Why is my PC freezing when booting up?

by
Why is my PC freezing when booting up

It can be frustrating when your PC freezes or hangs when booting up. There are a few common reasons why this might happen:

Corrupted System Files

One of the most common causes of boot freezing is corrupted system files. The Windows operating system relies on many critical system files to load properly on startup. If some of these files become damaged or corrupted, it can prevent Windows from starting normally.

System file corruption can occur for a number of reasons. For example, an unexpected shutdown while Windows is still running can cause system files to not save or close properly. Hardware problems like bad RAM, a failing hard drive, or malware/virus infection can also damage Windows system files.

You can use the System File Checker tool (SFC) to scan for and replace corrupted system files. To do this:

  1. Type “Command Prompt” into the Windows search bar and right-click on it.
  2. Select “Run as administrator”.
  3. In the Command Prompt, type “sfc /scannow” and hit Enter.

SFC will scan your system files and replace any missing or corrupt files from a cache. After running SFC, restart your PC and see if the boot freezing is resolved.

Faulty Hardware

Hardware faults are another common reason for a PC freezing during boot. If you have bad RAM, a failing hard drive, or other hardware issues, it can cause boot problems or prevent Windows from starting properly.

Here are some tips for troubleshooting hardware-related boot freezing:

  • Check RAM – Use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to scan for RAM errors. Failing or incompatible RAM modules can easily cause boot problems.
  • Check storage drives – Make sure all your hard drives and SSDs are functioning properly. Go into BIOS and see if all drives are detected. Run CHKDSK to scan for drive errors.
  • Check CPU temperature – Overheating can cause freezes and crashes. Make sure your CPU cooler is working properly and that thermal paste is applied correctly.
  • Update BIOS, drivers – Out of date BIOS and drivers cansometimes lead to boot-time freezes. Update your motherboard BIOS and chipset, graphics card, etc drivers.
  • Disconnect peripherals – Try booting with all external devices unplugged, like USB drives, printers, cameras, etc. Peripherals with faulty drivers can freeze the boot process.

If you suspect a hardware failure, remove or replace the component in question and see if boot consistency improves. Getting diagnostic utilities from your motherboard or component manufacturers can also help pinpoint hardware faults.

Advanced Startup Options

Using Advanced Startup Options in Windows 10 can help troubleshoot and fix boot freezing issues. Advanced Startup gives you access to advanced recovery tools before the operating system starts.

To access Advanced Startup Options:

  1. Open the Start Menu and click the Power button.
  2. Hold down the Shift key while clicking “Restart”.
  3. After your PC restarts, you will see the Advanced Startup Options screen.

From here, you have several options that can help resolve boot freezing:

  • Startup Repair – Automatically find and fix boot problems.
  • System Restore – Roll back system files and settings to an earlier point.
  • Startup Settings – Advanced boot options like Safe Mode.
  • UEFI Firmware Settings – Update BIOS or change hardware settings.
  • Go back to Previous version – Revert to a System Restore point.

Run Startup Repair first. This will check for issues and automatically repair them. If that doesn’t work, going into Safe Mode can help determine if third-party software is causing the freezing issue.

Disable Fast Startup

Disabling Fast Startup can also help fix boot freezing problems for some users. Fast Startup is a feature that starts Windows 10 faster by saving an image of its kernel memory to disk on shutdown. This allows it to resume quicker on startup.

However, Fast Startup can sometimes cause issues and hangs on boot. To disable it:

  1. Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
  2. Click “Choose what power buttons do”.
  3. Click “Change settings that are currently unavailable”.
  4. Uncheck “Turn on fast startup”.

Restart your PC. This will do a full shutdown and cold boot instead of resuming from a hibernation image, which should eliminate any conflicts.

Update BIOS/Firmware

If your PC motherboard has a BIOS update available, installing it can potentially fix quirky freezing or booting issues. Newer BIOS versions often contain bug fixes, compatibility updates, and system stability improvements.

To update BIOS:

  1. Go to your motherboard manufacturer’s website and find BIOS updates.
  2. Download the latest BIOS version.
  3. Extract it and follow flashing instructions.
  4. Restart and let the new BIOS install.

Make sure not to interrupt the BIOS update. If the flash process is disrupted, it can brick your motherboard. A UPS can provide backup power.

Clean Boot Into Safe Mode

Booting into Safe Mode starts Windows with only essential drivers and services. This is useful for troubleshooting boot problems potentially caused by third-party startup apps or services.

To clean boot into Safe Mode:

  1. Open msconfig (System Configuration).
  2. On the General tab, choose “Selective startup”.
  3. Go to the Services tab and check “Hide all Microsoft services”.
  4. Click “Disable all”.
  5. Go to the Startup tab and click “Open Task Manager”.
  6. Disable all startup apps here.
  7. Restart PC and enter Safe Mode when prompted.

This will start Windows with nothing but core system processes and services. Test if the boot freezing is still occurring. If the issue goes away, it’s likely being caused by something loading at startup.

Check Event Viewer

Checking the Event Viewer system log can provide clues as to what is causing the boot freezing. Event Viewer records all major system events, warnings, and errors.

To view the system log in Event Viewer:

  1. Type “Event Viewer” into the search bar and open it.
  2. Expand “Windows Logs” and click on “System”.
  3. Browse through the log around the times you experienced boot freezing.

Look for critical errors, kernel-power events, disk errors, driver failures, etc. The source and description can indicate what went wrong during the failed boot attempt.

Test Hardware with Live CD

Booting from a live CD like Ubuntu Linux can help you test if the boot freezing is caused by a hardware fault or a Windows system file problem.

To do this:

  1. Download Ubuntu or another Linux live CD .iso file.
  2. Create bootable media or a CD/DVD.
  3. Boot to the live CD on your problem PC.
  4. Choose “Try Ubuntu”.

If your PC boots normally without freezing, then the hardware is likely good. Issues from within Windows are more probable. If it still freezes booting from the live CD, suspect a hardware failure like bad RAM, storage device, etc.

Reset Windows

Resetting Windows 10 can fix software issues causing boot problems, by fully reinstalling Windows without deleting your personal files and data.

To reset Windows 10:

  1. Open the Start Menu and go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
  2. Under “Reset this PC”, click Get Started.
  3. Choose “Keep my files” to save your data.
  4. Follow the steps to reinstall Windows.

Resetting reinstalls Windows system files while preserving your user profiles, data, Office apps, etc. This can fix corrupted OS files or software faults freezing your boot sequence.

Clean Reinstall Windows

Doing a completely clean reinstall of Windows 10 can help eliminate any OS issues causing booting problems. This gives you a fresh Windows installation.

To cleanly reinstall Windows 10:

  1. Back up all your personal data to an external drive.
  2. Boot from a Windows 10 installer USB or DVD.
  3. When prompted, delete all existing partitions to do a clean install.
  4. Follow the on-screen steps to install Windows.
  5. Install drivers and applications afterward.

This “scorched earth” approach gives you the best chance of fixing any Windows-related boot freezing problems. Just be sure to fully back up data first.

Conclusion

There are a number of potential culprits when a PC freezes during the boot process. Corrupted system files, faulty hardware components, driver issues, viruses, and other software faults can all prevent Windows from starting up normally.

Tools like System File Checker, Startup Repair, and Safe Mode can be used to troubleshoot and fix boot problems. Updating BIOS, resetting Windows, or doing a clean reinstall are more drastic steps that can resolve stubborn freezing issues.

Checking Event Viewer logs and testing hardware with a live CD can help diagnose the cause. Look at any changes, new installs, or events before freezing started to pinpoint the offending component. Getting to the root cause takes some boot troubleshooting, but resolving frustrating PC boot freezes is worth the effort.