Post actualizado el día October 12, 2026 by DeiviSanzPlay
Windows fails. And no, it’s not a conspiracy or a curse: it’s a gigantic operating system, with millions of hardware and software combinations, and it shows. If you’re fed up with the blue screen, your PC running slow, or it not booting up, here’s what actually works, no miracles or miracle programs. I’m going to tell you about the most common Windows errors and how to fix them practically, with steps you can apply today on Windows 10, 11, or whatever version comes next.
Updates that break more than they fix
Windows updates are the usual suspect number one. Microsoft releases patches every month, and sometimes one goes wrong and leaves the system in a mess. The typical symptom: after restarting, something stops working, a strange error appears, or performance tanks.
The first thing I’d do is go to Settings > Windows Update > Update history and uninstall the last one that was installed right before the problems started. It’s not magic, it’s common sense: if something broke after a change, remove the change.
If the update gets stuck or gives an error, open Command Prompt as administrator and run these commands one by one:
- net stop wuauserv
- net stop bits
- Delete all the contents of C:WindowsSoftwareDistributionDownload
- net start wuauserv
- net start bits
With that you force Windows Update to start from scratch. In my experience, this fixes 70% of Windows update errors without having to format or anything like that.
The blue screen of death (BSOD): what to look at before panicking
The dreaded blue screen isn’t as scary as it used to be, but it still shows up. The error can come from a thousand places: a faulty driver, bad RAM, a hard drive that’s saying goodbye, or even a program that sneaks in where it shouldn’t.
The first step is to note down the error code that appears (like CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL). With that code on Google you’ll find the specific source. But if you don’t want to waste time, do this:
- Uninstall recent updates (as I told you above).
- Update the graphics card and chipset drivers from the manufacturer’s official website, not from Windows Update.
- Disable fast startup in Control Panel > Power Options. This Windows invention causes more headaches than it solves, especially on machines with an SSD.
- Run a memory check with Windows Memory Diagnostic (type mdsched in the start menu).
If after this the blue screen still appears, the problem is hardware. At that point it’s time to open up the tower or take it to a technician.
Windows won’t boot: safe mode and repair from startup
Another classic situation: you turn on the PC and Windows won’t boot. It gets stuck on the logo screen, restarts on its own, or shows a boot error message. Before giving the machine up for lost, try this.
Force it to boot into safe mode. In Windows 10 and 11, pressing F8 is no longer enough; you have to shut down the computer three times in a row while it’s booting (hold the power button until it turns off). On the fourth try, Windows will take you to the recovery environment. There, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
Once inside safe mode, open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
sfc /scannow
That command repairs corrupted system files. If it finds nothing, try DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. And if booting still fails, use Startup Repair from the same recovery environment. In many cases, this fixes Windows boot errors without losing your data.
Slow PC: it’s not always the hardware’s fault
The computer running slow is the most common Windows error and the one that causes the most headaches. People usually think the machine is old and needs to be replaced, but many times it’s a matter of configuration.
Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and look at the Performance and Processes tabs. If the disk is at 100% while doing nothing, you have a problem. The usual culprits: the SysMain service (formerly Superfetch), Windows Search indexing non-stop, or a third-party program hogging resources.
Steps that actually work:
- Disable unnecessary startup programs from the Startup tab of Task Manager.
- Run Disk Cleanup and delete temporary files. Even better, use Disk Cleanup with the system files option.
- If you have a mechanical hard drive (HDD), swap it for an SSD. It’s the most brutal improvement you can make, and nowadays they cost next to nothing.
- Check RAM usage: if it’s always at 90%, add more memory or close browser tabs. Chrome is a resource devourer.
With these adjustments, a PC with Windows 10 or 11 can come back to life quite a bit. I won’t promise you miracles, but a notable improvement, yes.
Programs that won’t start or freeze
Sometimes the problem isn’t all of Windows, but a specific application that closes on its own or doesn’t respond. Before uninstalling it, try repairing it from Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Select the program, go into Advanced options, and click Repair. If that doesn’t work, try Reset.
If the app is from the Microsoft Store, look for updates in the store itself. And if it’s still the same, run it in compatibility mode: right-click the executable > Properties > Compatibility > check the box and choose an earlier version of Windows. This fixes many Windows compatibility errors, especially with old games or management software.
Network problems and USB devices that aren’t recognized
Windows not connecting to the Internet or a USB not showing up is another classic. In the case of the network, the first thing is to restart the router (unplug it for 30 seconds) and the PC. It sounds cliché, but it works more times than you’d think.
Then go to Device Manager and look for Network adapters. If there’s a yellow exclamation mark, update the driver from the manufacturer’s website. You can also use the Network troubleshooter built into Windows, which sometimes gets it right.
For USBs, try another port. If it works in one and not another, the port is screwed. If it doesn’t work in any of them, open Device Manager and uninstall the device driver (with the USB connected) and restart. Windows will reinstall it from scratch. If it still doesn’t work, the problem may be the device itself.
Disk errors and insufficient space
The “insufficient disk space” message is another big one. Windows needs a minimum amount of free space to work properly; if the disk is at 95%, the system slows down and errors can appear.
Use Disk Cleanup and delete temporary files, caches, and old update copies. If you have several disks, move photos, videos, and documents to another one. And uninstall programs you don’t use: sometimes we accumulate junk over the years.
If the hard drive starts making strange noises or the system takes a long time to read files, check its status with CrystalDiskInfo (a free and reliable tool). A dying disk causes random errors that drive anyone crazy.
The display configuration error
When Windows shows “Display configuration failure” or the resolution gets stuck at 800×600, it’s almost always the graphics driver. Check the monitor cable, adjust the resolution from Display settings, and if there’s no way, update the graphics card drivers from the NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel website. Don’t use the generic drivers from Windows Update; they’re usually old.
If after updating the driver the screen still fails, boot into safe mode and uninstall the current driver from Device Manager. Then restart and let Windows install a basic one. From there, you can install the correct one.
When to give up and reinstall (or change machines)
I’ve always been one to fix everything, but there comes a point when continuing to fight makes no sense. If after trying all this Windows still fails, the errors are random, and the hardware is more than 8 or 10 years old, consider a clean install. Back up your data, download the official ISO from the Microsoft website, and do a full format.
If even then it doesn’t work, the problem is hardware: motherboard, RAM, or disk. At that point it’s time to consider whether it’s worth repairing or buying something new. A PC with an SSD and 16 GB of RAM nowadays costs little and gets rid of many of these errors.
And a final tip: don’t install those “optimizer” programs that promise to clean the registry and speed up Windows. In most cases, they add more junk and cause more errors than they fix. Windows already comes with enough tools if you know where to look.
