Many Windows 10 users report that their computer is stuck on the home screen. The loading circle can’t stop, and the system is unresponsive to their actions. This is an annoying and quite frightening problem. You can’t use your computer at all! You may be anxiously wondering what to do about this problem.
But don’t worry. The problem can be solved. Below are some solutions you should try. You don’t need to try them all, just work up and down until you find one that works.
Table of Contents
Why Windows 10 is stuck on the home screen
No doubt, some users like to use all kinds of USB devices such as a mouse, keyboard, speakers, Bluetooth speakers, USB dongles, Wi-Fi USB adapters, etc. However, these connected devices can cause the problem of Windows 7 staying on the home screen for a long time.
According to users, Windows 10 sometimes hangs on the login screen as it tries to connect to your Wi-Fi connection. If your Windows hangs on the home screen, you need to make sure you are not connected to the Internet before connecting.
In some cases, the problem is caused by corrupted system files on your computer – locked on the Windows 10/8/7 home screen. So to fix the Windows 10 startup freeze problem, you can use CHKDSK to do some checks on your computer to see if corrupted files are the cause of the startup problem.
These days, we store a huge amount of important data on our computer. However, data loss is inevitable and can be caused by many factors, such as Retracted home screen, black screen, missing boot configuration file, etc. The good news is that there are things we can do to minimize the loss of important data.
How to fix Windows 10 stuck on the home screen
Disconnect all external devices from the computer
Sometimes this problem can be caused by hardware problems, often USB devices. These measures probably don’t apply if you’re using a laptop. To determine if this is the case, follow these steps:
- Turn off the computer and disconnect all devices and cables (except the power cable and monitor cable).
- Turn on the computer and reconnect the mouse and keyboard.
- One by one, reconnect all devices and cables and see if any of them cause problems, restart the computer, and see if you can get past the home screen.
Often these problems are temporary, and you can use Windows normally again after reconnecting everything. If not, the next patch will most likely work.
Running a boot recovery can often solve this problem
If you encounter a problem that prevents Windows from fully starting up, Startup Repair can usually solve the problem. You can access Startup Repair either through the built-in Windows recovery environment or through repair or installation media.
There are two methods of accessing the recovery environment
The first is through the Power menu, which is accessed from the Home screen:
- Click on the Power icon and then, while holding down the Shift key, click Restart.
- Windows should display the Advanced Recovery Options menu.
- Select the Troubleshooting option here.
- Now click on the Advanced Options button.
- Then click on Auto-Repair / Startup and Windows should restart.
- You should see a black screen with the Windows logo and please wait at the bottom. Wait for it to boot up. Auto-Repair Startup should offer you accounts from which you can choose. Select your account to continue.
- On the next screen, enter your password, if necessary, then press Enter or click Next
- Next, you should see a black screen that says “diagnose your PC” and then “tries to repair it. Wait until it’s done.
- After that, it will probably restart automatically if it was successful. Otherwise, a screen will appear that says “Startup Repair could not repair your PC”. In this case, select “Close”.
Another method of entering the recovery environment
- If it is enabled, turn off your computer and then turn it back on.
- If the Windows logo appears, press and hold the power button until the computer shuts down, then turn it back on.
- If you see something like “Preparing for Auto Repair” or “Please Wait,” let the sound come on. Otherwise, press and hold the power button again until the computer turns off, then turn it back on. Repeat this several times until you see a similar message.
- If the message “Automatic repair in preparation” appears, wait until it is complete. If successful, it should restart automatically, or display a screen indicating failure if it is not. Select “Off” if the automatic repair is unsuccessful.
- When you get to the recovery screen, click View Advanced Recovery Options.
- Now click on Troubleshooting.
- Now click on the Auto Repair/Startup button.
- You should see a black screen with the Windows logo and please wait at the bottom. You will probably also see “Computer Diagnostics” and then “Trying to repair it”. Wait for the process to complete.
- If the repair was successful, the computer will probably reboot automatically. If not, you will get a screen telling you that the process failed. Select Close from this screen when it appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my computer hanging on the home screen?
Getting stuck on the home screen can be caused by problems such as boot errors, incompatible software, driver errors, outdated software, and corrupt registers. A faulty system update or other software problem can cause your Windows 10 computer to hang on the home screen.
What should you do if your computer crashes when you start Windows?
- Restart your computer.
- Press the F8 key before the Windows Vista or Windows 7 logo appears.
- From the Advanced Startup Options menu, select Disable automatic restart if the system crashes.
- Press the Enter key.
- Your computer should restart.
Why is my computer blocked by a black screen?
On Windows 10 systems, the black screen of death can be caused by an incomplete Windows update. In short, Windows 10 ends up with a black screen. To solve this problem, simply press and hold the power button on your PC or laptop to shut down your computer. A cold start should allow the system to boot properly.
How do I unlock the screen in Windows 10?
- On the Windows 10 login screen, press Ctrl + Alt + Del (hold down the Ctrl key, then press the Alt key, press the Del key, and finally release the keys).
- Enter your NetID password.
- Press the Enter key or the right arrow key.
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