If Windows 8 has stopped starting, then it can be restored using the installation disk by booting from it through BIOS. It is incorrect to call such a procedure recovery through BIOS, because there are no suitable tools in the basic input / output system. But without adjusting the BIOS settings, you will not be able to boot from the installation media to restore the system.
Create installation media
If there is no flash drive with the Windows 8 distribution, then you will have to write the necessary information to the media yourself. You will need:
- Distribution of Windows 8.
- Flash drive or disk with at least 4 GB of available space.
- Utility to create an installation disk.
The distribution can be downloaded from the Microsoft website, but it is much more convenient to use the Media Creation Tool:
After recording the distribution kit through the Media Creation Tool, you can start setting up the BIOS and restoring the system.
Change download priority
Usually, the computer boots the system from the hard drive first. But in order to restore Windows, you need to change the boot priority by putting the installation disk / flash drive in the first place. You can do this through the BIOS:
You can do without changing the BIOS settings and run the Windows 8 installer through the boot menu. The boot menu is called up with the F11 or F12 key, depending on the laptop model or motherboard. However, sometimes this method does not work, while changing the priority through BIOS works in 100% of cases.
Automatic recovery
Among the recovery tools on the Windows 8 installation media, there is a function to automatically find and fix errors. Use it to quickly restore the system.
During this procedure, the wizard will try to detect problems that prevent Windows from starting normally. If errors are found and they can be corrected, the recovery wizard will do it without your help.
Rollback to checkpoint
If Windows works with errors or does not start at all, then try restoring the system to a state when there were no problems. Usually this tool is used in the Windows environment, but since we launched the installer from bootable media through BIOS, we will use its capabilities.
The standard recovery wizard window will open. You need to specify a checkpoint to which the system should be rolled back. 
Remember that user files will remain intact after the rollback, but programs installed after the checkpoint was created will be uninstalled.
Recovery without deleting files
If rolling back to a checkpoint doesn't fix Windows errors, then another troubleshooting method called "Refresh your PC" should be used. Using this method, you will also save user data, so you don't have to worry about the safety of important documents or photos.
A warning will appear telling you what will happen to the system as a result of using the "Refresh your PC" function. User files will remain intact, system settings will be reset to their original state, applications you have installed will be deleted. 
It's a small price to pay to get Windows 8 back up and running quickly, so click Next and choose your target system. If you're using a laptop, make sure it's connected to the network and then click Restore. Shutting down the machine during a system restore can result in consequences that require a full reinstallation of Windows to be resolved.
Return to original state
If none of these recovery methods helps, then the radical method remains - returning the computer to its original state. This is almost the same as a complete reinstall of Windows, so not only programs will be deleted, but also your personal data, which is stored on the same partition as system files. If you do not lose anything as a result of such a rollback, then feel free to use it:
A warning will appear that all files and applications will be deleted. Click "Next" and select the target system. If the hard drive is divided into several partitions, the wizard will specify which volume to clean up. Choose the one on which the Windows files are recorded. 
Windows 8 is a reliable, user-friendly and stable operating system. However, even it is susceptible to virus attacks, and may also stop loading due to any user actions. In addition, unverified programs can cause certain errors. In this regard, the question arises, how to restore Windows 8 on a laptop?
Of course, the solution may be to reinstall the operating system. However, what if you bought a laptop with a pre-installed OS? After all, it is official, and, of course, you do not have a disk to reinstall Windows. In addition, to install the operating system, you must have certain knowledge. And it's much easier to perform a restore than a reinstall.
How to restore Windows8
First of all, it is worth noting that there are several methods for restoring Windows 8 on a laptop:
- Before loading the operating system, press a special key.
- Run the built-in utility that is provided on the laptop.
- Launch the built-in Windows recovery tools.
- Recovery from .
It is worth noting that the first method allows you to perform a recovery even if Windows 8 does not boot. The second method is a special program provided by the laptop developer. If you bought a laptop with a preinstalled operating system, then a special utility should already be installed. In addition, the starting point must also be created. If such a program is not installed, then it can be installed from the disk that comes with the kit. Also you will have to back up the OS.
The last option is to launch the built-in Windows 8 recovery tools. It is worth noting that when installing the OS, a restore point is created, which can be changed later. You can . For example, immediately after installing a new operating system and configuring it. This will allow you to roll back the system to the state at which you created the backup. So, let's look at all the options in more detail.
System Restore in Windows 8. How to create a restore point on Windows 8: Video
Starting recovery before booting the operating system
It is worth noting that if you try to boot unsuccessfully, you will automatically be prompted to start Windows 8 recovery on the laptop. The fact is that, as mentioned above, when installing the OS, a backup copy is created automatically. In addition, the manufacturer also took care of the restoration. Every modern laptop has a special section called "Recovery". It contains a reserved copy of Windows.
To run a built-in function, you just need to press the corresponding button when loading. Each laptop has different buttons. On some models there is a separate key, on others it can be F9 or any other key on the keyboard. You can find out in the user manual. So, after pressing the corresponding key, just follow the prompts on the screen. The system will do everything automatically.
Built-in Windows recovery tools
Everything is extremely simple here. Press the key combination Windows + X and select "System". In the window that appears, in the left menu, find and open the "Protection" item. Then it remains only to click the "Restore" button. As you can see, everything is extremely simple.
In order for this method to work, we need immediately after installing Windows 8 and installing all the drivers. You can create a copy in the above menu. Instead of the "Restore" button, we should click "Create". This feature is at the very bottom of the menu. After clicking, follow the prompts on the screen.
Windows 8 System Recovery Tools: Video
Restoring Windows 8 from an installation disk or flash drive
Another way to restore Windows 8 on a laptop is to create a boot disk or flash drive. To do this, we will have to create a boot disk or USB flash drive. It is worth noting that disks are used less and less every year, and today there are laptops that do not have a laser drive for reading CDs or DVDs. Therefore, we will look at how to create a bootable USB flash drive and restore Windows 8 with it. In this case, creating a disk is done in the same way.
Restoring Windows 8 from an installation disk or flash drive: Video
So, for starters, we need the UltraISO program. In addition, we need . All this can be easily downloaded from the Internet. After installing the program, run it and insert the USB flash drive into the USB port. The application is divided into four windows. In the lower left menu, you must select the directory (folder) in which the desired image is located and select it. In the lower right menu, open the image by double-clicking the left mouse button.
An open image will appear in the upper windows. Now at the very top, find and click the "Bootloader" button. Select "Burn Hard Disk Image". 
In the window that appears, in the "Disk Drive" line, select your memory drive to which the image will be saved, and click the "Burn" button. The system will warn that the flash drive will be formatted and all data will be deleted. We agree with this. That's it, we are waiting for the system to write the image.
After that, restart the computer and. Here you need to enter the "Boot" section. Next, select the “Boot Device Priority” item and set “JetFlash” in the “1st boot device” section. This means that the operating system will be loaded from a USB flash drive. Save your settings and restart your computer. As a rule, everything happens automatically, but in some cases, you will have to press "Enter" to boot Windows from a memory drive. After downloading all the necessary files, you will be able to choose one of the options:
- Recovery.
- Installing a new OS.
Read the prompts on the screen carefully and follow them.
How to do System Restore on Windows 8. System Restore Tools: Video
"System Restore" is a function that is built into Windows and is called using the installer. With its help, you can bring the system to the state in which it was at the time of the creation of this or that "restore points".
Do "System Restore" purely through the BIOS is not possible, so you will need installation media with the version of Windows that you need to "reanimate". It will have to be run through the BIOS. You also need to make sure you have special "restore points", which will allow you to roll back the settings to the working state. Usually they are made by the system by default, but if none are found, then "System Restore" will become impossible.
You also need to understand that during the recovery procedure there is a risk of losing some user files or disrupting the performance of programs that have been installed recently. In this case, everything will depend on the date of creation "Restore Points" which you are using.
Method 1: Using installation media
There is nothing complicated in this method and it is universal for almost all cases. You will only need media with a properly written Windows Installer.
The instructions for it look like this:
If you have Windows 7 installed, then skip the 5th step from the instructions and click immediately on "System Restore".
Method 2: "Safe Mode"
This method will be relevant if you do not have media with the installer for your version of Windows. Step-by-step instructions for it are as follows.
While everyone understands that to keep your PC running smoothly, you just need to keep your OS running and healthy, sometimes the only way out is to restore Windows 8.1.
The recovery disc is a USB flash drive that contains all the tools you need to repair your system. It usually includes: Startup Repair, Updates, Reset and System Restore.
To create a recovery drive, open the control panel, and click on the "Recovery" section (control panel in the large or small icons view, this section is not in the category view). The top parameter of the window that opens is responsible for creating the recovery disk we need. Click on it and go directly to creating a disc.
clue. If you have a factory-preconfigured recovery partition on your computer, you can check the box to copy the recovery partition. True, this significantly increases the size of the recovery drive, and is only suitable for USB flash drives with a capacity of at least 32 GB, but it provides a valuable additional option for a Windows 8.1 emergency rescue.
After creating the disk, you can start your computer from it and access the recovery options. However, don't forget that USB booting must be enabled in your motherboard's UEFI or firmware.
Attention. If you are using Windows RT for a tablet, such as the Microsoft Surface, you must create a recovery disk containing the system backup image. There is no other way to reinstall Windows RT other than from a recovery disk, so if an accident occurs, your only option is to return the computer to the manufacturer for re-imaging, which is unrealistic in our reality. To create a recovery disk with a full Windows RT system image, you only need a 4 GB USB flash drive.
Backup and restore Windows 8.1.
Since the days of Windows XP, it has been commonplace to completely reinstall the operating system and all software when problems arise with the OS. There are now several other ways to secure your installed copy of Windows and restore it in the event of a crisis.
Note. Windows 8 includes a full system image backup tool, Windows 7 has options to restore files. In Windows 8.1, this functionality has been removed. An alternative to these features in Windows 8.1 is its own recovery option.
Repair Windows 8.1 using the Quick Repair option.
With Windows 8.1, Microsoft introduced a new way to create a backup image that is so simple that anyone can use it. This new recovery option creates a backup copy of the operating system that can be easily launched from the computer options or by inserting a recovery disc from the OS startup options.
There is one important difference between the old system backup image and the new restore option. Even if you create your own custom recovery image, which will restore all installed desktop programs in case of emergency, you will not be able to save their settings. This means that software such as Microsoft Outlook will be restored, but your email accounts will have to be set up again. Likewise with all other desktop applications.
However, most users need not worry, Windows 8.1 synchronizes most of its settings, including for desktop applications, and the same Microsoft Office 2013 can synchronize its settings between different computers.
The easiest way to access the recovery option is in the computer settings by selecting update and recovery there, and then clicking recovery in the left navigation panel.
The restore option is the first option at the top of the screen, by the way, here is an explanation of what will be done. When you're ready to restore your computer, click the START button. The process is fully automated.
Windows 8.1 will explain to you what will be done during the recovery process and ask you to confirm this operation. Clicking on the OK button will start the action itself, which can take from 15 to 60 minutes, which directly depends on your created custom recovery image.
You can also restore your computer while starting Windows 8.1. There are several ways to do this:
- If your computer fails to start three times, the repair process starts when it boots up. If the computer cannot be repaired, it offers additional options, including recovery.
- Starting the computer with a recovery disk; note that you may need to access boot options. You also need to boot from a USB flash drive.
- Starting a computer with a Windows 8.1 installation DVD. On the settings screen, instead of the system repair options, click the repair your computer link.
Create a custom recovery image in Windows 8.1.
As mentioned above, you can create a custom recovery image. You may need to do this because, by default, this feature will update your copy of Windows 8.1, keeping files and applications intact, but will kill all desktop applications.
Creating a custom recovery image will take a snapshot of the computer, complete with all desktop software.
Note. Keep in mind that restoring from a custom recovery image resets all desktop software settings, so you'll have to reconfigure them, unless their settings are automatically synced across computers.
To create a custom recovery image, follow these steps:
- Click Windows + X by opening this administration menu.
- Select and run Command Prompt (Administrator).
- Enter recimg -CreateImage C:\Folder, where C:\Folder is the location where you want to save the backup. This location can also be on another hard disk partition or on another drive. You can add additional fault tolerance to recovery image creation.
This article describes the steps that you can use to restore Windows 8.1 without deleting user data.
If computer malfunctions cannot be eliminated by the usual methods, one radical solution remains - reinstalling the operating system. Many users are frightened by the prospect of reinstalling the system.
In Windows 8.1, the problem of reinstalling the operating system is practically solved. Of course, the operating system will not do everything for you, however, many users who previously called wizards or experienced acquaintances to reinstall the operating system will now be able to do it themselves. The fact is that in Windows 8, Windows 8.1, a new reset function has appeared that allows you to quickly, in just a few clicks, restore the operating system or return it to its original state.
In the event of serious system failures that cannot be resolved by the usual methods, you can restore the operating system to working capacity while preserving personal files, accounts, and contacts. To do this, you need to reset the operating system. We will need a Windows 8.1 installation disc or a bootable USB flash drive with Windows 8.1
Press the key combination + I, in the panel that opens Parameters click Changing computer settings
A window will open Computer settings, choose Update and recovery
In the window Update and recovery press Recovery
We wait a little
If your computer does not have an active Windows 8.1 recovery partition, the system will issue a warning. You will need a Windows 8.1 installation disc or a bootable Windows 8.1 USB stick
Insert your Windows 8.1 installation disc or bootable Windows 8.1 USB stick. The Upgrade Wizard window will open, listing the consequences of the upgrade, as follows:
● Your files and personalization settings will not change.
● Computer settings will be restored to their defaults.
● Apps from the Windows Store will be kept.
● Applications you have installed from discs or websites will be removed.
● The list of uninstalled applications will be saved on your desktop.
If you accept the above terms, please click the button Further
The computer will restart and the system recovery process will begin.
System restore may take some time. The duration of recovery can be from several minutes to several tens of minutes (depending on the speed of the computer).
Restoration takes place completely automatically. Your presence at the computer is optional. Once the recovery process is complete and rebooted, your computer is ready to go. All you have to do is install the programs that were removed as a result of system restore. All your accounts and passwords will remain intact, so use your old password to log in.