How to fix Bad System Config Info error on Windows -

You are minding your business, doing whatever you do online, when a terrifying blue screen appears on your display. What does this mean? Don’t fret! If it’s the “Bad System Config Info” error, in this post we will tell you what it is, what causes it, and how to fix it.

What is the “Bad System Config Info” error?

The “Bad System Config Info” error is one of the most frequent “blue screen of death” errors on Windows 10, 8, and 7. It is a bug check error message that tells you Windows is having trouble processing something. Finding the culprit is usually the hard part, but it is often an issue that is easily fixable.

What causes the “Bad System Config Info” error?

As mentioned above, possible reasons for this error message are multiple. Here are the most popular.

Damaged hard drive
Damaged RAM
Old, corrupted, or missing drivers
Damaged Boot Configuration Data (BCD)
Faulty Windows registry settings
Faulty Windows system files.

How to fix “Bad System Config Info” error

Let’s get rid of that blue screen of death, shall we? Here are some of the most common solutions for getting rid of this error message.

Update Windows and drivers

Running your device on old software can often create issues, including the dreaded “Bad System Config Info” error. At the very least, your machine won’t be running optimally. Check if there are any Windows updates available by going to Settings>Update & Security>Windows Update>Check for updates. It’s also important to keep all drivers up to date, and you can grab them from the manufacturer’s website.

Check your hardware

Did you recently replace your RAM, hard drive, or any other hardware? Have you dropped your computer? Check your hardware for any obvious signs of damage, and replace it if necessary.

Fix Windows registry

As mentioned above, Windows registry issues are a common cause of the “Bad System Config Info” error message.

Insert Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash drive (here is a guide for creating one).
Boot from the DVD or flash drive. Doing this is different on many computers. Google is your friend!
When the welcome screen appears, click “next”.
Select “Repair your computer”
Select Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Command Prompt.
Enter the following command: CD C:WindowsSystem32config
Enter the following command: ren C:WindowsSystem32configDEFAULT DEFAULT.old
Enter the following command: ren C:WindowsSystem32configSAM SAM.old
Enter the following command: ren CWindowsSystem32configSECURITY SECURITY.old
Enter the following command: ren C:WindowsSystem32configSOFTWARE SOFTWARE.old
Enter the following command: ren C:WindowsSystem32configSYSTEM SYSTEM.old
These command lines have renamed folders that can no longer be used. Now it’s time to insert the new ones.
Enter the following command: copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackDEFAULT C:WindowsSystem32config
Enter the following command: copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSAM C:WindowsSystem32config
Enter the following command: copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSECURITY C:WindowsSystem32config
Enter the following command: copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSYSTEM C:WindowsSystem32config
Enter the following command: copy C:WindowsSystem32configRegBackSOFTWARE C:WindowsSystem32config
Close the Command Prompt and restart the computer. If this was the issue, you should be set.

Fix Boot Configuration Data (BCD)

Insert Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash drive (here is a guide for creating one).
Boot from the DVD or flash drive. Doing this is different on many computers. Google is your friend!
When the welcome screen appears, click “next”.
Select “Repair your computer”.
Select Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Command Prompt.
Enter the following command: bootrec /repairbcd
Enter the following command: bootrec /osscan
Enter the following command: bootrec /repairmbr
Close the Command Prompt and restart the computer. If this was the issue, you should be set.

Fix system configuration with bcdedit command

It could be possible your system configuration has the wrong information. If the RAM amount, number of processor cores, and other information doesn’t match, an error message is sure to show up.

Insert Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash drive (here is a guide for creating one).
Boot from the DVD or flash drive. Doing this is different on many computers. Google is your friend!
When the welcome screen appears, click “next”.
Select “Repair your computer”.
Select Troubleshoot>Advanced Options>Command Prompt.
Enter the following command: bcdedit/deletevalue {default} numproc
Enter the following command: bcdedit/deletevalue {default} truncatememory
Close the Command Prompt and restart the computer. If this was the issue, you should be set.

Perform a System Restore

As the name entails, this will bring your computer to a previous state. You need to have back ups in order to do this. If you do, you can take the computer to a previous state in which the problem was non-existent.

Open Start menu.
Search for “Create a restore point”.
Click top result to open System Properties.
Select “System Restore” and then hit “Next”.
Select the restore point you want to go back to.
Select “Scan for affected programs”.
Hit “Next”, and then “Finish”.
Let the computer do its work.

Factory data reset

If all else fails, you can perform a factory data reset. This will essentially delete all files and restore the computer to the state it was when you turned it on for the first time (software wise). Make sure to save all important personal files, because this process will delete them forever.

Insert Windows 10 Installation DVD or flash drive (here is a guide for creating one).
Boot from the DVD or flash drive. Doing this is different on many computers. Google is your friend!
When the welcome screen appears, click “next”.
Select “Repair your computer”.
Select Troubleshoot>Reset this PC>Remove everything > Only the drive where Windows is installed > Just remove my files.
Hit the “Reset” button and let the computer do its thing.

These solutions should have you up and running in no time. Hopefully you didn’t have to deal with the more serious issues, like hardware problems! Have any of you encountered the blue screen of death before? What was the problem?

Also read:

How to fix Bad System Config Info error on Windows