One of the most unpleasant (and also critical) failures is the appearance of a blue BSoD screen at the start of the operating system with the issuing of a stop code BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO in the message. Windows does not boot, and it seems that nothing can be done, since a boot violation is detected at each start. However, giving up is not worth it, because there is a solution. The following is a few simple methods that are guaranteed to correct the situation (though depending on what was the root cause of the errors). To the average user, they may seem somewhat complicated, however, if the OS does not boot under any pretext, you can not do without them, since it is their use that allows you to eliminate such unpleasant situations. However, first things first, but first we’ll find out what kind of failure it is and why it arises.
BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO: what is this error?
Firstly, it is immediately worth noting that this failure appears in almost all recent Windows systems, starting with the seventh version. But what does the stop code indicate in the message?
The BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO error (Windows 8 or any other modification) directly indicates the impossibility of initializing the system configuration (both hardware and software). Possible causes of this situation in most cases are damage to the bootloader service (NTDLR) and system files, incorrect operation of RAM strips or other possible problems related to them, failures when trying to force access to RAM, etc.).
BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO: how to fix a boot failure?
As one of the main troubleshooting methods, a standard OS recovery is used, which can be activated via the boot line of the last successful configuration at startup.
To access the boot menu at the very beginning of the OS boot, you must have time to press the F8 key several times (in Windows 10, to activate this access method, you must use removable media with the legacy boot mode set via the command line).
If the standard procedure does not work, and the BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO failure appears again, you must use the same menu, but in the boot options, select a start with command line support. However, it is better to boot from a removable recovery or installation disk (flash drive) and use the command line from it (Shift + F10 in the recovery console). Using a removable device is more advantageous in that when loading in normal mode from a hard disk with command line support, the error BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO can still be felt.
After gaining access to the command console, the first thing to do is to check the system files and libraries for damage. This is done by executing the sfc / scannow command.
If you boot with support for network drivers, you can try to restore the system online by using the command shown in the image above.
Using the command line in Safe Mode
However, even after performing such operations, the BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO failure may appear when trying to restart with normal system boot. In this case (again, through the boot menu with pressing the F8 key), you need to start in safe mode.
If the download goes well, the command console call is used again, in which the two lines shown in the image above are written. After confirming their implementation, you can restart the operating system in normal mode.
Additional recommendations
But this does not end the troubleshooting methods. Since sometimes the appearance of the screen can really be connected with malfunctions of the RAM, in most cases it is recommended to remove the strips from the slots on the motherboard one at a time, and then check the possibility of the system starting. If a bad block is detected, it will either have to be simply thrown away or replaced with a similar one.
In some situations where the system could be exposed to a virus, it is advisable to use disk antivirus scanners (for example, Rescue Disk from Kaspersky Lab), which have their own means of loading before the OS starts and are able to detect even deeply hidden viruses (even in main memory) .
If the failures are due to damage to the bootloader, it may help to fix it or even completely rewrite it through the command line using commands based on the Bootrec.exe tool. At least one of the proposed options should give a positive effect. But it is better to perform most of the actions with booting from recovery media and invoking the command console, which is the first and most indispensable tool for eliminating most of the known system errors during boot.
However, it also happens that the screen appears, holds for a while, and then disappears. If the system somehow boots up, and the cause of the error lies in the dynamic libraries or system services, you can use the DLL Suite and MS FixIt utilities. The first loads damaged or missing DLL objects, the second serves as a fix for problems with the operation of system services. By the way, it is suitable for many other purposes, when the methods used by the user do not give any tangible effect. But, as a rule, in our case, the use of the command console is the key to success. This is recognized by all experts and users who have encountered this problem.