error 0xc0000428

The error 0xc0000428 is a Windows boot issue that occurs when the system cannot verify the digital signature of a critical file, typically winload.exe. This error often appears after a Windows installation or upgrade, especially when multiple drives or operating systems are involved. Users may encounter it when booting into a newly installed Windows 7 64-bit system, as seen in a forum thread where the error followed an accidental installation on a secondary drive and subsequent reinstallation. Common troubleshooting steps include using the Windows installation media to perform startup repair, running memory diagnostics, and checking disk integrity with chkdsk. The error can sometimes be bypassed by disabling driver signature enforcement during boot, but a permanent fix usually requires repairing the boot configuration or reinstalling the affected Windows version.