How to Fix Corrupt Registry in Windows 10

A corrupt Windows Registry can prevent your computer from restarting, shutting down, or booting up at all. If you see a registry error message, address it as soon as possible with our list of solutions below to avoid bricking your device.

What Causes Windows Registry Corruption?

Registry errors are most likely to occur when the computer is shutting down. Possible causes of Windows Registry errors include:

• Power failures or unexpected shutdowns
• Corrupted system files
• Viruses and other malware
• Hardware failures

If there's a problem with the Windows Registry, you might see System hive error or an error like one of the following:

• Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
• Stop 0xc0000218 (0xe11a30e8, 0x00000000, 0x000000000, 0x00000000) UNKNOWN_HARD_ERROR

Other variations of registry errors typically include terms like “CONFIG,” “Stop 0xc0000218,” or “hive error.” Regardless of the error message you see, the steps to fix it are basically the same.

How Do I Fix Registry Errors?

Here's a list of things you can try to fix the Windows Registry, from the simplest and most likely to work to more advanced solutions.

1. Run the Windows Error Checking tool. This tool scans your hard drive for bad sectors and fixes them automatically when possible.

2. Run the SFC /scannow command. Enter this command in the Command Prompt to scan for corrupted Windows system files and repair them.

3. Restore the registry from a backup. If you were proactive and backed up the Windows Registry before making changes to it, you might be able to fix the error by undoing those changes via the backup.

4. End all processes before shutting down. Some running processes could cause conflicts when your PC is shutting down, so close all running programs and processes first if your computer won't turn off or restart.

5. Reverse overclocking. If you've overclocked your CPU to enhance your computer's performance, it could be causing problems during a shutdown.

6. Review the Windows 10 Event Viewer. If you see event ID 9, 11, or 15 in the system event logs, you could have a major hardware problem to address.

7. Use a registry cleaner program. These apps can fix registry problems the built-in Windows tools cannot.

8. Restore your computer to a previous state. If you've set up a system restore point, go back to a time before the error started.

9. Update the BIOS. Your computer's basic input/output system (BIOS) is essential to booting Windows properly. It usually updates automatically, but you might need to update it manually if any important files are corrupted.

10. Reset your PC. If none of the above steps work and your operating system is beyond repair, use the Rest This PC feature to reinstall Windows. You have the option to keep your files (photos, music, etc.) or you can do a full reset to start fresh.