Restart loop

[nikkabalaoro]

My laptop keep on restarting loop but not continue turning on. Keep on appearing start up menu

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @nikkabalaoro 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thanks for explaining that—when your HP laptop keeps restarting and looping back to the startup menu, it’s usually a sign of a boot configuration issue, corrupted system files, or a hardware fault. 

Let’s walk through a complete recovery guide to help break the loop and get your system booting normally again.

🧰 Ultimate Recovery Guide: HP Laptop Stuck in Startup Loop

✅ 1. Perform a Full Hard Reset

• Disconnect all external devices (USB, HDMI, accessories).
• Unplug the AC adapter and remove the battery (if removable).
• Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds to drain residual power (15 seconds works, but 30 helps deeper reset).
• Reconnect and attempt to power on.

🧪 2. Check for Newly Installed or Faulty Hardware

• Remove or swap out:
  • New RAM modules
  • Upgraded or newly added SSD/HDD
• Reboot using original components only.

🧼 3. Clear CMOS Settings (Advanced)

Helpful if BIOS corruption or boot order persists

• Power off and unplug.
• If possible, remove the CMOS battery or short the CMOS reset jumper.
• Wait 5 minutes, reinstall, and reboot.

🚫 4. Disable Automatic Restart on System Failure

If you can reach Safe Mode:

• Press Windows + R, type sysdm.cpl.
• Go to Advanced > Startup and Recovery > Settings.
• Uncheck Automatically restart.
• This will expose blue screen errors instead of looping.

🔧 5. Use Safe Mode with Networking (via Startup Menu or USB)

If F8 doesn’t work in Windows 11:

1. Power on and press Esc or F11 to reach recovery mode.
2. Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart.
3. Choose Safe Mode with Networking (F5).

 

🧠 6. Run HP Hardware Diagnostics

• On boot, press Esc > F2 to launch HP Diagnostics.
• Run:
  • System Test
  • Memory and Storage Test
  • Battery and Fan diagnostics

Failures here confirm hardware root cause.

💾 7. Perform Startup Repair via Recovery Media

If built-in repair isn’t accessible:

1. Use another PC to create a Windows 11 Recovery USB.
2. Boot your laptop from USB > Select Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Startup Repair.

🧙‍♂️ 8. Use System Restore (if available)

• From the recovery menu:
  Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > System Restore
• Choose a restore point before the loop began.

 

🧪 9. Check BIOS Settings Thoroughly

• Press F10 at startup to enter BIOS.
• Press F9 to reset to defaults.
• Ensure:
  • Boot Mode is set to UEFI (not Legacy)
  • Secure Boot is enabled (or try disabling temporarily)
  • Internal storage device is listed and prioritized

🔄 10. Reinstall Windows (Last Resort)

If all else fails:

• Boot from your recovery USB.
• Choose Reset this PC > Remove everything or Keep my files.
• Follow on-screen steps to install a fresh copy of Windows.

Let me know what happens after the diagnostics or if you need help creating the recovery USB. You’re doing the right thing by tackling this head-on—we’ll get your laptop back in action! 💪💻

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye