What is Error code: 0xc0000428?

Disconnect Newly Connected Hardware

A recent change in your computer’s hardware may have caused this problem. If you have recently installed new hardware, disconnect it and restart your computer.

Remove Recently Installed Software

Uninstall all newly installed software applications from your PC. A recently installed piece of software may have copied incompatible DLL files to your hard disk, resulting in error code 0xc0000428. Sort all installed applications in terms of installation chronology by using ‘Programs and Features’ under the Control Panel.

Rollback Recently Updated Driver

Using ‘Device Manager’, rollback the previous version of the newly updated driver. Just right-click the device you recently updated and choose ‘Rollback Driver’ under the ‘Drivers’ tab in the Device Properties dialog box.

Temporarily Disable Driver Signature Enforcement

Windows imposes strict restrictions on drivers. Unsigned drivers are not allowed to be installed. Temporarily disable this feature and restart Windows to continue with the driver installation without encountering errors.

Open ‘PC Settings’ from the ‘Start Menu’, and then open ‘Change advanced startup options’ by typing ‘Advanced startup’ in the upper right ‘Search Box’. After restarting your computer as specified under ‘Recovery’ in the ‘Update & Security’ dialog, get started with the same feature and go to ‘Advanced Options’ under the ‘Troubleshoot’ category in the blue ‘Choose an Option’ page. There you have the option to change Windows startup behavior under the ‘Startup Settings’ icon. You will, once more,  be prompted to restart your PC. Later on, the ‘Startup Settings’ page appears with a list of different options. Press the ‘7’ key on your keyboard to disable driver signature enforcement and then your problem will be fixed.

Repair the Installation

Fix the 0xc0000428 error by repairing the Windows installation. With the help of your installation disc, boot up your PC, choose a language for installation and then click ‘Repair my computer’ in the welcome screen. To boot your PC from a self-bootable DVD ROM or USB flash media, configure the boot sequence under ‘BIOS Settings’ properly. Perform the startup repair task and check whether your problem resolves.

Repair BCD and MBR

Your computer may be experiencing problems with the ‘Windows Master Boot Record’ (MBR) and ‘BCD’. Run ‘Command Prompt’ after clicking the ‘Repair my computer’ option. First, you will need to insert your Windows installation disc or connect a self-bootable USB flash media.

Execute the commands below in the given sequence:

• bootrec /fixMBR
• bootrec /fixBoot
• bootrec /rebuildBCD

Exit the setup and restart your computer in normal mode.

Update your PC

Download the latest updates and patches from Microsoft. Use the ‘Windows Update’ utility from Settings > Update & Security.

Perform Phone Activation

If you are encountering error 0xc0000428 while activating your genuine copy of Windows, choose the ‘phone activation’ option by loading ‘slui.exe 4’ from ‘Search/ Run’, and then choose the ‘Phone Activation’ option after selecting your country. Hold until a Microsoft representative answers your call.