Windows 11 stuck on the loading screen with a spinning circle? Here's how to fix It

Windows 11 stuck on the loading screen with a continuous spinning circle? Here are some effective fixes to break the loop and get your PC running again.

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Shan Abdul

Guides Editor

Published Mar 30, 2026 3:50 PM CDT

4-minute read time

Voice: DefaultSpeed

0:00 / 5:36

Is your Windows 11 PC stuck on the loading screen with the spinning circle, and no matter how long you wait, it never reaches the desktop? This issue can happen for various reasons, but in most cases, you don't need to take drastic measures like reinstalling Windows. You can usually fix it quite easily. Here are the solutions you should try.

Remove and Reseat the RAM

In some cases, the reason Windows 11 gets stuck on the loading screen is either improperly seated RAM or leftover memory data from a previous boot. To check this, turn off your computer and unplug it from the power source. Then, open the case to access the RAM slots. First, make sure each RAM stick is properly seated and not loose.

If the RAM is seated correctly, the issue could be residual memory or a faulty stick. To test this, remove all RAM sticks and leave them out for a minute to clear any leftover memory. Then, reinsert each stick firmly until it clicks into place, and try booting your device with one stick at a time to identify a faulty module. If this doesn't resolve the issue, move on to the next step.

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Unplug All External Devices

Do you have any external devices, such as USB drives, printers, or external hard drives, connected to your computer when it gets stuck on the loading screen? If so, they might be interfering with the Windows 11 boot process. To check, turn off your computer completely and disconnect all external devices except for the keyboard and mouse.

Then, power on your computer and see if it boots normally. If it does, one of the devices is likely causing the issue. You can either avoid connecting these devices during boot or reconnect them one at a time, restarting the computer each time to identify the problematic device. If disconnecting peripherals doesn't make a difference, move on to the next fix.

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Run Startup Repair

Corrupted system files, a damaged boot configuration, or problematic updates can also cause Windows to get stuck during startup. Fortunately, Windows includes a built-in tool that scans your system and repairs issues that may be preventing it from booting properly. Restart your computer a few times during startup until the Automatic Repair screen appears.

On the Automatic Repair screen, select Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair. Then follow the on-screen prompts and choose the account you want to repair. Windows will then scan your system for startup problems and attempt to fix them automatically. Once the repair process finishes, your PC should restart normally.

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Boot into Safe Mode

Your computer might also get stuck on the loading screen due to third-party software, services, or drivers. To check if that's the cause, you can boot into Safe Mode, which starts Windows with only essential drivers and services while disabling third-party ones. To do this, restart your computer 2-3 times until Windows triggers Automatic Repair.

On the Automatic Repair screen, go to Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. After your PC restarts, press 4 or F4 to enter Safe Mode, or 5 or F5 to enter Safe Mode with Networking. Once logged in, uninstall any recently installed apps, updates, or drivers, and check if this resolves the issue.

Perform System Repair Using Command Prompt

If none of the above fixes work, you may need to rebuild the system's boot configuration. To do this, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt, and then enter the following command:

bcdboot C:\Windows /s D: /f ALL

In this command, bcdboot C:\Windows initializes the system partition, while /s specifies the drive where the boot files will be copied.

After that, run the command bootrec /fixmbr, which writes a new Master Boot Record to the system partition so Windows can start properly.

Next, enter bootrec /fixboot, which creates a new boot sector for the system partition using one that is compatible with Windows.

Finally, run bootrec /rebuildbcd, which scans all disks for Windows installations and rebuilds the Boot Configuration Data (BCD).

Execute a System Restore

System Restore is a built-in Windows feature that lets you revert your system to an earlier state when everything was working properly. If Windows fails to boot due to a recent system change, update, or corruption, restoring it to a previous state can often resolve the issue. However, this will only work if a Restore Point was created earlier.

To perform a System Restore, boot into the Windows Recovery Environment. Then go to Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Restore. Select your account and enter the password if prompted. After that, choose a Restore Point created before the issue started and follow the on-screen instructions to begin the restoration process.

Hopefully, applying the fixes above should resolve the issue and let you reach the login screen. If none of these solutions work, the problem may be due to deeper system corruption or a hardware issue, in which case you may need to reset Windows. If that still doesn't resolve the problem, it would be best to seek professional technical support.