How to Fix it When Windows 11 is Stuck on Restarting

Windows 11 is by far the most advanced iteration of Windows in any aspect. However, unfortunately, just like any previous iteration, is prone to bugs and errors. That being said, thankfully, it is still relatively easy to diagnose and troubleshoot software-based problems in the operating system.

Reportedly, many users have been experiencing a peculiar issue where the computer is stuck on a restarting loop; i.e whenever the PC boots up, instead of taking you to the login screen, it automatically keeps restarting itself endlessly. The error can make you feel equally frustrated and helpless.

Fortunately, the problem seems to be software-based, and as mentioned earlier, the problem can be resolved by yourself. However, since the problem can present itself due to a number of reasons, let’s first understand the usual causes and then head to resolving them.

What Causes Windows 11 to be Stuck in a Restart Loop?

As mentioned earlier, there could be several reasons for encountering this issue. Though it will be easy to resolve the error, you might need to perform several fixes in order to completely get rid of this issue.

Damaged or Corrupt System Files
Outdated or Corrupt Driver
Malware or Virus infection
Incompatible or malfunctioning apps

Now that you are acquainted with the various reasons why a Windows 11 can get stuck in a restart loop, let’s get started on how to fix this issue on your computer. In this guide, let’s first explore methods that are relatively less demanding in terms of effort and then gradually move in ascending order to quickly troubleshoot the issue on your computer.

However, since your PC is stuck in a restart loop, you will first need to boot into ‘Safe Mode’ in order to be able to use the computer and perform fixes.

Boot your PC in Safe Mode

When you boot your PC in safe mode, all the services except Microsoft services are stopped. Most of the third-party software and even some of the drivers are not loaded at all in order to help you realize if the problem is caused by an interfering program.

To boot your PC in safe mode, turn on your computer, and at the first sign of boot, press and hold the physical power button for thirty seconds or until the computer shuts down.

Repeat the process thrice, and let the computer boot up completely on the fourth boot up. Windows will now automatically load the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment).

In case you are greeted by an ‘Automatic Repair’ screen, click on the ‘Advanced Options’ button present in the bottom left section to continue.

After that, on the ‘Choose an option’ screen, click on the ‘Troubleshoot’ tile to proceed.

Next, on the ‘Troubleshoot’ screen, locate and click on the ‘Advanced options’ tile to continue.

After that, from the next screen, locate and click on the ‘Startup Repair’ option from the grid of options present on the screen.

Now, on the next screen, Windows will list the actions taken by the operating system in order to initiate the Startup Repair on your computer. Read the list carefully before starting and click on the ‘Restart’ button to proceed.

Your PC will now start in Safe Mode without loading any third-party software and services. You should now be able to access the computer and perform the below-mentioned fixes on your computer.

1. Uninstall Recent Windows Updates

If you are facing this issue after a recent update to Windows, it is most likely the cause of it and can easily uninstall from your system using the Settings app.

To do so, first, head to the Start Menu and click on the ‘Settings’ tile present under the ‘Pinned apps’ section to continue. Otherwise, type Settings in the menu to perform a search for it. Alternatively, you can also press the Windows+I keys together on your keyboard to open the app.

After that, on the Settings window, click on the ‘Windows Update’ tab present on the left sidebar to proceed.

Next, from the right section of the window, locate and click on the ‘Update history’ tile present under the ‘More’ section to continue.

After that, on the next screen, scroll down to locate and click on the ‘Uninstall updates’ tile present under the ‘Related settings’ section.

On the next screen, locate the latest update from the list and click on the ‘Uninstall’ button present on the far right edge of each individual tile to uninstall it.

Once uninstalled, you can turn it off and check if the issue has been resolved on your PC.

2. Run DISM and SFC Scan

Since the issue involves corrupted or damaged system files, it is recommended to run the DISM and SFC scan, as DISM will fix the image that is used to diagnose the problems present on your system, and SFC will check and repair your machine.

First, you will need to run the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) process, and once that is completed, you will have to run the SFC (System File Checker) to check the integrity and errors of all system files.

To run the DISM on your system, first, head to the Start Menu and type Terminal to search for it. Then, from the search results, right-click on the ‘Terminal’ tile and select the ‘Run as administrator’ option.

Now, a UAC (User Account Control) window will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an admin account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button present in the window to proceed.

Then, on the Terminal window, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned code and hit Enter on your keyboard to execute the command.

DISM/ Online/ Cleanup-Image/RestoreHealth

The DISM command may take up to several minutes depending on the speed of your internet connection, it may also appear stuck at times and it is a normal behavior of the command. Wait patiently till the execution of the command completes.

Once completed, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command to invoke the SFC (System File Checker) that will scan your currently installed Windows image and fix the damaged or corrupted files using the one downloaded in the previous step.

SFC /scannow

Once the SFC command is finished executing, head to the Start Menu and restart your PC. Now after the restart, try to upgrade again to check if the issue is still present.

3. Delete Files from the Software Distribution Folder

All the downloaded update files are stored in the Software Distribution folder. There can be a scenario when these files become inaccessible to the system and in turn, could cause the issue. Hence, deleting them would definitely resolve the issue if those inaccessible files are the issue.

First, open the File Explorer window by either clicking on the ‘This PC’ icon present on your desktop. Otherwise, press the Windows+E keys on your keyboard together to open a window.

After that, open your Windows installer drive by double-clicking on it to proceed. (If you do not know, which one is the Windows installer drive, it will have a Windows logo icon.)

Now, in the installer drive, locate the ‘Windows’ folder and double-click on it to head to the directory.

Finally, in the ‘Windows’ folder, locate the ‘SoftwareDistribution’ folder and double-click on it to open the directory.

After that, select all files by pressing the Ctrl+A keys together on your keyboard and then press the Shift+Del keys together on your keyboard to delete all the keys permanently from your system.

4. Enable Secure Boot

Secure Boot is a very critical software feature that allows only trusted operating systems from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) only. Windows might fail to load correctly or get stuck in an infinite restart loop.

Then, from the Settings window, make sure you have selected the ‘System’ tab present on the left sidebar to proceed.

After that, from the right section of the window, scroll down to locate and click on the ‘Recovery’ tile to continue.

Then, from the next screen, locate the ‘Advanced startup’ tile present under the ‘Recovery options’ section and click on the ‘Restart Now’ button present on the far right edge of the tile to continue. This will bring an overlay prompt on your screen.

Now, from the overlay prompt, click on the ‘Restart Now’ button to restart your system immediately.

Once restarted, you will be taken to the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment). Now, from the ‘Choose an option’ screen, click on the ‘Troubleshoot’ tile to proceed.

After that, on the ‘Troubleshoot’ screen, locate and click on the ‘Advanced options’ tile to continue.

Now, on the next screen, locate and click on the ‘UEFI Firmware Settings’ from the grid of options present on the screen to continue.

After that, click on the ‘Restart’ button displayed on your screen. This will again restart your PC immediately.

After the restart, your PC will boot into the BIOS menu. Since there are many manufacturers of Windows PC the user interface of the menu might vary from device to device. The method showcased here is for an HP device.

Once the BIOS menu is visible on your screen, locate and click on the ‘Boot’ option present in the left sidebar to extend the menu.

After that, in the ‘Boot’ options screen, locate the ‘Secure boot’ option and highlight the option by pressing the down arrow key to navigate. Once the option is highlighted, press the Enter key to change the mode from ‘Disabled’ to ‘Enable’. Once done, tap F10 on your keyboard to save and exit the BIOS menu of your system. Your system will now restart again, check if the issue still persists on your computer.

5. Remove Recently Installed Apps

If you have started experiencing the issue after installing an application on your PC, there is a high probability the app is the culprit behind the problem on your system.

To uninstall the app, first, head to the Settings app by clicking on the ‘Settings’ tile present under the ‘Pinned apps’ section to continue. Otherwise, type Settings in the menu to perform a search for it. Alternatively, you can also press Windows+I keys together on your keyboard to open the app.

After that, locate and click on the ‘Apps’ tab present on the left sidebar of the Settings window to proceed.

Next, from the right section of the window, locate and click on the ‘Installed apps’ tile to continue.

Now, you can either search for the app by using the search bar present on the topmost section of the window; otherwise, you can manually scroll down the list of apps present on the ‘Installed apps’ page.

Once you have located the app you wish to uninstall, click on the ‘Ellipsis’ (three dots icon) present on the far-right edge of the tile and then click on the ‘Uninstall’ option present in the context menu to proceed. This will open a separate overlay window on your screen.

Now, from the overlay window, click on the ‘Uninstall’ button to remove the app from your system. Once uninstalled, restart your PC normally, and check if the issue has been resolved.

There you go people, hopefully using the fixes mentioned in this guide, you will be able to resolve the issue on your Windows 11 PC.