MSI Dragon Centre Keeps Asking to Restart: How to Fix it

Put a stop to the endless restart loop with a software downgrade

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Much like the dreaded BSoD that keeps telling you your device needs a restart, MSI Dragon Center users are in a similar predicament as the app keeps asking for a restart.

Usually, this abnormal behaviour can be triggered by an update that was interrupted by an impromptu power outage or insufficient system resources to complete the installation. This can also create a ripple effect where MSI Dragon Center keeps crashing your PC.

It is also possible that there may be interference from third-party apps like an overzealous antivirus.

What can I do if MSI Dragon Centre keeps asking to restart?

1. Update all drivers and run MSI as admin

  1. Press the Windows + X key and select Device Manager.
    device manager dragon center msi gaming mode is not working
  2. Click the arrowhead before each driver.
  3. Right-click on the drivers displayed and select Update driver.
    update driver
  4. Choose the Search automatically for drivers option.
    search automatically
  5. This will display the latest driver available. Follow the simple on-screen instructions to complete the process.
  6. Right-click on the installer, and select Run as administrator from the context menu.Run as administrator to fix msi dragon center not installing
  7. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.Click Yes
  8. Next, follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Disable your antivirus temporarily 

  1. Hit the Start menu icon, type Windows Security in the search bar and click Open.
  2. Click on Firewall & network protection, then select Public network.league of legends black screen after champion select
  3. Locate Microsoft Defender Firewall and toggle the off button.turning off Microsoft Defender Firewall Windows

3. Reinstall the MSI Dragon Center

3.1 Reinstall from MSI Center

  1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run command, enter appwiz.cpl in the text field, and click OK.appwiz.cpl
  2. Select the MSI Dragon Center entry, and click on Uninstall at the top.Uninstall to fix msi dragon center not installing
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Similarly, uninstall the MSI SDK file.
  4. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer, paste the following path in the address bar, and hit Enter:C:\Program Files (x86)\MSIpath
  5. Click on the View menu, hover the cursor over Show, and select Hidden items.hidden items to fix msi dragon center not installing
  6. If any files appear, press Ctrl + A to select them, and then hit the Delete key.
  7. Next, use one of the uninstaller programs to remove all software remnants.
  8. Navigate to your browser, go to the MSI Dragon Center’s official website, and click on the Download Now button to get the MSI Dragon Center offline package.Download now
  9. Once completed, right-click on the downloaded file (Zip format), and select Extract all.Extract all
  10. Click on Browse if you want to change the location, tick the checkbox for Show extracted files when complete, and then click Extract.Extract
  11. Double-click on the Dragon Center folder.MSI Dragon Center
  12. Launch the setup for it.Launch setup to fix msi dragon center not installing
  13. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.Click Yes
  14. Select the installation language, and click OK.select language
  15. Click on Install and wait for the process to complete.Install

Your processor may be newer hence supported from the MSI Center instead of the MSI DRagon Center which supports all 10th gen and older processors.

3.2 Reinstall from the Microsoft Store

  1. Press Windows + S, type Microsoft Store and then click on the relevant search result.microsoft store
  2. Search for MSI Center, and click on the Get button for the software.MSI Dragon center not installing
  3. Wait for it to finish installing, and you should now be able to run MSI Center.

4. Uninstall the latest Windows update

  1. Press the Windows + I keys simultaneously to open Settings.settings windows 11
  2. Navigate to Windows Update, then go to Update history.windows-update-history logitehc unifying not working
  3. Click on Uninstall updates.uninstall-updates-w11 computer-recognize-logitech-unifying-receiver
  4. Select the most recent update, then click Uninstall.

If the issue of MSI Dragon Center stuck on a restart loop started after a Windows update, it is possible that there are compatibility issues. Try reverting to an older build and see if this fixes the issue.

5. Update the BIOS using a USB flash drive

5.1 Format the USB drive to FAT32

Note icon NOTE
The action from this solution will erase all data on your USB drive so if you have any important files, back them up first.
  1. Plug in the USB to your PC then hit Win + E to open the File Explorer.
  2. Right-click on the USB drive and select Format.
  3. Choose FAT32 from the File system dropdown.
  4. Click on the Start button.

5.2 Download the MSI BIOS update file

  1. Find your laptop’s model name, which is usually written on the lower right side of the computer where you rest your palm.
  2. Visit the official MSI website to download the latest BIOS version.
  3. Enter your laptop’s model number in the search field and hit the magnifying glass icon.
  4. Hit the Download button for your laptop’s model.

5.3 Update the MSI BIOS

  1. Paste the downloaded BIOS file to the USB drive that you have formatted to FAT32.
  2. Insert the USB drive on the computer on which you wish to update the MSI BIOS and restart your PC.
  3. When the PC is booting up, hit the Del key to enter the BIOS menu.
  4. Use the Arrow keys to navigate to the Advanced page.
  5. Use the Volume keys to move to the UEFI BIOS Update option and press Enter key.
  6. Again, select the UEFI BIOS Update option and hit Enter key.
  7. Select the location of the BIOS file, which in our case is the USB drive and press Enter.
  8. Select the BIOS update file from the USB drive and press Enter to select it.
  9. Choose Yes if a prompt appears.
  10. Select OK to restart your computer to begin the update process.
  11. After the PC boots up, it will load to the BIOS update page, here you have to select Proceed with flash update option.
  12. Once the update completes press OK when the Flash update completed. Press any key to reset the system prompt appears.

It is possible that your BIOS and the MSI Dragon Center current versions are not in tune so an upgrade could resolve these issues. However, updating BIOS is a risky process especially, if you’re doing it manually.

If you’re unsure, skip this step, otherwise, reach out to MSI support for additional assistance or try out other optimization tools or MSI Dragon Center alternatives that work just as well or even better.

You can also roll back to a previous version. The MSI Center doesn’t provide these older versions so you’ll have to download from third parties.

Before you leave, you should know that this isn’t the only issue, and for some users, MSI Dragon Center Keeps pinning to Taskbar, but we covered that in another guide.

That’s it from us but do let us know of any other solutions that may have worked for you in the comment section below.

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