How To Do A Clean Boot To Troubleshoot Problems

A clean boot is a useful troubleshooting technique that can help isolate issues with software and drivers on your Windows computer. By selectively starting up Windows with minimal services and startup programs, you eliminate potential conflicts that may be causing problems. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to perform a clean boot on Windows:

What Is A Clean Boot And Why Use It

A clean boot starts Windows with only the bare essential processes and services required for the operating system to function. It temporarily disables all non-Microsoft services, startup programs, and some Windows features. The goal is to have a clean environment to determine if something you recently installed or changed is causing problems.

Some common reasons to use a clean boot include:

• Troubleshooting software conflicts after installing a new application or driver
• Diagnosing problems after a Windows update
• Isolating issues caused by third-party startup programs
• Testing for malware, viruses, or system file corruption

Performing a clean boot can help narrow down the cause because it rules out interfering startup items. If the issues go away in a clean boot, you know one of the disabled elements is the likely culprit.

How To Perform A Clean Boot In Windows

Follow these steps to do a clean boot on Windows 10, 8, and 7:

1. Open MSConfig

• Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type msconfig and click OK to launch the System Configuration utility.

2. Go To The Services Tab

• Click on the Services tab in MSConfig.
• Check the box next to Hide all Microsoft services to only show third-party services.
• Click Disable all. This will disable all the listed non-Microsoft services from starting up.

3. Go To The Startup Tab

• Click on the Startup tab.
• Click Open Task Manager. This will open a list of startup programs.
• Select each startup item and click Disable to prevent them from launching at start up.

4. Restart In Selective Startup Mode

• Go back to the MSConfig window.
• Under Selective startup, choose Enable selective startup.
• Click the radio button for Load system services only.
• Click OK and restart the computer when prompted.

After rebooting, Windows will now start up cleanly with bare minimum processes and services.

Test The Issue In A Clean Boot State

Once you are booted into selective startup mode:

• Try to reproduce the problem you are troubleshooting.
• Test any programs or features that were not working correctly before.
• If the issues are now resolved, you can isolate which disabled service or startup item is the cause.

If the problem goes away with a clean boot, you then need to methodically enable groups of services and startup items to identify the conflict. You can also enable services and programs one-by-one until the issue surfaces again.

Returning To Normal Startup

When you are finished troubleshooting:

• Run MSConfig again.
• On the Services tab, click Enable all and check Hide all Microsoft services again if needed.
• On the Startup tab, re-enable startup programs.
• On the General tab, choose Normal startup and click OK.
• Reboot once more for changes to take effect.

This will revert Windows to loading all your usual services, programs, and drivers at startup again.

Wrap Up

Performing a clean boot is a handy way to troubleshoot software and system issues by eliminating possible interfering factors. The key is to methodically enable groups of services and programs after testing to pinpoint what element is causing the problem. With that knowledge, you can then resolve the underlying conflict and restore normal startup functioning.