Windows PC Stuck Restarting? Try These 13 Fixes

Put the kibosh on the reboot loop

Did your Windows computer get stuck while restarting? Or is it caught up in an endless reboot loop? If so, there are several possible troubleshooting solutions you can try.

Your Windows PC usually gets stuck at the “Restarting” screen when system or other activity—such as Windows Update—interferes with the restart process.

Luckily, fixing a Windows computer stuck while restarting is usually pretty straightforward. On rare occasions, though, Windows can get caught in a vicious restart loop, which requires advanced troubleshooting.

Try These Three Fixes First

Run through the three fixes below to fix a Windows PC stuck restarting. If none work, move on to the rest of the suggestions and solutions in this troubleshooting guide.

Generally, it’s a good idea to wait for some time to see if Windows completes restarting itself. For example, if you reboot your computer after updating Windows, there might be lengthy delays at the “Restarting” screen as the operating system finalizes the update. If you’ve already given your PC 15 or more minutes and it’s still stuck, continue with the following troubleshooting steps.

Background processes related to computer peripherals—such as external hard drives and USB printers—can occasionally glitch and stop Windows from shutting down or restarting.

Try unplugging all unnecessary wired devices from your desktop or laptop and see if that makes a difference. If the computer uses Ethernet for online connectivity, remove the network cable.

Your next course of action involves a hard reset.

Warning:A hard reset can corrupt Windows or personal files, especially if it was working on something in the background—e.g., finalizing an update. Before you perform a hard reset, wait at least 15 minutes to confirm that Windows is stuck at the “Restarting” screen.

To perform a hard reset, start by holding down thePowerbutton on your desktop or laptop for 5-10 seconds until the screen goes dark. Some laptops require holding down additional buttons to power off. Check the user manual or online documentation for the correct key combination.

Optional: If you use a desktop device, you might still want to disconnect the power cable from the CPU casing after turning off your PC. Then, wait for up to 10 seconds and plug it back in.

After the shutdown, press thePowerbutton on your computer to boot it back up. If there were any unfinalized system updates, you might have to wait until Windows finalizes them before you get to log back into the desktop area.

Use Windows Recovery Environment to Fix a PC Stuck Restarting

On rare occasions, hard-rebooting a PC stuck at the restarting screen will put it into an infinite boot cycle or result inBlue Screen of Death (BSOD) errors. If you were updating your PC, you could also getstuck at a “Getting Your PC” ready screen.

To continue troubleshooting a Windows 10 or 11 PC stuck in a reboot loop, you must enterMicrosoft’s Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). To do that, hard-reset your PC three times at the Windows logo or use a bootable USB flash drive. Then, selectTroubleshoot>Advanced Options.

Instruct Windows to diagnose and fix startup issues resulting in the reboot loop. It’s completely automatic, so you don’t have to do anything besides select theStartup Repairoption in WinRE.

If a startup repair fails to work, reload the Windows Recovery Environment and continue with the next fix.

Use the Command Prompt console to run the System File Checker and the Check Disk Utility. That fixes stability issues with the operating system and repairs disk errors on the hard drive or SSD.

SelectCommand Promptin WinRE, type the command below, and pressEnterto launch the System File Checker:

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C: /offwindir=D:Windows

After the System File Checker finishes scanning your computer, typechkdsk D: /Rto invoke the Check Disk Utility.

SelectUninstallUpdatesin WinRE and pick between theRemove the Last Quality UpdateandRemove the Last Feature Updateoptions to uninstall the most recent quality or feature update that could be causing Windows to get stuck in a reboot loop.

If you have System Restore set up on your computer, selectSystem Restorein WinRE androll back your PCto a time when your computer used to work without issues.

Use Safe Mode to Fix a PC Stuck Restarting

If your computer is still stuck restarting, try performing additional troubleshooting in Safe Mode. In the Windows Recovery Environment, selectStartup Settings>Restartto boot Windows 10/11 in Safe Mode.

Resetting Windows Update resolves reboot loops caused by unfinalized system updates. To do that:

Forcing Windows to perform system maintenance via theControl Panelis another fix that can help resolve issues with a computer that keeps restarting. For that, you must:

Fast Startup is a power management option that speeds up your computer when you reboot it after a cold shut down. However, it can create various issues at startup. To disable Fast Startup:

Did you update a device driver recently? It could have something to do with your computer’s restart woes, so consider rolling back to the older driver version. To do that:

A severe malware infection can be another reason preventing your PC from starting. Perform a thorough check for computer virusesusing a reputed anti-malware removal toollikeMalwarebytes.

Alternatively,conduct an offline virus scan with Windows Defender. To do that:

Clean booting Windows helps isolate issues caused by conflicts between third-party services and startup programs. To perform a clean boot:

If that helps, you must reactivate the third-party services and startup processes until you identify what’s causing the restarting problem. Check our guide toclean-booting a Windows operating systemfor more information.

Windows Stuck Restarting Issue Fixed

Usually, fixing Windows 11 or 10 stuck restarting requires nothing more than hard-rebooting your computer. If the operating system continues to get stuck in a reboot loop, additional troubleshooting in WinRE and Safe Mode will help.

However, if none of the above fixes in this tutorial helps,check if your PC’s BIOS/UEFI needs an updateorfactory-reset and reinstall Windows from scratch.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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Windows PC Stuck Restarting? Try These 13 Fixes#

Try These Three Fixes First#

Use Windows Recovery Environment to Fix a PC Stuck Restarting#

Use Safe Mode to Fix a PC Stuck Restarting#

Windows Stuck Restarting Issue Fixed#