Windows Keeps Restarting Unexpectedly
Troubleshoot random restarts caused by updates, overheating, drivers, power problems, or Windows stop errors.
Troubleshoot random restarts caused by updates, overheating, drivers, power problems, or Windows stop errors.
Symptoms you may notice
- The feature or device does not behave as expected.
- The issue returns after retrying the same action.
- You may see an error message, warning, delay, or missing response related to this problem.
Before you begin
- Connect the device to reliable power if battery level is low.
- Save open documents and close any application that contains unsaved work.
- Write down the exact error message or take a screenshot before changing settings.
Step-by-step troubleshooting
Check Windows Update history
Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history and note any driver or quality update installed immediately before the restart problem began.
What you should see: You should identify whether the timing matches a recent update.
Disable automatic restart after a system failure
Search for View advanced system settings, open Startup and Recovery Settings, and clear Automatically restart under System failure. Do not change the memory dump setting.
What you should see: If Windows crashes again, the stop code should remain visible instead of instantly restarting.
Check temperatures and airflow
Shut down and inspect vents for dust blockage. Place laptops on a hard flat surface, not fabric. Listen for abnormal fan behavior after restart.
What you should see: Fans should run normally and vents should move warm air without obstruction.
Review Reliability Monitor
Search for Reliability Monitor and open View reliability history. Select red critical events around the restart time and read the failure name and affected component.
What you should see: The timeline may identify a crashing driver, application, or Windows failure.
Test memory
Search for Windows Memory Diagnostic, choose Restart now and check for problems, and allow the test to complete.
What you should see: Windows should restart and report no memory errors.
Update or roll back suspect drivers
Use Device Manager to inspect display, storage, chipset, and network devices. If the issue began after a driver update, use Roll Back Driver when available; otherwise obtain the correct driver from the PC manufacturer.
What you should see: Restarts should stop if a faulty driver caused the instability.
Confirm the problem is resolved
- Repeat the action that originally failed and confirm it now completes normally.
- Restart the affected application or device once more and verify the fix remains in place.
- Confirm that no new warning or error message appears during normal use.
If the problem continues
If none of the steps resolve the problem, stop making additional changes and contact technical support. Provide the exact error text, screenshots if available, the device model, operating-system version, and a list of the steps already completed.