If your Windows 11 PC is stuck on “Restarting” after an update and never finishes, you’re not alone. The screen may spin endlessly, reboot again and again, or sit there for an hour with no progress.
This doesn’t usually mean your PC is broken. In most cases, Windows finished part of the update and got stuck trying to complete the rest.
The key is to stop forcing restarts blindly and guide Windows out of the loop safely.
Why Windows 11 Gets Stuck Restarting After an Update
Windows updates make deep system changes. Drivers, system files, and background services are replaced while your PC restarts.
The restart loop usually happens because:
- A driver update didn’t apply cleanly
- Windows is waiting on a background task that failed silently
- The update conflicted with existing system files
- Storage or disk activity stalled mid-update
This shows up most often after cumulative or feature updates, especially on systems that were already running slowly or tight on free space. When Windows doesn’t have much room to work, updates are more likely to stall instead of failing cleanly.
First: Wait Once — Then Stop Forcing Restarts
Before doing anything else, give Windows one real chance.
If the restart screen has been showing for less than 30 minutes, wait it out. Some updates genuinely take longer than expected, especially on older PCs or systems using traditional hard drives.
If it’s been over 45–60 minutes with no disk activity, no progress, and repeated restarts, it’s safe to step in.
Reassurance: This part makes many people nervous, but when Windows is stuck in a loop, it’s already not completing the update correctly.
Step 1: Force a Proper Shutdown (Once)
Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds until the PC shuts down completely.
Wait another 10–15 seconds before turning it back on.
This clears the stalled update state and lets Windows decide how to recover.
What to expect:
On the next boot, Windows may say “Undoing changes”, “Preparing Automatic Repair”, or “Diagnosing your PC.” All of these are normal recovery messages.
Guardrail:
Do not force shutdown repeatedly. One controlled shutdown is safe; repeated power cuts increase the risk of file corruption and can turn a recoverable update issue into a boot problem.
Step 2: Let Automatic Repair Try First
If Windows enters Automatic Repair, let it run. This is Windows checking its own boot and update files.
If you see a blue screen that says “Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC”, don’t panic. This does not mean your system is damaged.
Click Advanced options to continue.
Step 3: Use Startup Repair (Safe and Reversible)
From Advanced options: (Selected in last step)
- Select Troubleshoot
- Choose Advanced options
- Click Startup Repair
- Select your Windows account and enter your password if asked
Startup Repair looks specifically for update-related startup failures and broken boot references.
What to expect:
This can take several minutes and may restart the PC automatically. If Windows loads normally afterward, no further steps are needed.
Step 4: Boot Into Safe Mode (To Break the Loop)
If Startup Repair doesn’t resolve the loop, return to Advanced options.
- Select Troubleshoot → Advanced options
- Click Startup Settings
- Select Restart
- Press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode
Safe Mode loads Windows with only essential drivers, skipping the parts that commonly cause update loops.
It’s not unusual for a PC that has been stuck restarting for hours to boot almost instantly once Safe Mode is used.
Step 5: Uninstall the Problem Update
While in Safe Mode:
- Open Settings
- Go to Windows Update
- Click Update history
- Select Uninstall updates
- Remove the most recent update
Restart the PC normally after uninstalling.
What to expect:
Windows should boot without looping. Performance and responsiveness usually return to normal right away.
Guardrail:
Do not uninstall multiple updates at once. Removing only the most recent update makes it clear what fixed the issue and avoids creating new problems.
Step 6: If Safe Mode Won’t Load — Use System Restore
If Safe Mode fails to load:
- Open Advanced options
- Select System Restore
- Choose a restore point created before the update installed
System Restore does not delete personal files. It only rolls back system changes, drivers, and updates.
This step resolves many restart loops without requiring a reset or reinstall.
Troubleshooting
- If Safe Mode loads but Windows will not boot normally, then the issue is almost always update- or driver-related, not hardware failure.
- If Windows boots after uninstalling the update, then pause updates temporarily to prevent the same loop from returning.
What Not to Do (Important)
- Do not reset or reinstall Windows as a first response; this is rarely necessary for update loops and risks unnecessary data loss
- Do not use third-party “repair,” “optimizer,” or cleaning tools
- Do not disable random services or drivers hoping to force a fix
These actions often create harder-to-diagnose problems later.
Pro Tip: Pause Updates After Recovery
Once your PC is stable:
Go to Settings → Windows Update → Pause updates and pause updates for 7 days.
This gives Microsoft time to correct problematic updates and prevents the same update from reinstalling immediately.
If your PC boots normally now but behaves oddly after updates, you may notice related issues:
• If Windows restarts instead of shutting down, see: Windows 11 Restarting Instead of Shutting Down (KB5073455)
• If performance dropped after the update, see: Windows 11 Slow After Update – How to Fix It
Practical Wrap-Up
A Windows 11 restart loop after an update looks serious, but in most cases it’s a stalled update, not permanent damage. Let Windows attempt recovery first, then remove the update that caused the issue if needed.
If your system still feels slow or unstable afterward, that usually points to a separate underlying problem worth diagnosing calmly, rather than jumping to drastic fixes.
