lot of power from the computer’s battery. You should update your computer when it’s fully charged, with power to spare. However, if no power gets to the PC, you will have an even harder time booting your computer.

Start by checking your connection to the wall socket. Is your PC hooked up to a power outlet? If not, unplug it and plug it back in properly. You should also check the charging light indicator to see if it’s charging.

You’ll see the computer LED lights turn on and hear the cooling fans spin when you switch on your computer. If your computer still doesn’t boot, you can try replacing your power source- use the battery alone this time. Your battery could be completely drained if you’re always using your laptop.

So, give it around 1-2 hours to charge (depending on how much time it takes to fully charge), and try to boot your computer again. Make sure you keep the computer plugged in while doing this. By now, your computer should be working fine. But if not, give the battery two tries before you call it in.

Once it turns on, hit the refresh button several times. Additionally, you should check for a damaged power cord. If your power cord is damaged, replace it with a different one.

3. Check if the PC monitor is functioning

Next, check that the PC monitor is functioning correctly.

If you can’t see anything on the screen, try connecting an external monitor to your computer. If that doesn’t work, your display adapter has likely failed, and you’ll have to replace it. If your PC shows that it’s charging and still can’t light up your PC’s monitor could be down. In this case, your PC power monitor button indicates it’s on, but the monitor still won’t light up.

If you try unplugging and plugging in the power cable and the monitor still shows a black screen, your PC monitor is the issue. Switch off the power outlet, disconnect your monitor, and replace it with another one.

If the problem was with the previous monitor, using a new one should fix it.

4. Unplug any devices plugged in

Do you’ve too many devices plugged into your computer? Maybe one of these is preventing the boot process.

External devices like printers, external hard drives, mice, and other devices you may have connected could be in use, preventing the system from running as it should.

Here’s how to fix it:

First, turn off the power supply.
Unplug any external drives and USB devices from your PC. This includes thumb drives, external hard drives, and anything connected via USB. Leave the monitor and keyboard connected.
Switch the power supply back on, and see if the PC stops showing the black screen.
Once it turns on, connect your external devices.

External devices can interfere with your computer and affect its performance.

That’s why you should always unplug them if you’re not planning on using them.

5. Run a repair command in the Command Prompt

chkdsk command typed into the command prompt window with necessary /f and /r parameters.

The Command Prompt is a powerful and essential tool for every Windows user. The ultimate command-line interface allows you to run programs and execute commands from within Windows.

For many people, the command line is a bit too scary.

You can run the command prompt to check the PC’s disk disorder or fix Master Boot Record. (MBR).

Command prompt helps fix corrupted MBR and disks that may cause loading or freezing issues within your PC.

So, here’s how to run a command prompt:

Reboot the PC several times to be directed to automatic repair.
Click Advanced Options, select troubleshoot, and click on the Command Prompt.
On the command line, type in:

chkdsk c: /f /r

Press enter.

Following the steps above will fix the booting issue if your PC’s disk was the issue.

If this doesn’t work, maybe the issue is with the MBR, so instead of typing the check disk command.

Follow the same steps when rebooting. The PC will direct you to the Windows Recovery Environment:

Click Advanced Options> Troubleshoot> Command Prompt.
Type in these commands (Press Enter after each command):

bootrec /FixMbr

bootrec /FixBoot

bootrec /RebuildBcd

Restart your computer.

Running the commands can help enhance the performance of your PC.

The MBR command fixes the corrupted Master Boot Record, while the Check Disk Order restores lost data and repairs the disk.

Remember, you must run Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this:

Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
Navigate to the search bar and type in cmd.
Hover your mouse over the Command Prompt app and right-click.
Select Run as administrator.

Once Command Prompt opens, type in:

chkdsk C:

And press enter.

This will scan your hard drive for errors and fix them if they’re found.

6. Repairs using startup options

If nothing seems to work until now, perhaps your PC has software issues.

It could be that your PC has missing or corrupted system files, which could happen after updating your current Windows version. The problem could also arise from outdated applications, which you can resolve by restarting your PC.

Here are some ways to repair a Windows 11 that won’t boot.

Start Windows 11 in Safe Mode.
Run Windows 11 Startup Repair.
System Restore.

Below, I’ll review the steps to begin repairing at startup in Windows 11.

Start up in Safe Mode

Booting your PC in Safe Mode ensures that the PC does not fail due to corrupt applications. In addition, safe Mode strips down your application arsenal and only works on a limited set of apps and files.

So, how do you boot Windows 11 to safe mode?

Reboot your PC three times to take your PC to Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE):

Navigate to the Troubleshoot option.
Click on the Advanced Options.
Go to the Startup Settings, then click Restart.
Press any key to enter safe mode.

After the PC has completed the safe mode booting, restart your PC once more. Doing this can quite often fix the issue.

Run Windows 11 Startup Repair

The startup repair process is similar to the safe mode boot, but you should select the startup repair option here.

Here are the steps to run Windows 11 startup repair:

Once again, reboot your PC three times.
Your PC will take you to Automatic repair.
Select Troubleshoot> Advanced Options> Startup Repair.

Running the startup repair will fix any existing device driver issues and bugs. After that, your PC should work fine.

System Restore from a previous backup date

Some PCs will provide a system restore menu if you force them to boot.

System restore brings your computer back to its normal state. System Restore will not delete your personal files and programs.

Restart your PC.
Scroll to Troubleshoot, then Advanced Options> System Restore.
When the System window opens, click Next.
Select the most recent restore created, and click Next to continue.
Click Finish.

System Restore restores your PC system to the exact state of your computer on the date it was backed up.

You can rest assured that bugs and bad system files won’t interfere with the boot process.

If you don’t mind installing applications afterward, this process can fix the Windows 11 issue.

7. Reinstall Windows (Reliable fix)

The Windows 11 update can be a little inconvenient during installation.

You may not notice the difference between this update and the previous one if running a low-end computer. But if you’ve tried to fix your computer and it still won’t boot after an update, you’ll need to reinstall it.

Important: A Windows reinstall will delete all the files and folders from your hard drive or SSD. So, it is highly recommended that you take your drive and plug it into another computer to backup all your personal files or folders.

I’ll go over how to reinstall Windows 11 below.

Turn off your computer

Start by turning off your computer. You’ll want to do this because if your computer is on, it might be trying to boot from the hard drive and cause problems with the update process.

It’s best to turn off your computer and leave it off for at least a few minutes before continuing with the installation process.

Boot from the DVD/USB drive or recovery options menu (if available)

After your computer has been turned off for a few minutes, press and hold down the power button for approximately ten seconds. (Until the power indicator light comes on again.)

The next step depends on whether or not you have a DVD or USB drive with Windows 11. If you have a USB drive with Windows 11, plug it into one of the ports on your computer. If you have a DVD with Windows 11, insert it into the optical drive on your computer.

Wait for the installation process to start.

Reboot after install

Once everything is installed and your computer has restarted, reboot your computer to complete the installation process. You’ll have to contact Microsoft or other support experts if you’ve tried all these steps and it won’t boot after installing an update.