In earlier versions, in order to solve the problem of the Windows infinite restart loop, it may be necessary to reinstall completely, or at least some complicated operations. Fortunately, thanks to Microsoft’s design for Windows 10, the restart loop can now be resolved relatively quickly.
Here’s how to fix the startup loop of Windows 10 and get your PC or laptop up and running in minutes.
What Is an Infinite Boot Loop?
It’s not uncommon for Windows 10 to have endless startup loops, but it’s also not unheard of.
It’s easy to see, specifically, windows won’t load after you turn on your PC correctly. Instead, the computer will not reach the login screen and then reset to the startup screen and try to reload Windows. That’s what Windows means when it gets stuck in an infinite loop of startups and crashes.
The error occurs due to a problem with the Windows system registry. Unfortunately, the registry cannot be repaired without starting Windows, resulting in the operating system becoming inaccessible. However, to solve this problem, you can use one of many Windows 10 recovery options.
What causes the infinite startup loop of Windows 10?
Windows 10’s restart loop, sometimes referred to as bootloop interchanges can be frustrating to handle. But what causes it? Typically, a failure can be traced back to one of three situations:
1. A Windows update
2. An updated or new Windows driver
3. The installation of the new software (an app or game)
In the process, something goes wrong, and the result is that the computer gets stuck in an infinite cycle of restarts. This is a problem that has plagued Windows for years.
When Automatic Repair Fixes the Windows 10 Boot Loop
If you’re lucky, the Repair Windows or Automatic Repair feature, sometimes also called Startup Repair, might kick in without any prompting from you. Typically, this will only happen after several reboots, so give your computer time to get to this stage. Some manual interaction may be required—use the Automatic Repair option here and follow the steps.
However, if this hasn’t happened within 15 minutes, it’s probably not going to. That means it’s time to take matters into your hands.
1. Remove the removable device and perform a hard reboot
The first thing you should try is to remove all your peripherals, such as printers, pen drivers, speakers, etc., from your COMPUTER. Because in some cases, these devices can be the cause of bad boots.
Now, you have to do a hard restart, which is a way to restart your computer directly through hardware instead of operating system software. After you remove the peripherals from your computer, press the system’s power button for about 5 seconds.
The computer shuts down. Now, wait about 30 seconds, press the power button again, and start your PC. It should start normally.
2. Dual Boot Windows System
If you have multiple versions of Windows installed on your computer, wait for the OS selection screen to appear. When given the choice, instead of selecting Windows 10, choose Change defaults or choose other options. Then follow the steps in the method to access safe mode.
3. Manually access Safe Mode
In some cases, you will be able to access Safe Mode from within Windows 10. This is possible if a restart loop is triggered when a particular application or connected hardware is launched.
Before the restart is triggered, you have three options to restart Windows 10 in safe mode.
1. Hold Shift then Start > Restart to boot Windows 10 into Advanced startup options.
2. You might also open Settings (press Windows Key + I) then Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now.
3. In an elevated Command Prompt (input cmd in the Start menu search bar, then right-click and select Run as administrator). Enter shutdown /r /o to reboot the computer into the Advanced Boot Options.
As mentioned earlier, you may not have a long time to enter your commands. Therefore, the first option is probably the fastest.
4. Use Installation Media to Access Safe Mode
If you cannot access safe mode, though, you’ll have to use an installation media. Windows 10 users should have a recovery partition on their PC’s hard disk drive. If not, a USB or DVD recovery drive can be made by downloading the Windows 10 installation media. Note that this will need to be created with a different computer.
With Windows 10 stuck in the reboot loop, all you need to do is insert the installation media. Alternatively, access the UEFI/BIOS (tap Del, F8, or F1 when the system boots) and find the boot manager.
Select the recovery partition as the primary device, then restart the computer.
Both methods should guide you through the Automatic Repair tool or give you access to the Advanced options screen.
Fix unlimited startup loops in Windows 10 Safe Mode
With the computer in safe mode, you can take steps to prevent further boot loops. This could be anything from uninstalling drivers to uninstalling Windows Updates in the Command Prompt.
1. Solve a Windows Update-Based Boot Loop
Open Command Prompt as an administrator, enter:
net stop wuauserv
Follow this with:
net stop bits
Wait for the response, then browse to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution. Here, delete all the directory contents.
If you can only access the Advanced options screen, use the Command Prompt. This is also an option in Safe Mode.
When you restart Windows 10, it should boot as normal.
2. Did an App or Game Cause a Boot Loop in Windows 10?
If you suspect that the boot loop is due to an installed application or a recently installed game. In either case, it can be solved by uninstalling the software.
Just find the software from the Start menu, right-click on it, and select Uninstall. When you restart Windows 10, the boot loop issue should be resolved.
3. Stop Hardware Driver Boot Loops
If the system is in a boot loop due to hardware drivers, this can also be solved once you are in safe mode.
1. Right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager. Here, search for the suspect’s device. Typically, this will be something you’ve recently added, although not always.
2. Right-click the device, select Properties > Drivers, and choose Roll Back Driver.
3. If this doesn’t work, disable and uninstall the driver. With the device selected, right-click and choose Disable Device, then Uninstall Driver.
You can then restart Windows 10.
4. Reset Windows Registry
This method, too, will be applicable only when you’ve been able to boot up your system through safe mode. If not, you can skip this section.
A bad history will cause many issues in your Windows, one of which could be the infinite reboot problem. Though Windows Registry on its own doesn’t offer a way to reset your Registry files specifically, you can use the in-built Windows tool for reset, i.e., System Restore.
System Restore works by taking your computer files back to a state when it was working fine. To get started, type Create a restore point in the Start menu search bar and select the Best match.
Select System Restore from the System Protection tab. Select a specific restore point and click on Next to restore your earlier settings.
Note that for this to work, you need to have created a restore point beforehand. If you have never than that before, then this method will not work for you.
Factory Reset Windows 10 to Fix the Infinite Boot Loop
If you cannot access safe mode or the fixes don’t work, the last solution is to use the factory reset. This process essentially reinstalls Windows 10 for you, leaving you with a blank slate. Just remember to back up your personal data first!
You Fixed Your Windows Boot Loop
Reboot loops have long been a problem with Windows. While previous versions offered a couple of ways out in the recovery options, these solutions were far from comprehensive. Thankfully, Windows 10 has great recovery and restore tools, making a boot loop problem easy to deal with.
