Win system error message code 108

Question

What is and whats the best course of action ?

Im the fault here please help it doesn't start or end here the problem resolution

Answer 1

Hi Rodolfo,

Thank you for reaching out. I understand how frustrating it can be when your system won’t start properly, especially when the error message isn’t very clear.

Before we go further, could you please let me know if you currently can get into Windows at all or are you stuck in Recovery or a boot loop?

If you’re stuck in Recovery or unable to boot, please try the following:

1. Power on the device and interrupt startup 2–3 times (hold the power button to turn it off while Windows is loading).
2. When you see Preparing Automatic Repair or Recovery, select: Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair and let it complete.
3. If the issue persists, open Command Prompt from Advanced options and run:

      chkdsk C: /f
   

If you can get into Windows, please open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

sfc /scannow

Then run:

chkdsk C: /f

You may be asked to restart, please allow the scan to finish. These steps are intended to repair the system and will not erase your data.

Please feel free to keep me updated. I'm here to help.

---

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

System error code 108 is ERROR_DRIVE_LOCKED, which means the drive is locked and cannot be accessed for the requested operation.

Typical actions when seeing a system error code are:

1. Identify where the error appears (which app, which drive, what operation) and use that context to narrow the cause.
2. Use the official system error code references or tools to confirm the meaning of the code and get more detail:
   • Use the Microsoft Error Lookup Tool.
   • Or load a memory dump in Debugging Tools for Windows and run !err 108.
3. If the error is related to Windows startup, blue screens, or unexpected restarts, follow the basic troubleshooting steps:
   • Remove any recently added hardware.
   • Boot into Safe Mode and see if the issue reproduces.
   • In Device Manager, look for devices with a warning icon and update/disable/uninstall as needed.
   • Ensure there is sufficient free disk space (10–15% free).
   • Install the latest Windows Updates if possible.
   • If problems persist, use Recovery options (such as System Restore) appropriate for the Windows version.

For deeper debugging of error 108 in a specific scenario, use the system error code documentation and debugging tools to trace where and why the code is being returned.

---

References:

• System Error Codes (1000-1299)
• Debug system error codes
• Troubleshooting Windows unexpected restarts and stop code errors