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How to fix Windows 11 when it keeps restarting
When a Windows 11 desktop keeps restarting, there are a few factors that might be behind the issue. IT administrators should understand all the possible causes and how to solve them.
Windows 11 desktops can get stuck in a reboot loop that makes it impossible for users to work, and sometimes it's unclear why the problem occurs or how to fix it.
This can hinder productivity to the point that affected users must find another machine to work on until IT can solve the problem. Consequences can include unplanned downtime, increased help desk volume, loss of unsaved work and elevated security risk when users switch devices.
In managed environments, reboot loops often emerge after updates, configuration changes or hardware stress, but the underlying cause isn't always obvious. As an IT administrator, you might have to coordinate multiple strategies to properly address restart issues.
The best approach is to determine which category of issue -- software, hardware or system configuration -- is most likely responsible based on how and when the restarts occur. By prioritizing the right troubleshooting steps, IT can restore access quickly and avoid unnecessary disruption.
What can cause Windows 11 to keep restarting?
It can be difficult to track down the root causes of a reboot issue, especially if the problem occurs on some managed computers and not others. You should consider a wide range of possibilities during the troubleshooting process, including the following:
- Improper Group Policy settings. If admins have misconfigured Group Policies or failed to properly update them, a system might experience reboot issues.
- Inappropriate system settings. A few system configuration settings can cause a Windows 11 computer to keep restarting. For example, reboot problems can occur if users are overly aggressive with the power management settings or disable the Secure Boot function. Automatic restarts and fast startups, which are enabled by default, can also contribute to reboot issues.
- System instability. Problems at the system level, such as missing or corrupt OS files, can cause restart loops. Third-party apps can sometimes lead to reboot issues as well, especially if users installed or updated them recently. Even a Windows update can cause restart problems, as can upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
- Malfunctioning hardware. Hardware drivers and peripheral devices can create restart issues. Potential causes include failing storage devices -- especially if they affect OS or application files -- and hardware overheating, which often worsens with high-intensity workloads.
- Malware infection. A malware infection can cause a computer to keep restarting. A reboot problem can even be one of the only signs that malware has infected a computer.
There can be other sources for the issue as well, but these common causes give admins a few places to start when dealing with persistent rebooting. The causes are not necessarily mutually exclusive, however. Multiple factors can contribute to a Windows 11 reboot loop. This makes early symptom patterns especially useful when deciding where to focus troubleshooting first.
What to do if Windows 11 keeps restarting
Because there are so many reasons why Windows 11 might keep restarting, there are also many steps admins can take to resolve reboot issues. You should look at three broad areas to identify the source of the problem: software environment, hardware environment and system settings. By assessing the desktop through these three categories, IT can determine what the best way to solve the issue is -- whether that's pausing updates, replacing the local drive or changing Group Policy settings, for example.
Whether trying to address reboot issues directly or working with a user remotely, you should understand how to use Safe Mode to access the Windows system. If the restart issue prevents the user from booting normally into the computer, most troubleshooting steps will require the use of Safe Mode, which is a diagnostic and troubleshooting operating environment. It runs a pared-down version of the OS to help isolate and identify system issues.
You can use Safe Mode to carry out several tasks, such as updating drivers, removing hardware components, uninstalling new apps or scanning for malware -- in other words, addressing some of the possible causes of a Windows 11 reboot loop.
Assess the software environment
When restart loops begin immediately after updates, app installs or OS upgrades, a problem with the software environment is the most likely culprit.
There is no single approach to take with software-related issues, and it will likely come down to some trial and error to discover the underlying cause. In some situations, though, the problem might be readily apparent. For example, it might have started right after applying a Windows update or installing a new app.
If the cause isn't clear, a good place to start is with Windows Update. Even if you centrally control updates on managed desktops, you might need to assess an individual computer to determine whether a specific update has been properly installed. If you access the managed computer directly, you can check for updates or view the update history through the Windows Update feature in Settings (Figure 1).
Here, you can see if an update failed. If it did, check whether any temporary files have been left behind in the software distribution folder. You might need to delete the files before trying to run the update again.
In some cases, a successful update still appears to be the root of the reboot problem. If this occurred, you can uninstall the update through the Update history utility. If the computer then boots up normally, this at least helps get the computer operational and gives you more time to figure out why the update might be causing problems.
You can also consider placing controls on when your organization's managed Windows 11 computers should restart after an update. For this, you can use Group Policy settings or an MDM tool to set restart policies that will take effect after an update.
Temporarily deferring updates can also help resolve startup issues. Under Windows Update, users have the option to pause updates for up to three weeks.
Another option for addressing reboot issues is to restore the computer to a specific point in time. This is only possible if Windows has automatically created restore points on the system or if IT has done so manually. When working on an individual computer, you can use the System Restore utility to revert the system to a specific restore point.
If you suspect that a recently installed application might be causing the reboot problem, uninstalling the app and rebooting the computer might address the issue. If working directly on the computer, you can use the Apps & features screen to uninstall the suspected application (Figure 2).
Consider using the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool and the System File Checker (SFC) to scan the Windows 11 computer as well. The DISM scan should run before the SFC scan. Together, these tools enable IT to identify and replace missing or corrupted Windows 11 system files. However, it's important to fully understand how these tools work before running either type of scan. DISM requires a healthy component store or a valid repair source, and on managed networks, it can fail without proper update access.
You should also scan the computer for malware infections, which can lead to reboot issues and result in even more serious consequences. The approach IT teams take here will depend on how they've implemented security protection on their networks and desktops.
Another software-related option for addressing reboot issues is to reset Windows, which returns the OS to its original factory settings. To do this, navigate to Start > Settings > System > Recovery. After selecting Reset this PC, you can choose whether or not to retain personal files (Figure 3). In either case, you should back up the files before resetting Windows.
You should not reset Windows until you've tried all other options, including those related to hardware and system settings. If resetting Windows doesn't work, you might need to reinstall the OS, effectively starting from scratch.
Assess the hardware environment
Hardware-related reboot loops often appear under sustained workloads, during charging or when connected to external devices such as docks or GPUs.
For example, a hardware driver can cause reboot issues if it's corrupted or outdated. An administrator working directly on a Windows 11 PC can use the Device Manager to update drivers or remove a device that might be causing issues.
In addition to the drivers, you should test other aspects of the hardware. For example, a peripheral device might be causing the reboot problem. For this reason, it's a good idea to unplug external devices when troubleshooting a system. You should also monitor hardware components -- particularly CPUs and graphics cards -- for signs of overheating. Overheating can cause a system to continually restart, attempting to avoid any damage to the hardware.
You should also run diagnostics against the power supply to ensure that it's delivering sufficient voltage to the computer and operating within recommended parameters. Additionally, make sure that there are no problems with the local drive that might be causing random restarts. To do this, you can use the Check Disk (CHKDSK) utility to check the file system and the volume's metadata for logical and physical errors.
The CHKDSK utility locates bad sectors and physical disk errors and attempts to recover readable information, which might include data that the OS is trying to access. In some cases, running a scan to check for errors can resolve reboot issues. However, if bad sectors are behind the problem, it might be time to replace the drive.
Assess the system settings
Configuration-related causes are common on managed systems and are often worth checking early, especially when restarts occur without clear software or hardware triggers.
For example, misconfigured Group Policies can cause reboot issues. So can policies that are not properly updated, which can occur when updating Windows or migrating from Windows 10 to Windows 11. IT must properly configure and update Group Policies on managed computers as necessary.
A Windows 11 computer can also run into reboot issues if Secure Boot has been disabled for any reason. You can verify whether Secure Boot is enabled through the system summary available in the System Information app (Figure 4). The Secure Boot State feature should be set to On. If it's not, you'll need to update the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface settings.
Another troubleshooting option is to disable the automatic restart feature on the Startup and Recovery screen (Figure 5). The Automatically restart option is enabled by default, so restart issues might occur no matter what the underlying problem is, making it difficult to diagnose. If you disable this feature, the computer might instead display an error message or perform some other behavior that can help isolate the problem.
You can also disable fast startup, which enables Windows to boot up more quickly after the computer shuts down. This feature sometimes causes issues, including repeated bootups. By disabling it, you can at least determine whether this might be part of the problem.
Additionally, check whether users have configured overclocking on any of the hardware. If so, you should disable it. On laptop computers, you should review the power management settings, particularly as they pertain to the battery. In some cases, such as when performing resource-intensive operations, the power options might be causing the reboot issue.
When reviewing the configuration settings, make one change at a time and check whether it alters the restart behavior. If it doesn't, revert the setting and move on. This strategy helps isolate the cause while minimizing unintended effects on managed systems.
More often than not, restart loops in Windows 11 don't just have one obvious cause. A targeted, symptom-driven approach to troubleshooting can reduce downtime and limit unnecessary escalation.
Editor's note: This article was updated in February 2026 to reflect technology changes and to improve the reader experience.
Robert Sheldon is a freelance technology writer. He has written numerous books, articles and training materials on a wide range of topics, including big data, generative AI, 5D memory crystals, the dark web and the 11th dimension.
