Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (2024)

Receiving the “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart” error on your Windows PC can lead to panic. Here are a few ways I have used to fix this error in the past.

Method 1: Uninstall Recent Update

  • Press the power button on your computer to start it. Then wait for Windows 10 boot process to begin.

In Windows 10, the boot process begins when the Windows logo is displayed and some circling dots are displayed beneath the Windows logo.

Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (1)
  • Press the power button on your computer for the second time. When the Windows 10 boot process begins, press and hold the power button to shut down the computer. This is the second boot interruption.
  • Press the power button to boot the computer for the 3rd time. When the computer starts, it will display a screen like the one below – this means that it is booting to recovery mode. Wait until the Automatic Repair screen is displayed.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (2)
  • On Automatic Repair screen, click Advanced options.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (3)
  • Then, on the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (4)
  • On the Troubleshoot screen, click Advanced options.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (5)
  • When the Advanced options screen open, click Uninstall Updates.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (6)
  • On the Uninstall Updates screen, click Uninstall the latest quality updates.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (7)
  • Finally, to fix “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart”, on the Uninstall the latest quality update screen, click Uninstall the latest quality updates.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (8)
  • It will take a while to uninstall the updates. When the updates are fully uninstalled, your PC will restart and should boot normally.

If you still receive “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart”, try method 2.

Method 2: Run Start-up Repair

  • Press the power button on your computer to start it. Then wait for Windows 10 boot process to begin.

In Windows 10, the boot process begins when the Windows logo is displayed and some circling dots are displayed beneath the Windows logo.

Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (9)
  • Press the power button on your computer for the second time. When the Windows 10 boot process begins, press and hold the power button to shut down the computer. This is the second boot interruption.
  • Press the power button to boot the computer for the 3rd time. When the computer starts, it will display a screen like the one below – this means that it is booting to recovery mode. Wait until the Automatic Repair screen is displayed.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (10)

On Automatic Repair screen, click Advanced options.

Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (11)
  • Then, on the Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (12)
  • When the Troubleshoot screen opens, click Advanced options.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (13)
  • On the Advanced options screen, select Start-up Repair.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (14)
  • When you click Start-up Repair, Windows will attempt to fix the problem causing “Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart”. If the problem is fixed, windows 10 restart loop problem should stop.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (15)

Tip
As you can see from the last image, the repair operation may take up to an hour. When it completes, it will report back. If you see the message that Start-up Repair couldn’t repair your PC. Restart your computer and proceed with Method 4.

Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (16)

If your PC is still restarting in the loop with the same error message, reset the PC with method 3 below.

Method 3: Reset Your PC (Reinstall the OS)

Warning!
Follow the steps described here carefully as any mistake could lead to loosing your personal files. Method 4 involves reinstalling Windows without deleting your or data. Your Apps will be removed. So you will need to reinstall them.

  • Press the power button on your computer to start it. Then wait for Windows 10 boot process to begin.

In Windows 10, the boot process begins when the Windows logo is displayed and some circling dots are displayed beneath the Windows logo.

Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (17)
  • Press the power button on your computer for the second time. When the Windows 10 boot process begins, press and hold the power button to shut down the computer. This is the second boot interruption.
  • Press the power button to boot the computer for the 3rd time. When the computer starts, it will display a screen like the one below – this means that it is booting to recovery mode. Wait until the Automatic Repair screen is displayed.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (18)

On Automatic Repair screen, click Advanced options.

Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (19)
  • Then, on the Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (20)
  • On the Troubleshoot options page, select Reset this PC.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (21)

Important!
The option you select next will determine whether you keep or lose your files. Ensure that you select the right option. Read the option texts carefully.

  • On the Reset this PCChose an option page, select Keep my files.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (22)
  • Finally, on the Reset this PC confirmation page, read the details and confirm you made the right choices. Then click Reset and wait for PC reset to complete (see the second image below).
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (23)
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (24)
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (25)
  • When the previous black screen reaches 100%, it will progress to the screen below.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (26)

Tip
The reset process will take some time as Windows is effectively reinstalling. Give it time to complete. Then reinstall all your Apps.

  • When your computer finishes reinstalling, there will be a file on your desktop called “Removed Apps”. Open this file for a list of all the Apps removed from your computer. You can then reinstall the Apps.
Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (27)

Conclusion

As you can see, it is very easy to fix scary Windows error.

I hope you found this guide helpful. If you did, kindly spare 2 minutes to share the solution you used with our community using the “Leave a Reply” form at the bottom of this page.

Alternatively, you can respond to the “Was this page helpful?” question below.

Finally, for more Windows 10 fixes, visit our Windows Fix It page.

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Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error (2024)

FAQs

Your PC Ran into a Problem and Needs to Restart Error? ›

There are many reasons for the message “Your PC Ran Into a Problem and Needs to Restart” to appear, including viruses, incompatible drivers with the latest Windows version, missing registry components, and forced shutdown of the laptop. Actually, if you find the message you can immediately restart it.

Why does my PC keep saying your device ran into a problem and needs to restart? ›

Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart,? is a BSOD error, which can occur due to corrupt system files, device drivers, application/software, and virus attacks, etc. Such blue screen errors cause the system to shut down or restart unexpectedly, get stuck at a booting loop, or even lead to system crash.

Why does my computer run into a problem and needs to restart while playing games? ›

The major issue which might cause computer restarts when playing games are not meeting minimum requirements, overheating, and PSU failures. These issues pressurize the CPU to act out and restart the PC to save itself from damage.

How do you fix there was a problem restarting your PC? ›

How to Fix the 'There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC' Error
  1. Restart your computer and try again (reset is different from restart). ...
  2. Run Startup Repair from the Advanced Startup Options (ASO) menu. ...
  3. Repair system files with the sfc /scannow command. ...
  4. Run System Restore. ...
  5. Repair Windows Recovery Environment.
Jun 12, 2024

Why does my computer keep running into a blue screen? ›

The blue screen of death can be caused by any problem that causes Windows to stop running safely. The BSOD can be triggered by software problems, such as incompatible driver updates, or hardware problems, like a hard drive that needs formatting or overheating caused by overclocking your CPU.

Can overheating cause a blue screen? ›

Yes, overheating hardware can cause BSoDs. Ensure proper ventilation and cooling in your system. Clean dust from fans and consider applying fresh thermal paste on the central processing unit (CPU). You can use monitoring tools to check the temperature of your components.

Why does my computer keep restarting due to a problem? ›

This error is usually due to software or driver issues. Usually, the easiest fix is to go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable and uncheck the box next to Turn on fast startup. Otherwise, check for driver updates.

Why can't my PC run old games? ›

The game may require a software library or component (for example, DirectX* 9 or older) that is no longer automatically installed in Windows 10. The game may be a 16-bit application and these are no longer supported on Windows* 64-bit version.

Can a game cause my PC to restart? ›

Your PC could also be rebooting on its own because of overheating. Gaming requires the computer to be at its best performance. The components can generate quite a bit of heat trying to keep up with the demands of the game. If the CPU becomes too hot, the PC will shut itself down to prevent damages.

How to hard Reset a PC? ›

In some cases, a clean installation may improve your device's performance, security, browsing experience, and battery life. To reset your PC, go to Start > Settings > System > Recovery . Next to Reset this PC , select Reset PC.

Does restarting PC fix problems? ›

Restarting a computer closes all running programs and services, and resets the system. This can help to clear up any conflicts or problems that may be causing the issue. It also refreshes the system's memory, which can help to improve performance.

How to Boot in Safe Mode? ›

Do one of the following:
  1. If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts. ...
  2. If your computer has more than one operating system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to start in safe mode, and then press F8.

Should I be worried about blue screen PC? ›

However, regular blue screens can be problematic and frustrating because they may indicate a deeper malaise and force you to lose data upon every reboot. There are two things to consider after a BSOD: Software issues, due to bad coding, incompatibility, or malware.

Can resetting PC fix blue screen of death? ›

When a computer restarts, it clears all the memory registers and readies them to be used again. Doing this will clear any error or stop any process that might be causing the BSoD errors on your Windows PC.

How long to wait for the blue screen of death? ›

Windows will usually fix this for you automatically. When you see the blue screen of death appear, write down the error code, then wait five minutes. If Windows doesn't resolve it, look up the error code online and you should see page results that can help you.

Why does my PC keep restarting and saying error? ›

Reasons Why Your Computer Keeps Restarting. There are many reasons why a PC randomly restarts. It can result from various issues, including corrupted drivers, faulty hardware, and malware infection. It can be challenging to pinpoint exactly what keeps your computer in a reboot loop.

How to fix your device ran into a problem and needs to restart on Windows 11? ›

You can choose Enable Safe Mode.
  1. Fix 1: Check System Log in Event Viewer. ...
  2. Fix 2: Check Disk Error. ...
  3. Fix 3: Allocate More Space for System Drive. ...
  4. Fix 4: Run SFC. ...
  5. Fix 5: Run a Virus Scan. ...
  6. Fix 6: Update Your Windows. ...
  7. Fix 1: Perform a System Restore. ...
  8. Fix 2: Perform System Image Recovery.
Mar 25, 2024

Why does my PC keep failing to start? ›

Pay special attention to components like your RAM, graphics card, motherboard cables, and heatsink. Remove these items completely, then plug them back in, ensuring they click in all the way. You might also try booting without certain hardware, like the graphics card or one of the RAM sticks, in case they're faulty.

How do I fix my computer when it says unable to start? ›

  1. When your PC won't turn on, it can be hard to know where to start fixing it. ...
  2. Step 1: Check Your Cables. ...
  3. Many monitors use the same cable as a desktop PSU. ...
  4. Step 2: Internal Wiring. ...
  5. Step 3: POST Codes, Motherboards, and Hardware Tests. ...
  6. Step 4: Power Button. ...
  7. Step 5: Test Your Components.

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