Digital Signature Verification Failure (0xC0000428)

What is BOOT-0xC0000428?

Digital Signature Verification Failure (0xC0000428) ranks as a critical-severity Windows operating system issue in our database. Error code 0xC0000428 indicates that Windows Boot Manager could not verify the digital signature of a recently installed driver or system file. This prevents Windows from starting up properly. See the troubleshooting steps below for the fix.

Common Causes

• Outdated driver files with expired or invalid digital signatures
• Corrupted boot configuration data (BCD)
• Unsigned drivers installed on 64-bit systems with driver signature enforcement enabled

Step-by-Step Fix Guide

• 1
  Disable Driver Signature Enforcement from the Advanced Startup Options menu

  Temporarily disabling integrity checks allows Windows to boot past the unsigned file block.

• 2
  Use Bootrec to repair the Boot Configuration Data (BCD)

  Rebuilding the BCD repairs incorrect bootloader entries linked to missing signatures.

• 3
  Roll back or uninstall the problematic driver in Safe Mode

  This step, "Roll back or uninstall the problematic driver in Safe Mode", specifically rules out outdated driver files with expired or invalid digital signatures.

• 4
  Update the offending driver file

  "Update the offending driver file" targets outdated driver files with expired or invalid digital signatures, one of the documented causes of BOOT-0xC0000428.

Commands & Diagnostics

Frequently Asked Questions