When a blue screen error is displayed during system start-up then the following actions should be attempted in sequence:

-    Use another Windows user account. This may bypass the fault if it relates to an individual registry hive (keys relating to one user). Once logged in, back up all personal data and either roll back the registry file (if older copies are kept) or use registry repair software to effect a fix.

-    Boot up Windows in safe-mode. This halts numerous services from starting. If the registry fault relates to one of these services then you are at least getting Windows up and running and can then attempt a registry roll-back/repair as before.

-    Start the PC using the Microsoft Boot Disks and execute all available system scans to identify/repair operating system/driver faults.

If the above fail then it will be necessary to resort to PC maintenance software. Reimage is a good option for home PC repairs that can boot the system (bypassing the blue screen) and establish an internet connection.

At this point the product scans the file system, OS files/drivers and the registry for faults. The Reimage repair stage then sets the registry keys based on their online knowledge base of healthy settings (hence the need for internet access) and also upgrades all application & OS files with the latest file versions.

In the event of a blue screen occurring to you it is important not to panic and following a logical approach to computer repair and maintenance. Best of all, it is always possible to fall back on using automated online services if your manual attempts do not succeed.

After recently seeing a blue screen error with the code 0xc0000218 my research pointed to the issue being due to a corrupt registry hive (keys relating to a specific user). I collated the following sequence repairs based on best practices and online advice.

-    Use another Windows account. The hive might only be damaged on one account so other users may not see the problem. Log in, salvage your personal data and create a new account for yourself.

-    Start up in safe mode (hit F8 as the system is booting). Once logged in you can scan your system for viruses, replace the registry with an old version (if available) or run registry repair software (there are many free and commercial ones out there).

-    Use the Windows boot disk to start the machine and run any available checks. This is a long shot, especially with registry issues, as system checks are not specialised enough to resolve most registry issues. It is worth trying all the same.

-    Resort to PC maintenance software, such as Reimage, to boot the system, scan for & resolve the issues.

Most software for corrective maintenance has bootable disks (usually to download from their sites) that can start up PCs that experience a blue screen in start-up. I resorted to using Reimage (partly due to cost, but also due to their site stating their software could fix the exact error code I was seeing) and it resolved my PC problems.

The key take away lesson from this issue was to (a) always maintain back-ups of your registry and (b) don’t reinstall Windows until you have attempted every avenue of repair.