Windows 8 Bible

Troubleshooting Startup

Many things can prevent Windows from starting properly. There is no simple solution to the problem because too many things might be wrong. Typically, you need a professional to fix such problems. But we can tell you a few things that even the average user might try to get things going again.

Get rid of disabled devices

If your computer contains a hardware device that Windows 8 can’t use, you should still be able to get to the desktop. But each time you do, you’ll see a notification message about a device being disabled. That can get tiresome. If you manually disable the device through Device Manager, you won’t see that message anymore. Also, it should take a little less time for Windows 8 to start.

Caution

Don’t take wild guesses here. If you disable a hardware device you really need, you might not be able to start Windows 8 at all! If in doubt, it’s better to take the computer into a repair shop and let the pros figure it out.

To disable a device, you need to first log in to a user account that has administrative privileges. Then press Windows+X and click Device Manager on the Power menu. Expand the category to which the device belongs. If you’re not sure which category to look in, try the Other Devices category. You’ll be looking for a device whose icon shows an exclamation point in a tiny yellow triangle. After you find the device, right-click its name and choose Disable.

When you’ve disabled the device, the yellow icon changes to a white downward-pointing ...