How to Solve Windows Error Code 0xc000000e in Windows 10/11

Encountering boot error 0xc000000e can be challenging as it restricts access to Windows utilities and repair tools. This error occurs when your computer fails to start due to boot up issues. Here’s what you need to know.

Error code 0xc000000e in Windows 10/11 is characterized by a blue or black screen accompanied by an error message that says a required device can’t be accessed, loaded, or is corrupted. The error message also provides instructions on how to fix the problem. But most of the time, these solutions are general in nature and will not solve the error.

This article will show you alternative ways to resolve 0xc000000e error and help your computer successfully boot up.

Causes of 0xc000000e Error

This boot error means that something is preventing your computer from accessing the files necessary for Windows to load. If you get a “required device is inaccessible” message, then you probably have a misconfigured, missing, or corrupt Boot Configuration Data (BCD) registry hive. The BCD registry file contains critical information, settings, and instructions for your computer to start up successfully. If something goes wrong with it, you will get the 0xc000000e error.

Another scenario that would bring up an error 0xc000000e is when a system file gets damaged or compromised due to power outages, disk write errors, virus infection, or improper shutdown.

How to Fix Error Code 0xc000000e in Windows 10/11

Error code 0xc000000e is a critical Windows issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. You won’t be able to access your computer with this error around since you can’t boot the operating system in the first place.

To solve Windows error code 0xc000000e, you need to get your hands on a copy of your recovery drive first. If you were not able to create a recovery drive before your computer went kaput, you can use another computer running the same Windows version to create one. You can use a USB drive, DVD, or CD to create a system repair disk.

After creating your recovery drive, change your BIOS settings to edit the boot order. Your computer should boot from the recovery drive instead of your hard drive for this to work. To do this:

1. Enter your BIOS or UEFI settings by pressing the designated key before Windows starts. The designated key varies depending on your motherboard’s manufacturer, but you should try F2, F8, F10, F12, Esc, Delete, or Backspace.
2. Once you’ve accessed the settings, click on the Boot tab and change the boot order depending on what type of recovery drive you are using. If you’re using a CD as a recovery disk, CD ROM should be the primary boot drive.
3. After changing the boot sequence, press F10 to save your settings and close the window.

After doing these steps, you can proceed to fix error code 0xc000000e using any of the methods below.

Method 1: Rebuild the BCD File.

The first solution you should try when you get error 0xc000000e is to rebuild BCD. For this method, you will need to boot your computer using the recovery drive that you’ve created. Because you’ve configured your BIOS to boot from the recovery disk, a prompt will appear on your display, confirming your option. Press any key to launch the Windows Setup dialog and follow the instructions below to rebuild BCD:

1. Select the language, time, and keyboard input in the Windows Setup window.
2. Click on Repair your computer in the lower left, then select Troubleshoot under Choose an option screen.
3. Click on Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
4. In the Command Prompt window, type in the following lines, then press Enter after each command.
   • bootrec /scanos
   • bootrec /fixmbr
   • bootrec /fixboot
   • bootrec /rebuildbcd
5. Reboot your computer.

This should fix your Boot Configuration Data and solve Windows error code 0xc000000e.

Method 2: Run Automatic Repair.

Automatic Repair is a built-in Windows utility designed to fix boot-related errors such as 0xc000000e. To access Automatic Repair, follow the steps below:

1. Boot from your recovery drive following the instructions above.
2. Choose your language, time, and keyboard input, then click Next.
3. Click on Repair your computer > Troubleshoot, then choose Advanced Options.
4. Click on Automatic Repair and choose the operating system that you want to fix.

Wait for the Automatic Repair process to be completed, then restart your computer to see if the error has been fixed.

Method 3: Use the StartRep.exe Utility.

The StartRep.exe is a tool designed to restore corrupt registry issues and fix boot environment values. Follow the steps below to run the utility:

1. Boot your computer using the recovery disk.
2. Launch Command Prompt using the instructions above.
3. Type in the command lines below then hit Enter after each one of them:
   • cd x:\sources\recovery
   • StartRep.exe
4. Close Command Prompt and reboot to see if the error has been resolved. If not, go back to Command Prompt and enter the following command: bcdedit.
5. Hit Enter and take note of the value for Device.
6. If the value is Unknown, type in the following commands, then press Enter to execute them:
   • bcedit /set {DEFAULT.EN_US} device partition=c:
   • bcedit /set {DEFAULT.EN_US} osdevice partition=c:
   • bcedit /set {BOOTMGR.EN_US} device partition=c:

Close Command Prompt when done, then restart your computer. This should fix the error 0xc000000e that you’ve been getting.

Summary

Errors like 0xc000000e remind us of the importance of always keeping a backup and being ready for emergencies. To minimize the chances of boot errors appearing, it is crucial to take active steps to keep your system optimized, such as using Outbyte PC Repair.

Error code 0xc000000e might seem difficult to deal with, but it’s not as long as you have a recovery drive and you follow the methods listed above.