Windows Fix
18 guides across update, startup, crash, and performance problems
Something's actually broken — Windows won't update, won't start, crashed with a blue screen, freezes randomly, or has gotten noticeably slower. Start here for the direct fix, or use the error lookup below if you have an exact error code or stop code.
Windows Update stuck or failing? Answer a few quick questions in our Windows Update Diagnostic → and get routed straight to the right guide. Got a blue screen with a stop code? Use our Blue Screen Diagnostic → to jump straight to the guide for your exact code. PC running slow, freezing, or maxed out? Use our Slow PC Diagnostic → to find the guide that matches your exact symptom.
Startup & Boot Issues
PC Won't Turn On At All
No lights, no fans, nothing on screen when you press the power button.
IntermediateWindows Stuck on the Loading Screen
The spinning dots or Windows logo never finishes and the desktop never loads.
IntermediateBlack Screen After Login
You can see the lock screen and log in, but then it goes black with just a cursor.
Intermediate"There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC" — What to Do
Reset this PC fails partway through, often with "No changes were made" — here's what actually causes it and how to get past it.
Windows Update Problems
Windows Update Stuck "Checking for Updates"
The progress circle spins indefinitely and never finds or installs anything.
IntermediateAn Update Keeps Failing and Reinstalling
The same update fails, then Windows tries it again on the next check, in a loop.
BeginnerUpdate Found But Won't Download
Windows Update finds an update but the download bar never moves, or resets to 0%.
BeginnerAn Update Broke Something (Uninstall It)
A feature stopped working, or a driver conflict started, right after an update installed.
IntermediateWindows Update Stuck "Checking for Updates" on Windows 7
The Windows 7 update process hangs indefinitely — plus an important note about Windows 7's current support status.
Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)
How to Read and Respond to Any Blue Screen
A general framework for any stop code you don't recognize.
IntermediateMEMORY_MANAGEMENT Blue Screen
Usually points to RAM, a driver conflict, or disk corruption.
IntermediateIRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Blue Screen
Almost always a driver issue — most often network, audio, or graphics.
IntermediateCRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED Blue Screen
A core Windows process crashed — often tied to a recent update or corrupted system file.
AdvancedHYPERVISOR_ERROR (0x20001) Blue Screen
A crash tied to Windows' virtualization layer, not a single broken file — here's how to actually isolate the cause.
Performance & Slow PC
My PC Has Gotten Noticeably Slower
General sluggishness with no single obvious cause.
IntermediateCPU Usage Stuck at 100%
The fans are loud and everything lags, even with nothing obviously demanding open.
IntermediateDisk Usage Stuck at 100%
Task Manager shows the disk pegged even when you're not doing anything heavy.
IntermediatePC Randomly Freezes or Stutters
Everything locks up for a few seconds to a minute, then resumes on its own.
Real Windows Fix Stories
The First Time Windows Showed Me an Error I Couldn't Understand
A string of letters and numbers, no explanation, and a file I badly needed. Here's how I stopped panicking long enough to actually solve it.
Personal StoryThe Day My Windows Computer Suddenly Became Extremely Slow
It happened almost overnight, not gradually. That's what made me actually take it seriously instead of just living with it.
Personal StoryWindows Restarted Overnight and I Lost Work I Thought Was Safe
I left my laptop open with a document mid-edit, stepped away for the night, and came back to a fresh desktop instead of where I'd left off.
Personal StoryFile Explorer Kept Crashing and My Taskbar Disappeared With It
My entire taskbar blinked out of existence, came back a few seconds later, then vanished again ten minutes after that. I had no idea the two were even connected.