Dell Laptop Is Stuck on Restarting: How to Fix It

Stuck on that endless Dell “restarting” screen? Annoying, right? Whether your laptop froze mid-reboot or keeps looping, this kind of thing happens more often than you’d think.

The good news? It’s usually not a hardware issue, and most of the time, you can fix it yourself.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get your Dell laptop back to normal, starting with the simplest fixes and working up from there.

How do I fix a Dell laptop if it’s stuck on restarting?

Before proceeding with any advanced troubleshooting, go through the following preliminary checks:

• Ensure your Dell laptop is connected to a stable power source.
• Unplug any external devices connected to your PC.

If you’re unable to fix the problem afterward, proceed with the solutions below:

1. Force shutdown manually using the keyboard shortcut

1. Press the Windows + X keys simultaneously, then press the Power button continuously for some seconds until the system shuts down.
2. Release the keys and wait for the system to shut down.
3. Press the power button to start the system.

You should be able to get past the start screen. The remaining solutions in this article will prevent your Dell laptop from getting stuck during a restart.

2. Update Windows operating system on your Dell laptop

1. Left-click the Start button and select the Windows Settings app from the menu.
2. Click on Windows Update and click Check for updates. (If there are any updates available, Windows will search for and install them)

   

Windows updates will resolve bugs causing the Dell laptop to be stuck on restart.

Sometimes, Windows may not connect to update services on your Dell laptop, so the steps above will not work. So, check our guide for the best fixes to troubleshoot the problem.

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3. Verify that Secure Boot is enabled on the Dell laptop

1. Press the Windows key, type msinfo32 in the search space, and press ENTER to open the System Information page.

   

2. Find the BIOS Mode on the right side of the window, and check if it is set to UEFI.
3. Find the Secure Boot State on the right side of the window, and check if it is On.

   

If the Secure Boot State is not On, check this guide to enable  Secure Boot on Windows 11 while in User mode.

Enabling the Secure Boot feature will prevent the malware software from starting while the system boots up.

Peradventure the Secure Boot fails to work, we recommend you check how to fix it and get it to work on your laptop.

Why is my Dell laptop stuck on restart?

Many factors may be responsible for the Dell laptop being stuck on restart. However, the main culprit for this issue is the corrupt system files. When there are corrupt system files on your Dell laptop, it’ll affect its performance and disrupt the functionality of its system.

Furthermore, a few other factors can cause your Dell laptop to get stuck during a restart. Some are:

• Outdated Windows Operating System – Your Dell laptop can get stuck on restart if the Windows OS is not up-to-date. Also, your Windows update may not work in some cases. Hence, your system lacks the necessary updates and patches to fix the bugs affecting its performance.
• Malware or virus attack – Virus infection on your Dell laptop can cause it to be stuck on restart. Furthermore, viruses and malware impede the ability of the PC to communicate with its components, prompting them to malfunction. Take a look at our recommended list of anti-malware software.
• Outdated drivers on your Dell laptop – Many PC components require drivers to function. Hence, your PC may malfunction due to outdated driver errors affecting its performance. Hence, you can check out different ways of updating drivers in this guide.
• External devices connected to Dell laptop – Restarting your PC may be affected by the device connected to it. They can affect its power input and also impede the booting process.

Nonetheless, readers can check our article on fixing Windows 11 if it’s stuck in a reboot loop and get it running. Other problems with your Dell laptop restarting? Check out our guides to fix a PC stuck on restart, deal with a computer that’s restarting unexpectedly, or when Windows 10 won’t restart.

If your PC restarts during gaming, this fix for PC restarts when playing games might help.

Also, we have a detailed guide on Windows 11 if it’s stuck on the Preparing Windows screen.

Should you have further queries, do not hesitate to leave them in the comments section.