Error Code 0xc0000185: What It Is and How to Fix It

Error code 0xc0000185 almost always appears when a Windows PC boots up, typically after a system restart. It almost always manifests as a BSOD, or Blue Screen of Death, with text that says, "The Boot Configuration Data for your PC is missing or contains certain errors," followed by the error code. It's also possible the message reads, "Your PC needs to be repaired. The Boot Configuration Data file is missing some required information." You can quickly fix this error in most cases.

Causes of Error Code 0xc0000185

Error Code 0xc0000185 is caused by a corruption of files related to the boot function of a Windows PC. Specific files have been deleted or damaged somehow, or something as innocuous as a faulty shutdown or a new peripheral is throwing a spanner in the works.

It could also result from malware or faulty hardware, and this error is merely a symptom of a growing problem.

How to Fix Error Code 0xc0000185

Whether this error is the main problem affecting your system or there's another more substantive glitch that this error merely hints at, you can't fix anything until you get your PC working again.

1. Reboot/restart the computer. It's unlikely a standard reboot will fix this particular problem but trying a complete reboot never hurts. Windows might fix this problem during the startup sequence.

2. Rebuild the BCD. If this error persists, rebuilding the Boot Configuration Data file is an excellent next step to take. Access the Advanced Startup options menu to begin.

3. Rebuild the BCD with boot media. Sometimes, Windows boot problems are difficult to fix because you can't get to the repair tools you need to use. While you could use another Windows install drive, a more straightforward method is creating and using a bootable Windows 10 USB drive. To make one, download a Windows ISO file (it's free) from one of Microsoft's sources, then burn the ISO file to a USB drive.

   Then rebuild the BCD in Windows like you may have done in the last troubleshooting step, but this time, boot to your USB drive rather than your main drive.

4. Execute a system restore. If repairing the BCD doesn't fix the problem, a more drastic approach is to roll back the system to a previous point in time. Using a System Restore can delete applications and data, so if you can, back up your data and keep it safe on a secondary drive before continuing. However, you'll need to run the restore from the Advanced Startup options menu because you can't boot into Windows properly.

5. Format the hard drive and reinstall Windows. If you still have problems booting your PC after completing the above steps, format the drive and reinstall Windows. Move your data and programs to a new hard drive before doing this because this process wipes the drive.