Computer Stuck on Restarting: 7 Ways to Fix it

If you turn on the computer and get a slow boot or the entire computer freezeing, it might affect your entire workflow. But the worst is when the computer keeps restarting randomly, with no obvious process happening in the background.

In some situations, the restart process is completed after a few minutes, while in others, the process may take hours. Here’s how to fix the problem easily.

What do I do if my PC is stuck on restarting?

The quickest way to get out of the restarting loop on your PC is to hold the Power button down on your PC for 5-10 seconds until it shuts down completely. Then disconnect it from the power outlet and leave it for at least 30 seconds. Disconnect all peripherals except from the monitor, keyboard and mouse, then power it back on.

The PC should boot up normally now but perform the solutions below to prevent this problem from happening again.

1. Update the outdated drivers

1. If the computer is taking forever to restart, press Windows + X and choose Device Manager.
2. Select a category to see the names of devices under it.
3. Now, right-click on the one you believe is causing the problem and select Update driver.
4. Select Search automatically for drivers and wait for Windows to automatically locate the best driver on the computer and install it.

Similarly, update the drivers for other devices listed here. Again, there might be a driver conflict involved, so make sure to use the keyboard and mouse while the update process is underway to fix your computer if it keeps restarting randomly.

Drivers that belong to different hardware might enter into a conflict state, and that might cause the restart freeze issue, which can be done either manually, or with the help of third-party software.

2. Reinstall the corrupt drivers

1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type devmgmt.msc in the text field, and hit Enter.
2. If you see any device with a warning sign at the corner of its icon, right-click on it, and select Uninstall device.
3. Click Uninstall in the confirmation prompt in order to fix the laptop taking forever to restart issue.

Once done, verify whether the computer keeps restarting randomly or the problem is fixed. In case it’s the former, head to the following method.

3. Disable startup apps

1. If the laptop is restarting for a long time, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager, and select the Startup apps tab from the left.
2. Locate the programs that read Enabled under the Status column, select them, and click on Disable.

While disabling startup apps, keep two things in mind. First, disable all third-party apps that appear in the list. Second, if any critical program or process is listed and enabled, keep it that way. This should fix the Windows 10 is stuck on restarting issue.

4. Check the RAM

A problematic RAM can often cause the computer is stuck on restarting screen problem, and the underlying cause here could be related to either hardware or software. So first, turn off the computer, remove all the memory sticks, clean them gently to remove any carbon deposits, and then reseat them firmly.

Run the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostics tool if this doesn’t solve things. It helps identify issues with the RAM and automatically fixes things.

For a more detailed investigation of RAM issues, you could run Memtest86+, an open-source tool that runs many tests on the memory sticks, even individually, and lists each problem.

If the RAM is faulty, replacing it should get things running if the computer keeps restarting randomly.

Read more about this topic

• Windows 10 updates will be much smaller from now to suit slow Internet speeds
• Dev Home Preview v0.13 is out and has brought a lot of improvements & customizations

5. Restart the stuck update

1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt with administrative privileges.
2. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
3. Type the following command and press Enter: net stop wuauserv
4. Now, input the following commands and press Enter after each: cd %systemroot% ren SoftwareDistribution SD.old net start wuauserv

If the computer is stuck restarting during/after update, reinitiating the process should do the trick.

6. Run the troubleshooter

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, enter Control Panel in it, and then click on OK.

2. Click on the View by dropdown menu and select Large icons from the list.

3. Choose Troubleshooting.

4. Select View all from the left.

5. Click on System Maintenance.

6. Follow the other on-screen prompts to complete the process.

7. Once done, verify if the computer keeps restarting randomly. If yes, try the next solution.

If your computer is stuck restarting, you should try using the Windows Troubleshooter. All Windows PCs have a built-in Troubleshooter that can detect and fix problems on your PC and it’s likely to solve your problem.

7. Update the BIOS

If nothing so far has worked, and the Dell/HP/etc.. laptop is stuck on restarting, you should update the BIOS.

This is an intricate and critical process, so we recommend you practice extra caution and follow the steps as it is. For more help updating the BIOS, read the instructions on the OEM’s website.

The methods listed above should fix things when the computer keeps restarting randomly. Also, you may try reinstalling Windows if you are sure it’s a software-related issue.

After fixing the restart loop or reinstalling the new OS, we recommend to boost your Windows PC’s performance just to make sure you avoid similar problems in the future.

Also, if the Settings app resets on reboot, read the highlighted guide to fix the problem for good.

If you know other troubleshooting solutions that might address this issue, share them with our readers in the comments below.