When I restart Windows 10, it remains on the loading screen

mcpolo84 · 12 Jun 2017

I am trying to restart Windows 10 to refresh it, because it's an old computer. When I restart it, in this case during the refresh, it doesn't go through the shut down part, and it remains on the blue screen that says 'Restarting..." indefinitely. It has been on this screen for about 40+ minutes. The only way for me to shut down the PC is to hold down the power button which makes me cringe, and I can't complete the refresh.

dalchina · 12 Jun 2017

Hi, could be a number of things, of course: let's start with basics: your disk, your file system and then your system files.

Please confirm that when booted normally your PC is running satisfactorily and has no basic problems.
Put another way, what prompted you to want to refresh it?
Refresh Windows 10 Windows 10 Installation Upgrade Tutorials

- and do you want to remove all installed programs, or would you prefer to keep them?

From the above tutorial:

Option	What it does
Keep my files	This is to refresh Windows 10. Reinstalls Windows 10 and keeps your personal files. Removes apps and drivers you installed. Removes changes you made to settings. Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. (If your PC came with Windows 10, apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.)
Remove everything	This is to reset Windows 10. Reinstalls Windows 10 and removes all your personal files. Removes apps and drivers you installed. Removes changes you made to settings. Removes any apps your PC manufacturer installed. (If your PC came with Windows 10, apps from your PC manufacturer will be reinstalled.) If you're planning to donate, recycle, or sell your PC, use this option and choose to fully clean the drive. This might take an hour or two, but it makes it harder for other people to recover files you've removed.
Restore factory settings	This is to do a factory restore on an OEM PC that came preinstalled with Windows 10. Reinstalls the version of Windows that your PC came with (either Windows 8 or Windows 8.1) and removes your personal files. Removes apps and drivers you installed. Removes changes you made to settings. Reinstalls any apps your PC manufacturer installed on your PC. This option isn't available on all PCs.

1. Please download and run Hard Disk Sentinel (trial) and post a screenshot of its GUI for each disk in your PC.
If all ok, proceed.

2. In case sthg has happened to your file system:

From an admin command prompt
[Windows key + X, click command prompt (admin)]
chkdsk C: /F
Your PC will need to restart.
Post back the result, which you can get after a restart as follows:
How do I see the results of a CHKDSK that ran on boot? - Ask Leo!
Make sure the result is clear or fixed- else do not proceed.

3. From an admin prompt, please run
SFC /SCANNOW
and post the summary result.

Please also post your build number:
Windows key + R, winver

Thanks.

mcpolo84 · 12 Jun 2017

Another thing I forgot to mention is that after my PC is open for a while, it sometimes freezes, and I have to turn it off using the power button.

1. Sentinel said everything was fine in my C: Drive and that I didn't need to change anything.
2. I couldn't run chkdsk because that requires me to restart the computer - the issue I'm trying to solve.
3. The result was: Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
Build Number: Version 1607 (OS Build 14393.1198)

Thanks for the help btw.

dalchina · 12 Jun 2017

Ok, try chkdsk C: /scan
That will give you a report.

So your disk is ok, and Windows system files are ok.

Freezing is difficult to resolve as there are no logs or reports.

You can try an in-place upgrade repair install, but no guarantees as to whether there will be an improvement.
This would keep all programs and data.
Do you already have an iso for Windows 1607, or a bootable DVD or disk?

Freezing could be related to programs you have installed.

If you are willing to leave your PC running for a while after a clean boot, you might be lucky and find it doesn't freeze. If so, you might find the cause of your freezes by a process of elimination.

If the cause is hardware related, that's another matter, of course.

mcpolo84 · 12 Jun 2017

I tried chkdsk C: /scan and it said: Windows has scanned the file system and found no problems. I don't mind losing anything on the PC as it's not that important. I am going to try an in-place upgrade repair install to see if it fixes the issue. The problem of the PC not being able to restart remains a problem however.

zbook · 12 Jun 2017

Open administrative command prompt and type or copy and paste these commands:

1) msconfig
In the pop up system configuration > move the dot from normal startup to selective startup > uncheck load startup items > click services tab > on the left lower corner check hide all Microsoft services > on the right lower side click disable all > click apply or ok > do not reboot

2) taskmgr
In the pop up task manager > click the startup tab > click the status column so that it sorts and enable rises to the top > right click on every row that displays enable and change to disable

3) shutdown /r
The computer will reboot so that you are now in clean boot.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...oot-in-windows
How to perform a Clean Boot in Windows 10 - TechNet Articles - United States (English) - TechNet Wiki

Check the performance in clean boot compared to normal boot.

Turn off fast startup using the .bat file in this link:

Turn On or Off Fast Startup in Windows 10 Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

Please check performance first with clean boot. Perform multiple reboots and use computer in typical use.

Then turn off fast boot and perform multiple reboots and use the computer in typical use.

Report into the thread your findings.