5 Ways to Overcome Bad System Config Info in Windows 10

 Bad System Config Info stop code is a common Windows error that can cause a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). While system crashes and blue screens can seem worrisome, Bad System Config Info is relatively easy to fix and doesn't require much skill. The good news again, it doesn't take long to fix it. So, here's how to fix Bad System Config Info in Windows 10.

What is Bad System Config Info Error in Windows 10

The Bad System Config Info error (Windows stop code 0x00000074) can come from several areas and is related to incorrect system configuration. Unfortunately, incorrect system configurations cover a wide range, including the Windows Registry, faulty drivers, corrupted system files, and more. Fortunately, all of these problems are easy to fix.

How to Overcome Bad System Config Info in Windows 10

1. Restart the System

The first fix is always the easiest which is to restart the computer. Shutting down and restarting your computer can fix various problems. Before you start running any other repairs, restart your computer and see if that fixes your Bad System Config Info error.

2. Run SFC and CHKDSK

The persistent Bad System Config Info error can point to a corrupted file system. Sometimes, important Windows system files can get corrupted, which in turn causes problems. Windows System File Check (SFC) is an integrated Windows system tool that you can use to check for errors.

However, before running the SFC command, it is important to ensure that it is working properly. To do this, we must use the Deployment Image Servicing and Management, or DISM, tool.

Like SFC, DISM is an integrated Windows utility with multiple functions. In this case, the DISM Restorehealth command ensures that our next fix will work properly.

Use System File Checker

Take the following steps:

1. Type Command Prompt (Admin) in the Start menu search bar, then right-click and select Run as administrator to open Command Prompt in admin privileges.

2. Type the following command and press Enter: DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

3. Wait for the command to complete. The process can take up to 20 minutes, depending on your system error. The process seems to crash at certain times, but wait for it to finish.

4. When the process is complete, type sfc /scannow and press Enter.

CHKDSK is another Windows system tool that checks your file structure. Unlike SFC, CHKDSK scans your entire drive for errors, whereas SFC scans your Windows system files specifically. Like SFC, run a CHKDSK scan from the Command Prompt to repair your machine.

1. Type command prompt in your Start menu search bar, then right-click the most suitable one and select Run as administrator. (Or, press Windows key + X, then choose Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.)

2. Next, type chkdsk /r and press Enter. This command will scan your system for errors and fix any issues along the way.

3. Restore Windows Registry

The Bad System Config Info error can also be related to a problem with the Windows Registry. The Windows Registry is basically a massive internal database that contains important, machine-specific information about almost everything on your machine:

* System Hardware

* Installed Software and Drivers

* System settings

* Profile Information

Restoring the Windows Registry from a backup will get rid of any errors. However, there is one problem with this fix. Since Windows 10 version 1803, there is no automatic Windows Registry backup. Prior to 1803, Windows would take Registry backups every 10 days through the RegIdleBackup service.

Microsoft discontinued automatic backups to reduce Windows 10's footprint size. For this reason, Microsoft recommends using a system restore point to repair a corrupted registry. Before starting this repair, you can check if you have a Windows Registry backup to restore.

Go to C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack. This folder contains your Windows Registry backups. If the file size shows zero, you cannot use this backup method, and you should proceed to the next method.

Otherwise, read on to find out how to restore the Windows Registry manually.

1. Go to Advanced Startup Options

If the files in the RegBack folder show that they have data (for example, there is a numeric value in the Size column), you can try a manual Registry restore.

First, you need to boot into the advanced start-up options.

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery

2. Select Restart Now.

Alternatively, open your Start Menu, then hold down the Shift key and press Restart .

After the menu selection, hit Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

Advanced Startup Options

2. Change Directory, Restore

When Command Prompt opens, the default is X:\Windows\System32. This is not the actual location of your Windows installation, so we'll need to move to the correct drive letter before proceeding.

Windows usually installs to the C:\ drive, unless you specify a different location. However, Windows recovery mode will boot your Windows installation with a different drive letter, usually D:\. Find the correct drive using the following command:

dir D:\Win*

Command Prompt will list the contents of the directory, so you'll know it's the correct drive. Now, enter the following commands, in order:

cd d:\windows\system32\config

xcopy *.* C:\RegBack\

cd RegBack

dir

Check the date of the files in the RegBack directory. If they are from before your problem started, you can enter the following command:

copy /y software ..

copy /y system ..

copy /y sam ..

Those two points are part of the command. After this, reboot your computer normally.

4. Use System Restore to repair the Windows Registry

If you don't have a manual Windows Registry backup to restore, you can choose a system restore point. Windows creates an automatic system restore point for you to return to, as long as the feature is turned on.

Press Windows + S and search for restore. Select the result create a restore point. This will open System Properties > System Protection where you can check if protection is active, configure settings, and create a restore point now.

System Properties Protection

If you want to use a system restore point, select System Restore, then select the restore point you want to use. Then follow the instructions.

One of the nice features of Windows System Restore is the ability to Scan for affected programs. If you selected a system restore point, scan it for a list of programs that the system restore point will affect or remove.

System Restore

5. Repair Boot Configuration Data (BCD)

If none of the fixes above worked, you can try repairing your Boot Configuration Data (BCD). Repairing your Boot Configuration Data requires Windows 10 installation media.

Turn off your computer. Now, insert the Windows 10 USB flash drive installation media into the USB port, and turn on your computer. You need to boot from a USB flash drive, which means pressing a special key to launch the boot menu during the boot process. The key for the boot menu varies but is usually F8, Del, Esc, or similar.

Repair your computer

From the boot menu, select the Windows 10 installation media. When the Welcome screen appears, select Repair your computer at the bottom left of the screen. Now, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. From the Command Prompt, enter the following commands, in order:

bootrec /repairbcd

bootrec /osscan

bootrec /repairmbr

Now, close the Command Prompt and shut down the computer. Remove your Windows 10 installation media and boot up your computer.

Fixed Bad System Config Info Error

The fix for the Bad System Config Info error has varying levels of difficulty. Restarting your computer may be very easy, but sometimes it may not solve the problem. If you use another, more complex method, it can fix the Bad System Config Info Error on your computer.