File:\windows\system32\winload.efi Error code: 0xc0000098

Question

My laptop died last night and today it’s turning itself on and off while displaying this. I’m really not tech savvy and don’t know what to do from here. It’s my only computer so I don’t have any way to restore it with another one. Any help is appreciated. I have a picture but am posting from my phone and Microsoft won’t let me upload pictures from here. Thank you

Answer 1

Hi, I'm Bernard. I'm happy to help!

Have you noticed any changes before the issue starts? Upon checking the error, we need to use Windows installation media on a USB drive to repair the issue. To do that, kindly follow the steps below:

 

Note: We need another PC and a USB drive of at least 8GB; make sure there are no files on it, as it will reformat the drive. Once you have that, kindly follow the steps:

 

Step 1: Create Windows 11 installation Media

 

Go to this link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

              

Scroll down and under "Create Windows 11 Installation Media" click "Download Now" then run the Media creation tool (the downloaded file)

If you agree to the license terms, select Accept.

 

On What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.

 

Select the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit) for Windows 11.

 

This table will help you decide which edition of Windows 11 you’ll choose:

 

On Select which media, you want to use click USB and save it to your USB drive.

 

Once done, do the repair kindly follow the steps below:

 

Insert the USB into the affected PC

 

Start the PC and if you see “Press any key to boot from DVD,” do so. If you don’t see the message, you might need to change the boot order in your computer's BIOS settings so that it first starts from the DVD or USB.

 

When you see the Install Windows page, tap or click Repair your computer to start the Windows Recovery Environment.

 

In the Windows Recovery Environment, on the Choose an option screen, tap or click Troubleshoot.

 

Tap or click on advanced options and then click on Startup repair.

Note: Please note that this is a public forum. I may respond within a short period of time, but I apologize in advance for any delays. I am simply a fellow user trying to provide helpful insights and information.

Answer 2

Error code 0xc0000098 with \windows\system32\winload.efi indicates a boot problem where Windows cannot load the boot configuration or loader correctly. The provided context only lists file versions of winload.efi and related boot files for various Windows versions; it does not contain step‑by‑step repair instructions or specific remediation for error 0xc0000098.

Because of that, no reliable, detailed recovery procedure (such as exact WinRE steps, bootrec commands, or media creation guidance) can be given based on the context alone.

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References:

• Stop error information isn't displayed on the blue screen in Windows
• Stop error 0x0000007E in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2