Life isn’t a smooth ride, when all seems to be going well, you bump right into a problem. The same goes for your Windows experience, say, you are working on an important project and your system suddenly crashes. It’s not frequent but even the remotest possibility of losing your work sends shivers down the spine.

One such error that users come across is ‘Bad System Config Info’ which is a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) error. This can be caused due to both hardware and software problems, the latter being a more prominent cause. Before you proceed to the fixes, a thorough understanding of the underlying issue is a must.

‘Bad System Config Info’ error generally occurs due to malfunctioning BCD (Boot Configuration Data) or registry files. Other common problems that may lead to the error are faulty hardware, corrupt or unstable drivers, damaged hard drive or RAM. Once you identify the problem, the next step, i.e., fixing, becomes a lot simpler and quicker.

By now, you have a basic understanding of the error and the underlying problems that lead to it. It’s now time that we delve into the various available fixes to resolve the error.

Restart your Computer

This should your first approach since it is the simplest of all and has been found quite effective in fixing the error at hand. Restarting your computer resolves a lot of other issues as well.

You can either restart your computer from the Start Menu or use the ALT+F4 keyboard shortcut for the same. In the ‘Shut Down Windows’ box, click on the box, select ‘Restart’ from the drop-down menu, and then click on ‘OK’ at the bottom to proceed.

Check for Hardware Issues

If restarting your computer doesn’t do the job, you should check your system for RAM and Hard Drive issues. Over time, these might get damaged or the connections might come loose, which can be easily rectified. If you have a fair understanding and knowledge of the various hardware components and their connections, unscrew your computer and check for faults.

RAM and Hard Drive are the most probable areas of concern, therefore pay special attention to these. If you are able to identify a problem that can be easily fixed like loose connections, go ahead and repair it.

Anyway, it’s not recommended to fix/adjust the hardware without proper training, therefore, visit a technician to resolve the issue.

Run Windows Troubleshooter

If you have identified the problem, run the relevant troubleshooter to fix it. However, we do realize that identifying the underlying problem is not as simple as it sounds but you can always run as many troubleshooters to identify and fix the error.

To run Windows Troubleshooter, press WINDOWS + I to open ‘Settings’ and then click on ‘Update & Security’, the last option.

Next, move to the ‘Troubleshoot’ tab by selecting it from the list on the left and then click on ‘Additional troubleshooters’.

Now, run the specific troubleshooter if you have identified the problem or run all the relevant troubleshooters from the list to be on the safe side.

After you are done running the troubleshooter, chances are that the error has been fixed for good. In case it’s not, there are various other fixes that you can look up to.

Update Windows

Many a time, running an older version of Windows can lead to a ‘Bad System Config Info’ error. Windows automatically look for updates under default settings but you have the option to search them manually. In case there is an update available, download and install it to fix the error. Updating the Windows also updates all the drivers to the best available option, thereby, saving you the time of updating them individually.

To search for Updates, press WINDOWS + I to open ‘Settings’ and then click on ‘Update & Security’, the last option.

You will now see the ‘Check for updates’ icon under Windows Update to search for them. Also, if you find any optional quality updates available, click on the ‘Download and Install’ option.

Once the Windows are updated, check if the error is fixed. If not, proceed to the next fix.

Run SFC (System File Check) Scan

An SFC scan is another fix that can be employed, which scans and repairs all the Windows System files. It’s a fairly simple process with just a couple of commands that you have to enter in the Command Prompt. Before you proceed, ensure that you are running ‘Command Prompt’ as an administrator and that the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool has been run in advance. DISM is an administrator-level command that is used to check the health and repair Windows image.

To start, search for ‘Command Prompt’ in the Start Menu, right-click on it and then select ‘Run as Administrator’ from the menu.

Next, click on ‘Yes’ in the box that pops up to run as administrator.

You have to first run the DISM tool and then move to SFC scan. To execute the DISM tool, enter the following command in Command Prompt and then press enter.

DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

The process may take several minutes to complete depending on the system’s health. After it’s over, enter the following command and then press ENTER to run the SFC scan.

sfc /scannow

The scan will take some time to complete and will fix any issues that it finds along the way.

Run Check Disk Utility

Unlike SFC scan, Check Disk scans the complete hard drive for errors and fixes it right away. This is a comprehensive scan and takes considerably longer, therefore you should first try the SFC scan and go ahead with this only if the issue remains unresolved.

To run the Check Disk utility, type the following in Command Prompt and then press ENTER.

chkdsk /r

After you enter the above command, you will be asked to reschedule the check until the next restart. To confirm, type ‘Y’ and then press ENTER.

Now, restart your system to run the Check Disk utility and fix all the related issues. In case, the utility is unable to fix, there must a hardware problem with the hard disk and you should either get it repaired or replaced to fix the error.

Using BCDEDIT Command

Incorrect or faulty system configuration also leads to ‘Bad System Config Info’ error which can easily be rectified using ‘bcdedit’ command. Also, there may arise a case when memory and processor have the wrong value in the configuration file which also leads to the same error.

To fix it, click on the Windows icon at the bottom-left corner to open the Start Menu and then click on the ‘Power’ icon.

Hold the SHIFT key and then select the ‘Restart’ option from the menu.

This will open the ‘Choose an option’ screen from where you can proceed with fixing the error. Select ‘Troubleshoot’ from the list of options to continue.

In the ‘Troubleshoot’ screen, select ‘Advanced options’.

You will now see the various advanced options that you can employ to fix errors. Since we are to execute the ‘bcdedit’ command, select ‘Command Prompt’ from the list.

The system will now restart and the command prompt window will open. Next, select an account to proceed with and complete the authentication part.

After the command prompt window is accessible, type or paste the following two commands and press ENTER.

bcdedit/deletevalue {default} numproc
bcdedit/deletevalue {default} truncatememory 

Next, close the command prompt and restart your computer. The error must have been fixed by now. In case it still persists, try the next fix.

Restore system files and settings

If you encountered the error recently and have a restore point on your system created earlier, restoring your PC might help fix the error. Windows create restore point periodically or before you install any app. Also, it is recommended to create restore points manually which comes in handy in such cases.

When you restore your system, it doesn’t affect the files or photos but only reverts the settings and removes any apps that might have been uninstalled after the restore point was created.

To restore your system, search for ‘Recovery’ in the Start Menu and then click on it.

In the Control Panel window that open, select ‘Open System Restore’, the second option.

The ‘System Restore’ window will open from where you can restore your system to a previous point. Click on ‘Next’ at the bottom to proceed.

On the next window, select a restore point from the list and then click on ‘Next’ to proceed. Also, you can view other restore points as well by checking the box before ‘Show more restore points’ near the bottom-left.

The next is the final screen where it will display the restore point details. Save any data that you are working on to avoid loss as your system will restart during restore. After you have read the details, click on ‘Finish’ at the bottom to restore your PC.

Reset your PC

This should be the last resort as you will end up losing the data stored in the drive with the Windows. You can create a backup of the data and retrieve it once the PC is reset and the error fixed.

To reset your PC, click on the Windows icon at the bottom-left corner to open the Start Menu, and then click on the ‘Power’ icon.

Hold the SHIFT key and then select the ‘Restart’ option from the menu.

This will open the ‘Choose an option’ screen, select ‘Troubleshoot’ from the list of options to proceed with system reset.

In the ‘Troubleshoot’ screen, select ‘Reset this PC’.

Next, select the ‘Remove everything’ option, then select ‘Only the drive where Windows is installed’, and finally select ‘Just remove my files’. Once you are done customizing the options, click on ‘Reset’ to reset your computer.

Also, you might need to reinstall the Windows after resetting your system, therefore, ensure that you have one available before resetting your system.

With most of the fixes discussed above, you must have by now fixed the ‘Bad System Config Info’ error. You might not even need to reset your PC in most cases, it is the last resort when all the other fixes fail to work.