How to Fix Windows 8 Errors – Common Windows 8 Problems Resolved

1. Blue Screen Error (STOP Error) in Windows 8

Blue Screen error, also called STOP error, occurs when a serious problem leads Windows to shut down or restart without warning. It ceases and the resulting diagnostic information is displayed in white text on a blue screen. And you may notice an error message saying "Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer." Windows 8 Blue Screen error can result from both hardware and software problems. And you can try the following methods to fix this popular Windows 8 error.

Method 1. Remove hardware and restart.
If you added new hardware to your Windows 8 PC before the Blue Screen error, you're advised to shut down your PC, take out the hardware, and then try restarting. If you can't restart it, you can boot it in safe mode.

Method 2. Get latest updates.
Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings.
Hit Update and recovery, and then click Windows Update.
Tap Check now, and then Windows will begin looking for the latest updates for your PC.
If updates found out, please click Install updates.
Type in an admin password or confirm your choice if needed. Read and accept the license terms, and then tap Finish if the update requires it.

Method 3. Restore Windows to an earlier point in time.
If you don't mind lose the recently installed apps and drivers, you can restore Windows back to an earlier point in time, called a restore point. You can troubleshoot this Windows 8 error following guide below: go to Control Panel -> type in Recovery in the Control Panel search box -> click Recovery option -> press Open System Restore, and then follow the instructions. This solution can also used to fix 0xC000021A error code in Windows 8.

2. Error 651 in Windows 8

As a Windows 8 user, you may have encountered or will experience error 651. And the error message is "Error 651: The Modem (or other connecting device) has reported an error." How to fix Error 651 in Windows 8? Get the answer here. You'll be presented with two solutions to fix Error 651 in Windows 8.

Solution 1. Boot computer in Safe Mode with Networking.
Press and hold Windows + R keys, then the Run window appears -> type in MSCONFIG and hit Enter key -> click Boot tab -> under Boot Options, choose Safe Boot -> check Network checkbox under options and click OK. Reboot your computer and check if the error 651 still exists.

Solution 2. Fix error 651 via clean booting.
Press and hold Windows + R keys, then the Run window appears -> type in MSCONFIG and hit Enter key -> click Boot tab -> uncheck Safe Boot -> go back to General tab -> choose Selective Startup and uncheck options to clear selections -> move to Services -> hit Disable all button -> go to Startup tab -> disable each item -> restart your Windows 8 PC -> when your computer restarts on clean boot, press Windows + R keys and enter MSCONFIG and click OK -> go to Services tab, click on Hide all Microsoft Services > click OK then restart your computer. (If the Windows 8 error – error 651 still exists, please do not click Hide all and select half of the Startup items manually.)

When the error 651 in Windows 8 has been resolved, you can set the PC into its normal startup following the steps: Press Windows + R keys -> type MSCONFIG -> go to General tab ->select Normal Startup and click Restart as it pops.

Related: Help Tips for Various Windows 10 Error Codes

3. RunDLL Error on Windows 8

Among other Windows 8 errors, RunDLL error is notably coming forward. It always interrupts the user on system startup by prompting an annoying error message. Before we give out the solution to fix RunDLL error on Windows 8, we'd like to help you figure out what is RunDLL and how does RunDLL error happen.

RunDLL technically termed as Rundll32.exe is a legitimate Microsoft Windows process and is very important for the operating system to work properly. And a RunDLL error occurs in Windows 8 can be due to multiple reasons: missing DLL file, corrupted DLL files, infected DLL file by Virus, Spyware or Trojan, incorrect or invalid DLL entries in Windows registry, or when a DLL file is improperly deleted. Here, you are provided with three ways to have a try.

Method 1. Uninstall and reinstall the corrupted program
Go to the Control Panel, and then programs and features. Choose the program that is corrupted, and then uninstall it and reinstall it with complete files. Alternatively, you can repair it if a repair option is offered.

Method 2. Scan for malware/spyware
Open Windows Defender, specify "Full" under scan options, and then click "Scan Now" to begin scanning malware/spyware. Simply wait for the scanning, and you will be informed of whether it found an error and if it could repair it.

Method 3. Download RunDLL file online
Most of the DLL files are available on the internet. You can fix this error by downloading a copy of Rundll file online. You will have option to replace the missing/corrupted file with the new one. Restart system now to make it effective.

4. Windows 8 boot error by BCD or locked drive error

If you are engaged in an error message displaying that "Recovery. Your PC needs to be repaired. A required device isn't connected or can't be accessed. Error code:0xc000000f...", please find the answer here.

Then, Microsoft advises you to try "Refresh Your PC" or "Reset Your PC" options that come in-built with UEFI boot mode in Windows 8. But unfortunately, you may receive new error messages like "The Drive where Windows is installed is locked. Unlock the drive and try again." or "Unable to reset your PC. A required drive partition is missing." If so, you probably have a corrupt MBR (Master Boot Record) or BCD (Coot Configuration Data). And you should follow the steps below to fix this common Windows 8 error.

Step 1: Insert your Installation media for the respective version of Windows 8 and boot the computer through this.

Step 2: Get to the command prompt.
Select your language when it asks and tap Next. Then, click on the link in the lower left corner that says Repair your Computer. Then on Choose an Option screen, click on Troubleshoot. In the next screen, click on Advanced Options and now you can see a Command Prompt button. Just click on it.

Step 3: Import and perform three commands in the command prompt now. Please press Enter key after typing each one)
Command 1: bootrec /fixmbr
Command 2: bootrec /fixboot
Command 3: bootrec /RebuildBcd

Step 4: After executing Command 3, you'll be asked to choose an option among Y, N and A. type Y and press Enter.

Step 5: Type Exit and click Enter to exit the command prompt. Remove the disc and try booting again. After finishing these steps, this boot error in Windows 8 can be resolved.