Error 0xc0000098 appears when there is a corrupted boot configuration data file. Windows won't let you boot, which will render your device unusable. This error can be caused by hardware errors, such as a damaged hard drive or faulty RAM, so after solving it with the solution below, good to see if these two components are ok.
This is a problem that affects many users, from Windows Vista to Windows 10, and it can be frustrating for someone who doesn't really see what's going on. No user is excluded and you will not be able to use your Windows device until you solve the problem.
Fortunately, there is a solution that solves this problem and fixes corrupted BCD file. After that, Windows will start properly and you can continue using your system again. However, note that you will need to use a Windows recovery drive, either an installation USB or a CD / DVD, will need it, so get started with one before you begin.
How to enter BIOS to change boot order
Before continuing with the instructions given in this article, it is important that you read this paragraph in relation to changing BIOS and booting from USB or disks.
Restart your computer. Enter BIOS settings (o UEFI) from your computer as soon as it starts. The key you need to press to enter this setting depends on your computer's motherboard manufacturer and can be anything, from Esc, Delete or F2 to F8, F10 o F12. This is shown on the station display and in the manual that came with your system.. A quick Google search asking “how to enter biography” followed by the model number will also display the results. Navigate to boot. You must know how to boot and change the boot order, since this will be necessary to perform the following solutions.
Rebuild and repair the master boot record, the boot sector and boot configuration data (Windows 7/8 Y 10)
This step will require you to use the recovery drive mentioned above, so we will start there. If you don't have access to the recovery drive, see this guide on rufus boot devices (Windows 8 Y 10) and for Windows 7 / Vista, see the steps (here)
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Once inside the BIOS, navigate to boot options and, following the instructions within the BIOS, set the first boot device on the USB drive or DVD, depending on which one you have. This will tell the computer to first try to boot from there, What do we need.
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After the computer boots from the recovery drive, in the Windows Settings dialog, configure everything with proper settings, select your language and click Next.
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In the lower left corner, click Repair your computer and choose Troubleshoot from the Choose an option screen.
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On the Troubleshooting screen, click Advanced Options and then Command Prompt. For Windows 7 and View, choose Command Prompt on the screen “Recovery options”.
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When command prompt opens, type the following commands and hit Enter on the keyboard after each of them:
bootrec / scanos bootrec / fixmbr bootrec / fixboot bootrec / rebuildbcd
Method 2: use startup repair
Another method that requires a Windows recovery drive, will use the built-in tools to repair the boot configuration data file.
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Following the steps 1 a 4 from the previous method, go to Repair your computer
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Select your installation and, from the list of available recovery options, choose Startup Repair.
Wait for the tool to scan your installation. If Startup Repair finds an error, will try to fix it if possible, which should prevent error 0xc0000098 from reappearing. You can also view the detailed steps of Startup Repair with Pictures.
Method 3: Run the System File Checker utility to scan your system
La herramienta System File Checker (sfc) is used to automatically scan your computer's system files and attempt to repair them if necessary.
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Following the steps of the first method, you get to the screen that says Repair your computer.
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Select the Windows installation drive and click
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In the System Recovery Options box, choose Command Prompt.
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At the command prompt, type the following command and hit Enter on your keyboard to run it:
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C: /offwindir = C:Windows
Replace C: with the letter of the disk where Windows is installed and C: NWindowsN with the folder where Windows is.
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Wait for the SFC utility to scan your system. It will fix the bug if possible and you won't have to worry about it.
Method 4: run the CHKDSK utility
If the above methods failed, you can try the CHKDSK utility, also a built-in tool that checks your disk and fixes file system errors.
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Following the steps 1-3 from the previous method, open command prompt from Windows recovery drive.
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At the command prompt, type the following command, followed by Enter to execute:
chkdsk C: /f
Replace C: with the letter of the drive where you installed Windows.
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Wait for the utility to finish. If you find any errors, will try to fix it, along with the error 0xc0000098 that you have faced.
Even though Windows 10 was out of service for more than a year, Microsoft has not yet managed to fix all the imperfections and some hardware problems manifest themselves much worse than they should. This is one of them, and although it is advisable to check the hardware after having repaired the system, following the steps of the method mentioned above, you should be able to start Windows again.
