How to perform a clean boot in Windows

Install, uninstall, or run an application

After you restart the computer, you'll have a clean boot environment. Then, do one of the following, as appropriate for your situation:

How to determine what is causing the problem after you do a clean boot

If your problem does not occur while the computer is in a clean boot environment, then you can determine which startup application or service is causing the problem by systematically turning them on or off and restarting the computer. While turning on a single service or startup item and rebooting each time will eventually find the problematic service or application, the most efficient way to do this is to test half of them at a time, thus eliminating half of the items as the potential cause with each reboot of the computer. You can then repeat this process until you've isolated the problem. Here's how:

1. Sign in to the computer by using an account that has administrator rights. If you don't have an administrator account, you can create one.
   
   Create a local user or administrator account in Windows

2. In the Search box on the taskbar, type msconfig. Select System Configuration from the list of results.

3. Select the Services tab, and then select Hide all Microsoft services.

4. Select each of the check boxes in the upper half of the Service list.

5. Select OK, then select Restart.

6. After the computer restarts, determine whether the problem still occurs.

   • If the problem still occurs, one of the checked items is the problematic service. Repeat steps 1 through 6, but in Step 4, clear the lower half of the boxes in the Service list that you selected in your last test.

   • If the problem doesn't occur, the checked items are not the cause of the problem. Repeat steps 1 through 6, but in Step 4, turn on the upper half of the boxes that you cleared in the Service list in the last test.

   • Repeat these steps until you've either isolated the problem to a single service, or until you've determined that none of the services are the cause of the problem. If you experience the problem when only one service is selected in the Service list, go to step 9. If none of the services cause the problem, go to step 7.

7. Select Startup, then select Open Task Manager. On the Startup tab on Task Manager, one at a time, select the upper half of the items you Disabled earlier, then select Enable.

8. Select OK, then select Restart.

   • If the problem occurs, repeat step 7, but this time Disable the lower half of the items you Enabled in your last test.

   • If the problem does not occur, repeat step 7, but Disable everything you Enabled in your last test and Enable the other half of the items you Disabled.

   • If you still experience the problem after only one Startup item is Enabled, then the Enabled item is the one causing the problem, and you should go to step 9. If no Startup item causes the problem, there might be a problem with a Microsoft service. See Recovery options in Windows.

9. After you determine the startup item or the service that causes the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether the problem can be resolved, or run Windows with the service unchecked or the Startup item Disabled.

Reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting

After you finish troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the computer to start normally.

1. In the Search box on the taskbar, type msconfig. Select System Configuration from the list of results.

2. On the General tab, select Normal Startup.

3. Select the Services tab, clear the check box beside Hide all Microsoft services, select Enable all, then select Apply.

4. Select the Startup tab, then select Open Task Manager.

5. In Task Manager, Enable all of the startup programs you had Disabled before, and then select OK.

6. When you're prompted to restart the computer, select Restart.

How to start the Windows Installer service when system services are not loaded

If you run a Setup program without starting the Windows Installer service, you might receive the following error message:

The Windows Installer service doesn't start if you clear the Load system services check box in the System Configuration utility. To use the Windows Installer service when system services are not loaded, start the service manually. Here's how:

1. In the Search box on the taskbar, type computer management. Select Computer Management from the list of results.

2. In the console tree, select the arrow to expand Services and Applications, and then select Services.

3. In the details pane, right-click or swipe down on Windows Installer, and then select Start.

Install, uninstall, or run an application

After you restart the computer, you'll have a clean boot environment. Then, do one of the following, as appropriate for your situation:

How to determine what is causing the problem after you do a clean boot

If your problem does not occur while the computer is in a clean boot environment, then you can determine which startup application or service is causing the problem by systematically turning them on or off and restarting the computer. While turning on a single service or startup item and rebooting each time will eventually find the problematic service or application, the most efficient way to do this is to test half of them at a time, thus eliminating half of the items as the potential cause with each reboot of the computer. You can then repeat this process until you've isolated the problem. Here's how:

1. Sign in to the computer by using an account that has administrator rights. If you don't have an administrator account, you can create one.
   ​​​​​​​
   Create a local user or administrator account in Windows

2. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then select Search . Or, if you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, and then select Search .

3. Type msconfig in the search box, and select System Configuration from the list of results.

4. Select the Services tab, and then select Hide all Microsoft services.

5. Select each of the check boxes in the upper half of the Service list.

6. Select OK, then select Restart.

7. After the computer restarts, determine whether the problem still occurs.

   • If the problem still occurs, one of the checked items is the problematic service. Repeat steps 1 through 7, but in Step 5, clear the lower half of the boxes in the Service list that you selected in your last test.

   • If the problem doesn't occur, the checked items are not the cause of the problem. Repeat steps 1 through 7, but in Step 5, turn on the upper half of the boxes that you cleared in the Service list in the last test.

   • Repeat these steps until you've either isolated the problem to a single service, or until you've determined that none of the services are the cause of the problem. If you experience the problem when only one service is selected in the Service list, go to step 10. If none of the services cause the problem, go to step 8.

8. Select Startup, then select Open Task Manager. On the Startup tab on Task Manager, one at a time, select the upper half of the items you Disabled earlier, then select Enable.

9. Select OK, then select Restart.

   • If the problem occurs, repeat step 8, but this time Disable the lower half of the items you Enabled in your last test.

   • If the problem does not occur, repeat step 8, but Disable everything you Enabled in your last test and Enable the other half of the items you Disabled.

   • If you still experience the problem after only one Startup item is Enabled, then the Enabled item is the one causing the problem, and you should go to step 10. If no Startup item causes the problem, there might be a problem with a Microsoft service. See How to refresh, reset, or restore your PC​​​​​​​.

10. After you determine the startup item or the service that causes the problem, contact the program manufacturer to determine whether the problem can be resolved, or run Windows with the service unchecked or the Startup item Disabled.

Reset the computer to start normally after clean boot troubleshooting

After you finish troubleshooting, follow these steps to reset the computer to start normally.

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then select Search . Or, if you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, and then select Search .

2. Type msconfig in the search box, and select System Configuration from the list of results.

3. On the General tab, select Normal Startup.

4. Select the Services tab, clear the check box beside Hide all Microsoft services, select Enable all, then select Apply.

5. Select the Startup tab, then select Open Task Manager.

6. In Task Manager, Enable all of the startup programs you had Disabled before, and then select OK.

7. When you're prompted to restart the computer, select Restart.

How to start the Windows Installer service when system services are not loaded

If you run a Setup program without starting the Windows Installer service, you might receive the following error message:

The Windows Installer service doesn't start if you clear the Load system services check box in the System Configuration utility. To use the Windows Installer service when system services are not loaded, start the service manually. Here's how:

1. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then select Search . Or, if you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, and then select Search .

2. In the search box on the taskbar, type computer management. Select Computer Management from the list of results.

3. In the console tree, select the arrow to expand Services and Applications, and then select Services.

4. In the details pane, right-click or swipe down on Windows Installer, and then select Start.