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Original post : Windows Startup in Infinite Reboot Loop: Fix for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1.
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This knowledgebase article explains what's really happening when you experience an <strong>endless reboot loop when starting Windows</strong>, usually with your PC flashing between the BIOS POST screen showing your PC manufacturer's logo (like Dell, HP, Toshiba, Acer, ASUS, Samsung, LG, Lenovo) and then showing the Windows is loading screen. This guide is for the following Windows versions: <strong>Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 or 8.1</strong> <h2>About the "Windows Infinite Reboot Loop"</h2> [kbintro] <h3>Description and Symptoms</h3> The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error. <h4>Symptom 1: Every attempt to start Windows just results in a reboot</h4> Every time an attempt is made to power up and start a Windows PC running Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8, the startup procedure begins normally but once Windows has begun to load or just as the Windows startup screen and bootloading process is about to complete, the PC suddenly restarts. A glimpse or flash of a blue screen may be visible for a short period of time (from a split-second to several seconds) as the PC begins to reboot. Subsequent restarts or power cycles of the PC result in the same behavior. <h3>Causes of this Error</h3> This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following: <h4>Cause 1: Blue Screen of Death during startup</h4> If every time you power up your PC it ends up trying to start Windows then suddenly restarting your PC back to the BIOS screen, what's really happening is that your computer is experiencing a BSOD (blue screen of death) during the startup process, then rebooting in hopes of it working better next time (try, try again). Unfortunately, that's often not the case and it ends up in a permanent reboot cycle. The problem is that because it reboots when the BSOD occurs, you don't get a chance to actually see the blue screen to note the error codes and text to research. This was not the original behavior of earlier versions of Windows, which would normally stop at the blue screen of death if it occurs, and allow the user to view the details of the BSOD stop code and error text to aid in troubleshooting and researching solutions for this error. <h2>Fixing an "endless reboot loop" on Windows</h2> [setupcd] <h3>Fix #1: Use System Restore via Easy Recovery Essentials</h3> [easyre guaranteed="false" operation="systemrestore" error="endless reboot loop" bootscreen="xp-vista-7-8"] <h3>Fix #2: Disable automatic restart on system failure</h3> [partial name="partial_no_auto_restart"] What is the message on that screen and what error code does the BSOD display? The information on this Blue Screen of Death is vital to troubleshooting the actual, underlying issue. <h3>Fix #3: Use Startup Repair</h3> The Startup Repair or "Recovery Your Computer" feature, available from Windows Vista onwards (including Windows 7 and Windows 8 or 8.1, as well as Server 2008 and Server 2012) can be used to both attempt to correct the problem as well as perform system diagnostics in an attempt to pin-down what the specific underlying cause of the reboot loop, in the presence of the split-second BSOD or otherwise. [partial name="partial_startup_repair"] <h2>More Information</h2> <h3>Linked Entries</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/advanced-boot-options-menu/">Advanced Options Menu in Windows</a></li> </ul> [partial name="partial_moreinfo" versions="xp,vista,7,8,server2003,server2008,server2012"]