Error code and screen flashing black to light gray

[DMcBeth]

When I power on my laptop, the screen flashes from black to light Gray. If I power on and hit f eleven for system recovery.I'm getting error code 0xc0000225.

[Raj_05]

Hi @DMcBeth,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The error code 0xc0000225 typically indicates a boot configuration issue, often related to missing or corrupted system files. The flashing of the screen from black to light gray suggests that there might be a display or system issue.

Here are some steps to help troubleshoot and potentially fix the issue:

Perform a Hard Reboot

• Shut down your laptop.
• Disconnect any external devices (USB drives, printers, etc.).
• Press and hold the power button for 10-15 seconds to drain any residual power.
• Try powering it on again.

Access Advanced Startup Options

• Power on the laptop and immediately start pressing the F11 key (for HP devices).
• This should take you to the Advanced Startup Options screen. If you can get here, try the following:

Use Automatic Repair

• If you're in the Advanced Startup Options screen:
  • Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
  • Let Windows try to automatically fix any issues that might be preventing it from booting properly.

Perform a System Restore

• From Advanced options > System Restore.
• Choose a restore point from before the issue started occurring (if available). This will roll back system changes without affecting your personal files.

Rebuild Boot Configuration Data (BCD)

• If you can access the Command Prompt from Advanced options:
  1. Type bootrec /rebuildbcd and press Enter.
  2. Then type bootrec /fixmbr and press Enter.
  3. Finally, type bootrec /fixboot and press Enter.
  4. Restart your computer and check if it resolves the issue.

Check for Hardware Issues

• The issue could also be related to a failing hard drive or display. If the above steps don’t work, you may need to run diagnostics on the hardware by pressing Esc on boot to access the HP Diagnostics tool.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[DMcBeth]

Thank you Alden4, while this unfortunately was not able to help me, hopefully it will be able to help someone else having similar issues. I had to use a bootable USB for Windows 11 to do a reinstall on my computer. The error occurred after a windows update. 

[Raj_05]

Hi @DMcBeth,

Thank you for your response,

Since the above steps did not resolve your issue, let me provide additional advanced steps that might help address error code 0xc0000225:

Run SFC and DISM Commands

If you can boot into the recovery environment (Advanced Startup Options), use the Command Prompt to repair system files:

1. Open Command Prompt from Advanced Options.
2. Run the following commands one at a time:

sfc /scannow

1. This scans and repairs corrupted system files.
2. Next, run the DISM commands to repair the Windows image:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
 

1. Restart your system and check if the issue is resolved.

Check Drive Integrity

The issue could stem from a failing or corrupted disk partition:

1. Open Command Prompt from recovery.
2. Type the following and press Enter:

chkdsk C: /f /r /x

1. Replace C: with the correct drive letter of your Windows installation, if necessary.

Enable Legacy Boot (BIOS Settings)

Some modern BIOS settings default to UEFI, which may interfere with older boot settings:

1. Restart your computer and enter BIOS/UEFI settings (commonly F10, Del, or Esc on HP devices).
2. Enable Legacy Boot or CSM Support in the Boot Options section.
3. Save changes and restart.

[Raj_05]

Repair EFI Partition

If the EFI partition is corrupted, you can rebuild it:

1. Open Command Prompt from recovery.
2. Assign a letter to the EFI partition:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 0  (choose your system disk)
list partition
select partition 1  (choose the EFI partition)
assign letter=X
exit
 

1. Repair the EFI partition:

bcdboot C:\Windows /s X: /f UEFI
 

1. Restart your computer.

Reinstall Windows Without Deleting Files

If the issue persists, you can perform a non-destructive reinstallation of Windows:

1. Create a bootable Windows 11 USB.
2. Boot from the USB.
3. Select Install Now, then Repair Your Computer.
4. Choose Keep personal files and apps.

Hardware Diagnostics

Run diagnostics for hard drive and memory to rule out hardware failure:

1. Restart your computer.
2. Press Esc repeatedly until the Startup Menu appears.
3. Select F2 for System Diagnostics.
4. Run extensive tests on memory and storage.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support