My Laptop Is Not Restarting: 7 Tested Ways to Fix

If your computer won’t restart, you’re not alone. It’s a common issue, especially after a Windows update, a power outage, or even a blue screen. Sometimes it gets stuck on the restarting screen; other times, it just won’t boot back up at all.

We’ve already covered how to fix a PC stuck on restarting, but this guide tackles other cases too—like when your computer won’t restart properly, won’t shut down, or fails after a BIOS update or in Safe Mode.

Whether you’re on Windows 10, Windows 11, or using a Dell, HP, Lenovo, or Asus device, the steps below can help.

What do I do if the computer won’t restart?

1. Run the Power troubleshooter

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app.
2. Choose the Update & Security option.
   
3. Select Troubleshoot from the left pane.
   
4. Choose the Additional troubleshooters option.
   
5. Click the Power option.
   
6. Now, click the Run the troubleshooter button.
   

Let’s start by relying on the built-in troubleshooting tool to resolve the problem. Most reports suggest that the PC won’t restart properly problem occurred after an update, which isn’t uncommon for Windows 10.

Every major update is similar to a fresh installation regarding drivers, and meddling with those leads to massive issues. Either way, let’s give the troubleshooter a go; if it fails, we can safely move to the next step.

2. Try with the Clean Boot and SFC/DISM

1. Type msconfig in the Windows Search bar and open System Configuration.
2. Click the Services tab.
   
3. Check the Hide all Microsoft services box and click the Disable all button to disable all active third-party services.
   
4. Now, click the Apply and OK buttons.
   
5. Finally, reboot your PC.

And, to address concerns about possible system corruption, we’ll need you to run two built-in utilities from the elevated Command Prompt. Here’s how to run SFC and DISM on Windows 10:

1. Type cmd in the Windows Search bar.
2. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
3. Now, type the command below in the command line and press Enter. sfc/scannow
   
4. After its done, type the following command and press Enter after each: DISM /online /Cleanup-Image / ScanHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
5. Reboot your PC when everything ends (it can take some time) with the physical button.

If you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 over the Windows 7 installation, it’s pretty standard for certain third-party apps to fail you later. On the same note, it’s not uncommon for that transition to come out with corruption of system files.

This consequently leads to Windows 10 or 11 not restarting issues.

To address the first possibility, you need to start your PC in the Clean Boot mode (without any third-party applications beginning with the system).

3. Boot into Safe mode

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Choose Update & Security.
3. Select Recovery from the left pane.
4. Under the Advanced startup, click Restart now.
5. Choose Troubleshoot.
6. Select Advanced options and then Startup settings.
7. Click Restart.
8. Choose Safe mode or Safe mode with Networking from the list.
9. Try restarting your PC from Safe mode.

If the Clean Boot and utilities fail you, let’s ensure that some of the first-party secondary devices aren’t causing the problem. Some reports state that the Intel Management Engine (standard on many laptops) is causing the problem.

When in the Safe Mode, Windows 10 shouldn’t load this driver. If you can restart your device from Safe mode, we suggest checking the next step, which explains how to disable this service.

4. Disable Intel Management Engine

1. Press the Windows + X keys and select Device Manager.
   
2. Double-click on System devices to expand it.
   
3. Right-click on the Intel(R) Management Engine Interface option.
4. Choose Disable device from the contextual menu.
   
5. Shut down your PC and start it again.
6. Try restarting it again.

As we noticed in the previous step, the Intel Management Engine tends to break the restart option. This causes the Windows 10/11 not restarting problem.

5. Uninstall a third-party antivirus and scan for PUPs

1. Download Malwarebytes AdwCleaner, here.
2. Run the tool and click Scan Now.
3. Wait until the tool scans your system and click Clean & Repair.

Specific third-party antimalware solutions and Windows 10 are not cooperating correctly, especially if you have an older version installed.

If your antivirus interferes with the PC system, it might cause such troubles and prevent Windows 10 from restarting. If this is the case, you might consider another antivirus solution.

Plenty of lightweight security software will work smoothly in the background while you do anything else.

To benefit from high-quality security and error-free running time, you should choose one of the best antivirus software in ESET NOD32.

6. Reset your PC

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Choose the Update & Security option.
   
3. Choose Recovery from the left pane.
   
4. Click the Get started under the Reset this PC section.
   
5. Choose the Keep my files option.
   
6. Finally, click Next, followed by the Reset button.

If you’re still stuck with the Windows 10/11 not restarting issue, you might need to reset your PC to factory values. We advise you to choose the keep my files option to prevent losing vital information.

Read more about this topic

• Computer restarted unexpectedly in Windows 11? Try these fixes
• How to Fix: Computer Restarted Unexpectedly or Encountered an Unexpected Error
• Dell laptop is Stuck on Restarting: How to Fix It
• Fix: PC Restarts When Playing Games (Not Overheating)
• Windows 10 PC Restarts Automatically / No Warning [Fixed]

7. Perform a clean reinstallation

Finally, if none of the previous steps haven’t relieved you of the issue at hand and you’re still unable to restart your PC, we can only concur that a clean reinstallation is the next logical step.

If you’re unsure how to reinstall Windows 10, we have provided in-depth instructions in our guide. After the reinstallation, you shouldn’t have any more issues.

How do I force restart my computer?

If your Windows 10 or 11 PC won’t restart, try a hard reboot—just press and hold the power button until it shuts down, then wait a minute and power it back on. That said, avoid using this method frequently.

Some users also face issues like the Settings app resetting after reboot, random restarts in Windows 11, or even being stuck in a reboot loop or automatic repair loop. These are often caused by system errors, power issues, or hardware failures.

If your PC takes too long to restart, malware could be the culprit—try scanning with Windows Defender or one of the top antivirus tools for Windows 10.

Also, tell us whether one of the steps helped you in the comments below. Your feedback is of utmost importance to us.