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If you see “Stop 0xC0000263, Driver Entry Point Not Found” while Windows starts, the code maps to STATUS_DRIVER_ENTRYPOINT_NOT_FOUND. It does not, by itself, identify a particular driver or prove what triggered the failure. First record any driver or module name on screen and note what changed recently; then use the recovery path that matches whether you can reach Windows or Safe Mode.
What does 0xC0000263 mean?
Microsoft’s Windows Error Reference associates 0xC0000263 with the status name STATUS_DRIVER_ENTRYPOINT_NOT_FOUND (Microsoft Open Specifications: Windows Error Codes). In plain language, the name indicates that a driver entry point was not found. The status value alone does not name the driver, show which change triggered the message, or establish that one driver is the only possible cause.
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Although the message may look like a stop error, Microsoft’s stop-error troubleshooting guidance does not establish 0xC0000263 as a named bug-check diagnosis with a dedicated cause or universal fix. Treat the displayed message as a clue to investigate, not as a complete diagnosis.
What to note before troubleshooting
Capture the full message, including any driver or module name shown. Also note your Windows version if known, whether the failure happens before sign-in, whether Safe Mode or recovery is available, and any recent driver, software, hardware, or Windows update changes. Microsoft recommends correlating error details with driver or service behavior and recent changes when investigating startup and stop errors (Microsoft stop-error troubleshooting).
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If Windows or Safe Mode is accessible
Check the likely device or driver
- Open Device Manager and look for devices with warning indicators. Compare those devices and their drivers with the changes made shortly before the error began.
- If you can identify a recently changed or implicated driver, use Device Manager to update it or roll it back when that option is available. Prefer a compatible package from the PC maker or hardware-device vendor.
- If updating or rolling back does not resolve the problem, consider disabling or uninstalling the identified device or driver. Avoid changing unrelated devices or using generic driver-updater utilities.
Microsoft’s consumer and advanced troubleshooting guidance includes updating, disabling, removing, or reverting an implicated driver when evidence points to it (Microsoft blue-screen troubleshooting; advanced stop-error guidance).
Consider a restore point or Windows updates
If the startup failure began after a change and a suitable restore point exists, System Restore may let you return system settings and drivers to an earlier state. You can also install applicable Windows updates. These are general recovery options, not fixes guaranteed by this particular status code; available steps vary by Windows release and device (Microsoft blue-screen troubleshooting).
If Windows will not start normally
Run Startup Repair from Windows Recovery Environment
In Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. Startup Repair can address certain problems that prevent Windows from starting, including some involving incompatible drivers, missing or damaged system files, boot configuration data, or registry issues. It is not a code-specific repair and may not resolve every cause. Microsoft notes that a BitLocker-protected device may require its recovery key to use recovery options (Microsoft Startup Repair guidance).
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If WinRE does not appear or cannot be accessed, Windows installation media is another documented route into recovery tools. You will need access to another working PC to prepare it; a USB flash drive is only a way to create recovery or installation media, not a repair for the driver status itself (Microsoft Windows boot-issues troubleshooting; Startup Repair guidance).
Choose the next recovery step carefully
If Startup Repair fails, consider System Restore if a suitable restore point is available, or contact the PC or driver vendor with the full error details. Avoid deleting driver files or editing offline registry driver-start values based only on 0xC0000263; the code does not establish which file or service is safe to change.
When to use advanced diagnostics
For an unresolved crash, Microsoft’s advanced guidance discusses collecting and analyzing memory dumps to investigate driver or service behavior (Microsoft stop-error troubleshooting). Driver Verifier is a separate, advanced diagnostic tool—not a first-line repair. Microsoft warns that it can increase CPU use, slow the PC, cause additional crashes, or leave a system unusable if applied broadly. Do not verify every driver at once; target only suspicious drivers. Verifier cannot run in Safe Mode, which can be used to disable it if the PC cannot boot to the desktop (Microsoft Driver Verifier guidance).
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