How to solve reboot problems | Q&A with Patrick Marshall

Q: I have had my HP Spectre x360 Convertible laptop for more than three years. Ever since I got it, it rarely boots up on the first try. It takes two to three hard reboots, then I’ll get the screen that says, “It looks like Windows didn’t load correctly.” It gives me the option of either restarting the machine, which to date has always worked, or Advanced Repair Options. I have tried the Advanced Options/Startup Repair, and I got a message that the problem cannot be repaired.

When the laptop first experienced this problem, I spent hours on the phone with HP to no avail. In December 2021, my husband backed everything up, wiped the hard drive, and reinstalled everything. Nada. Not long ago I upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Nothing has fixed the problem.

Any thoughts?

— Karen Deyerle

A: Unfortunately, the cause of boot-up errors can be tricky to track down. The most common culprits are corrupt system or boot files, or third-party drivers that load at boot up.

Because you’ve already tried running Automatic Startup Repair, we’ll move on to other possible ways to solve the problem.

First, you can try rebuilding the Boot Configuration Data file. Boot your computer into Advanced Recovery Mode. To do so, go to click on the Start button, go to Settings, then Update & Security and click Recovery. Under Advanced Startup, click Restart now. When Windows restarts in Advanced Recovery Mode, launch a Command Prompt. You’ll find that under Advanced Options. At the command prompt, type: bootrec /rebuildcd. To Boot Configuration Data file, use the command:bootrec /rebuildbcd.

If you’re still having the problem, you’ll want to send your blue screen log to Microsoft for help finding the culprit. The log can be found at C:\Windows\Minidump.

Q: I need help with my Facebook account. For several months, I haven’t been able to log in. I get a message that I’m using a computer they don’t recognize, although I’m using my home computer. I’ve also used a computer at my local library. Could that be the problem? All the possible answers on their site don’t help. I hope you know of a solution.

— Janet Schuroll

A: Facebook can be kind of glitchy when it comes to logging in. It shouldn’t make a difference whether Facebook “recognizes” your computer or not. You should be able to log in from anywhere.

That said, quite a few people have run into the same problem you’re having. Some have reported that they were able to get in by clearing their browser cache or trying a different browser. Others have reported that clearing cookies from their browsers did the trick. Another possibility, of course, is that your account has been hacked.

Unfortunately, apart from the above suggestions I don’t know of any solutions other than those offered by Facebook.

Note: In a recent column, I responded to a reader had a problem with a computer mouse jumping on the screen. Another reader, Ron Knott, suggests another possible cause. “I have had problems if using a mouse on a highly reflective surface,” says Knott. He suggests trying a mouse pad or a hardback book.