I left my ASUS Windows 11 PC unused for about a month. When I turned it back on, I could enter my PIN, but afterward I only got a black screen with a movable mouse cursor. I tried using the recovery option to restart Windows while keeping my files, but afterward the computer began looping through "Preparing Automatic Repair," diagnostics, and a message saying the device ran into a problem and needed to restart. The stop code is 0xC000021A. What can I do to repair Windows? I need the computer working for class. If reinstalling Windows is necessary, I also need to know how to protect my files first.
1 Answer
The quickest reliable fix may be reinstalling Windows from a bootable USB drive. Before doing that, back up any important files by booting from a Linux or recovery USB and copying the data to an external drive. Then create Windows installation media, boot the ASUS computer from it, and reinstall Windows. If the installer cannot see the internal drive, check whether the drive appears in the firmware settings and whether the required storage-controller driver needs to be loaded.
I tried starting the reinstall process, but the Windows installer does not show my internal drive. What should I check next?