Troubleshoot the Windows logon process (2023)

Sometimes the computer turns on as expected, the Windows logon screen appears, but then something happens. Your computer may freeze, restart on its own, or just stop and not respond to any of your actions.

You can see the login screen, but nothing happens when you enter your password. On the other hand, you can log in, but then Windows crashes and you have to restart manually. On the other hand, Windows may appear to start up, but the desktop never appears and all you can do is move your mouse over a blank screen.

Regardless of the details, this is a troubleshooting guide you can use if Windows boots most of the time but you can't log in, or if your desktop never fully loads.

How to fix problems with stopping, freezing and restarting when logging into Windows

The following steps apply to Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP:

1. Start Windows in safe mode. If it starts completely, justrestart your computerfrom there as usual and check if Windows starts correctly.

   A failed update or a single boot process can sometimes cause problems with stopping, failing, or restarting the login process. Often all Windows needs is a clean boot in safe mode and then a reboot to fix the problem.

   

2. Start Windows with the last known good configurationif you have Windows 7 or Vista. (Later versions do not have this feature.) This will return the driver and registry settings to the state they were in the last time Windows successfully started and shut down, and may return the computer to normal operation.

   Of course, this will only work if the cause of the Windows login problem is related to the registry or driver settings.

   

   (Video) Windows Logon Process | Local User Account

   It's safe to try Safe ModeDoLast Known Good Configuration, because the valuable information stored in the registry that enables the Last Known Good Configuration to function properly is not saved until Windows has successfully started in normal mode.

3. Repair your Windows installation. A common cause of Windows crashing between the login screen and successfully loading the desktop is that one or more important Windows system files are damaged or missing. Windows Repair replaces these important files without deleting or changing anything else on your computer.

   

   See Also

   HP PCs - Computer Freezes or Freezes (Windows 11, 10)

   Installing Windows XP Repair is more complicated and has more downsides than Startup Repair found in newer Windows operating systems. If you're using Windows XP, it's best to wait until you've completed steps 4, 5, and 6 before doing this.

4. Start Windows in Safe Mode thenuse System Restore to undo recent changes. Windows may crash, stop, or restart during the logon process due to a corrupted driver, important file, or part of the registry. System Restore will bring all these things back to the way your computer was running, which may solve your problem entirely.

   

   If for some reason you are unable to enter Safe Mode, you can also run System Restore from withinstartup settings(available for Windows 11/10/8 atAdvanced startup options). Windows 7 and Vista users can access safe modeSystem Restore Options, available inAdvanced startup optionsmenu, but also from the Windows 7 or Windows Vista installation DVD.

   System Restore cannot be undone if you do it in Safe Mode, Startup Settings, or System Restore options. You might not mind since you won't be able to access Windows normally anyway, but it's worth bearing in mind.

5. Scan your computer for viruses, again from safe mode. If you're having trouble getting that far, you can roll up your sleeves.free bootable antivirus programsfor some virus checkers even without access to Windows. A virus or other malware may have caused a problem with a part of Windows that is so specific that login fails.

   (Video) Windows Logon process - Windows Server Management and Security

6. CMOS wise. Wiping the BIOS on the motherboard resets the BIOS settings to factory defaults. Bad BIOS settings can be the reason why Windows cannot get to the desktop

   If clearing the CMOS resolves the Windows logon issue, make sure you make any BIOS changes one at a time so that if the problem reoccurs, you'll know which change caused it.

7. Replace the CMOS battery if the computer is older than three years or if it has been turned off for an extended period of time.

   CMOS batteries are dirt cheap, and batteries that are no longer charged can cause all sorts of strange behavior at any point in the boot process until the Windows desktop loads.

8. substituteEverything that is possible on your computer. Reinstalling your computer will restore various connections on your computer and may resolve a problem that prevents Windows from starting up completely.

   Try reinstalling the following hardware and see if Windows fully boots:

   • Reconnect all internal data and power cables..
   • Replace the memory modules.
   • Replace expansion cards.

   Disconnect and reconnect the keyboard, mouse, and other external devices.

9. Check for an electrical shortin your computer. Sometimes an electrical short is the cause of problems during the Windows logon process, especially reboot loops and hard freezes.

10. Test the RAM.Free memory test programs.make it easy. If one of the computer's RAM modules fails completely, the computer won't even turn on. Usually, however, only part of the computer's memory fails.

    If system memory is unavailable, your computer may freeze, stop, or restart at any time, including during or after the Windows logon process.

    replace the memoryon your computer if the memory test shows a problem.

    Make sure you have done everything in your power to complete the troubleshooting steps up to this point. Steps 11 and 12 are more difficult and more destructive solutions for failing to fully boot Windows. You may need one of the solutions below to solve the problem, but if you haven't been diligent in troubleshooting so far, you can't be sure that one of the simpler solutions described above is not the right one.

    (Video) How to install Window..💯💯 | 🤔Showing- interactive logon process intialiaization has failed |🖥🖥

11. Test the hard drive.Free Hard Drive Testing Toolsmake it easy. A physical problem with the hard drive is certainly one of the reasons why Windows may not boot completely. A hard drive that cannot read and write information correctly cannot load the files needed to run Windows.

    If the tests show a problem, replace the hard drive. You must perform a fresh installation of Windows after replacing the hard drive.

    If no problems with the hard drive are found, then the hard drive is physically healthy, which means that the problem must be caused by Windows. In that case, the next step will fix it.

12. Perform a clean install of Windows. This type of installationcompleteerase the drive where Windows is installed, and then reinstall the operating system.

    In step 3, I advised you to solve this problem by repairing Windows. Since this method of repairing important Windows files is non-destructive, make sure you give it a try before finally doing a fully destructive clean install at this stage.