How to Fix srttrail.txt BSOD Error in Windows 11

BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) errors are the worst. They occur unexpectedly and completely halt your work by rendering your PC unusable. They can even result in the loss of unsaved data. To fix the problem, Windows has a Startup Repair Utility. Unfortunately, srttrail.txt is one such BSOD error that even Startup Repair fails to correct. Your system ends up in a reboot loop with this error.

There are several reasons behind this issue. Luckily, each has its own fix that you can try to pinpoint the root cause of the issue. However, you might need to try several of the fixes mentioned below before you find the one that works.

But before you jump onto the fixes, it is imperative that you also learn the culprits behind them. This will lend you a greater understanding and allow you to diagnose the issue much more efficiently.

Typical Causes of the srttrail.txt BSOD Error

Though BSOD errors can be caused due to a plethora of reasons, the ones mentioned below are the most typical common causes.

Corrupted or Damaged System Files
Hardware Issues
Faulty External Peripherals
Corrupted Registry Files
Virus or Malware Infection
Corrupted Third-party software

If you can pinpoint one of these as the root cause, you can directly fix it. If not, don’t fret. Follow the fixes below and things will start working like clockwork again.

Method 1: Disconnect External Devices

The first and foremost fix is also the easiest: Disconnect all non-essential external devices from your computer. Many a time, a faulty or damaged external device can interfere with the boot process of the system and result in a BSOD error.

Once you have disconnected all the external devices, restart your system and check if the issue has been resolved. If it is, connect external devices one by one to find the culprit. Once you find the culprit, you can try to update its drivers to see if it fixes the device. Otherwise, you might have to replace it or get it repaired.

But if you’re still facing the issue, head to the next method.

Method 2: Run DISM, SFC, and CHKDSK

DISM will renew the cached copy of the operating system files from the Microsoft server. SFC will then use the cached copy to repair the existing system if it is damaged or corrupted. Then, the CHKDSK command will scan the physical bad sectors on the secondary storage of your system. It is imperative that you execute the commands in the order stated below.

Since it’s a BSOD error, you won’t be able to access any of the options on your system as you normally would. If you’re seeing the Startup Repair screen, click the option for ‘Advanced Options’ instead.

If you don’t see the Startup Repair or Automatic Repair screen and are also unable to log on to your PC, press and hold the ‘Power’ button of your computer for 20 seconds at the first sign of boot. Now, repeat the process three times, and let the computer boot up normally the fourth time. Then, on the Automatic Repair screen, click on the ‘Troubleshoot’ tile to continue.

Then, click on the ‘Advanced options’ tile.

In both cases, when you see the option for ‘Command Prompt’, click it.

In the Command Prompt, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter on your keyboard. This will restore the currently installed OS image on your device.

DISM/Online/Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth

Once completed, type or copy+paste the following command to check and repair the System files on your PC.

SFC /scannow

Now to run the CHKDSK command, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter on your keyboard to execute the command.

chkdsk /f

After that, press the Y key to schedule the scan to be initiated when you boot up your PC next time.

Method 3: Repair the Master Boot Record

The MBR (Master Boot Record) is the first sector on your secondary storage that has the code to boot the operating system. If this record is corrupted or damaged, it will create issues when trying to boot up the PC.

From the Startup Repair screen, click the ‘Advanced Options’ button. In case you had to manually enter the Automatic Repair screen, follow the steps as outlined above (Troubleshoot > Advanced Options) to reach the same screen.

Now, on the ‘Advanced Startup’ screen, click on the ‘Command Prompt’ tile to proceed.

After that, type or copy+paste the following commands one at a time and hit Enter on your keyboard to execute them.

bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

bootrec.exe /fixmbr

bootrec.exe /fixboot

Once you have executed all the commands, restart your PC and check if you can log in to your PC.

Method 4: Disable Automatic Repair

Many users on the community forums have been able to resolve the issue by simply disabling the Automatic Repair on their PCs. From the Automatic Repair screen, follow the steps as outlined in the sections above and open the Command Prompt from the Advanced Options screen.

Next, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter on your keyboard to execute it.

bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No

After the command executes, restart the computer.

Method 5: Restore from a Previous Backup

You can also restore your computer from a previously made backup. Of course, for this to work, your computer should have been working perfectly at the time of backup. Do note that restoring your computer will uninstall and remove all the apps, files, and folders you may have installed/added to your system after the backup.

On the ‘Advanced startup’ screen, click on the ‘Troubleshoot’ tile to continue.

After that, click on the ‘Advanced options’ tile.

Next, click on the ‘System Image Recovery’ option to proceed.

Once restarted, the ‘System Image Recovery’ screen will appear. Find your account name listed under the section and click on it to continue.

On the next screen, enter the account password that you used to log in to your computer and click on the ‘Continue’ button.

After that, click on the radio button preceding the ‘Use the latest available system image’ option and click on the ‘Next’ button to proceed.

On the next screen, click on the ‘Next’ button.

After that, click on the ‘Finish’ button to start the restore process.

Method 6: Reset Your PC

If no method has been able to fix the issue on your PC, the last resort is to reset it. Thankfully, you will not lose your personal files and folders if you don’t want to. However, resetting your PC will remove all the programs that you have installed and also bring all the settings to their default configuration.

To reset your PC, enter the Recovery mode on your PC as explained earlier in this guide, and click ‘Troubleshoot’ from the options present.

Then, click the ‘Reset this PC’ option from the troubleshooting screen.

On the next screen, you can select whether you want to keep your files and only remove the apps and settings or remove everything and restore it to the factory state. Click your preferred option accordingly. In this guide, we’re going with ‘Remove everything’ but ultimately, it’s up to you.

On the next screen, click on the ‘Cloud download’ tile to install the Windows using Microsoft servers. You can also opt for the ‘Local reinstall’ option if you have the existing files to install Windows present on your machine.

Note: ‘Cloud download’ will require an active internet connection and will consume upwards of 4 GB of data.

On the next screen, you will need to choose if you would like to remove your files only from the Windows installer drive or all the drives. Click on the ‘Only the drive where Windows is installed’ option present on the screen if you only want to remove everything from the drive where you have your Windows. Otherwise, choose the ‘All drives’ option to remove files from all your drives.

Next, click on the ‘Just remove my files’ option to delete your files. In case you are giving away your machine, click on the ‘Fully clean the drive’ option. We are selecting the ‘Just remove my files’ option here.

It might take your Windows machine a few minutes to get everything ready; wait till the next screen appears. Now, Windows will list down the impacts of resetting according to your preferred settings. Read them and click on the ‘Reset’ button situated in the bottom right corner of the screen to start the process.