Screen stuck on "Restarting" for 40 minutes

Windows 10 Home (x64) Version 20H2 Build 19042.746


Restarting for a Windows update, and for the 40 minutes it's just a black screen with the word Restarting in the center. No spinning circles, no anything. Just the black screen with the word Restarting.

Should I do a hard shut down or leave it alone?

I would look at the drive activity LED for flashing or on - meaning it's working. Sometimes it may appear stuck.

I would wait another hour or so.

Do you happen to know which update KB # this is?

steve108 said:

Do you happen to know which update KB # this is?

No, it just came through about an hour ago, but I never checked the number. It stuck like that I think two updates ago, but for only 20 minutes, now it's closing in on an hour. I'll wait a little longer. Activity LED doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Is you boot drive a HDD or SSD - do you know?

steve108 said:

Is you boot drive a HDD or SSD - do you know?

HDD

cbiweb said:

HDD

HDDs don't work as well as SSDs on Windows 10 - don't know if you're aware of that and have considered switching - night day difference and easy to switch using disk cloning software like Macrium Reflect Free.

SSDs are much faster.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect Good for backups and cloning disks too.