How to solve error code 0xc0000225?

Error code 0xc0000225 prevents you from booting your computer. You can often fix the error with an emergency disk or setup stick. If this doesn’t work, 0xc0000225 requires a reinstallation of the system.

What is error code 0xc0000225?

0xc0000225 is a general boot error. This causes your PC not to boot or not to boot properly. This error can be caused by issues like a faulty update, corrupted files, or hardware problems. To fix it, you need to determine its cause. In many cases, you can use one of the solutions below without having to reinstall the operating system.

Error code 0xc0000225 can occur when a Windows update is incomplete or incorrect, or when hardware changes have been made, such as replacing drives. Changes to the Windows partition or issues with the system hard disk can also trigger this error. Once you’ve identified the cause, you can prevent this error for the future and get Windows working smoothly again. The simplest way to do this is by performing a system repair.

Perform repair and solve 0xc0000225

Performing a system repair can prevent the reappearance of error code 0xc0000225. Windows might initiate this process automatically after several failed boot attempts. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to create an emergency disk using another PC. To do this, you’ll require a USB stick with a minimum of 8 gigabytes of storage, in addition to the other computer. Here’s how to proceed:

1. On the working PC, select the ‘Recovery’ option from the Start menu.
2. Click on ‘Create recovery drive’.
3. Connect the USB stick.
4. Select the stick as the destination. Be sure not to click on any other drive, as it would be deleted.
5. Start the process with ‘Next’. The data will now be copied.
6. When the process is finished, remove the stick and connect it to the defective PC.
7. Start this in the BIOS to be able to access the stick.
8. Then select ‘Computer repair options’ in the menu.
9. if you click ‘Startup Help’ there, the system will repair possible errors by itself.

Uninstall updates and fix 0xc0000225

If the error code 0xc0000225 persists even after a reboot, you’ll need to attempt a different method. To do this, start by creating a setup stick and using it to boot. Here are the required steps:

1. Head to the Microsoft website and download the installation media for your operating system.
2. Navigate to the official Rufus website and select the ‘Rufus 3.0 Portable’ option under ‘Download’. Rufus is a free tool that allows you to create bootable USB drives.
3. When both downloads are complete, start Rufus and insert the USB stick again.
4. Select the stick and copy the downloaded Windows image to it.
5. Wait until the process is fully finished. Then remove the stick and connect it to the defective computer.
6. Restart its BIOS and go to the advanced options in it.
7. Click on ‘Uninstall updates’ and ‘Uninstall current quality update’.
8. The computer will reboot and ask you to confirm the uninstallation.
9. Finally, uninstall the current quality update as well.
10. Once the updates have been deleted, remove the stick and restart the PC. 0xc0000225 should no longer appear.

New system installation to solve 0xc0000225

If the error code 0xc0000225 remains unresolved, the next step is to reinstall the operating system. To do this, use the setup stick once more. Fortunately, most of your data will be retained, and you’ll only need to reinstall programs and drivers. Here’s the process:

1. Insert the USB stick into the defective PC and start the BIOS.
2. In the setup menu, select ‘Install now’.
3. You’ll now be asked for your product key. Click on ‘I don’t have a product key’.
4. Select the Windows version that’s on your PC and the setup key and confirm with ‘Next’.
5. Click on ‘Custom: install Windows only (for advanced users)’ and choose your target drive. Windows will create a folder called windows.old where your old data will be backed up. The system will then reinstall automatically.

Please note the legal disclaimer relating to this article.