Why is my computer taking so long to restart? And how to fix it

TL;DR: If your computer is taking more than 15–20 minutes to restart, it may be stuck because of a frozen app, a failed update, driver conflicts, or hardware issues. Disconnect external devices first, then perform a hard reset if necessary. If the problem keeps happening, professional troubleshooting may be the fastest solution.

In this article

• So… how long should a restart take?
• What to do if your computer gets stuck restarting
  • Step 1: Disconnect everything external
  • Step 2: Do a hard reset
  • Step 3: If it still gets stuck
• How to prevent this from happening again
  • For Windows Users
  • For Mac Users
• Wrapping Up
• FAQs

We’ve all done it. Your computer starts acting slow or weird, so you hit “Restart” thinking it’ll take maybe 30 seconds and magically fix everything. And then… nothing. It seems like you’re stuck staring at a spinning wheel, a frozen loading screen, or a black screen that looks suspiciously permanent. Ten minutes go by. Then twenty. Maybe even an hour.

Here’s the important thing: while restarting can take a little longer than shutting down normally, taking longer than that definitely isn’t normal.

And honestly? Once your computer gets trapped in that “Restarting…” limbo, it feels like your computer is holding you hostage. Your mouse stops working, keyboard shortcuts do nothing, and now you’re just emotionally staring at the screen hoping it decides to wake up again. If that’s literally you right now, don’t panic yet. There are a few things happening behind the scenes, and most of the time you can break the loop yourself.

So… how long should a restart take?

Before assuming your computer is dead, it helps to know what’s considered normal. If your computer restart is taking much longer than usual, it’s worth knowing when you should actually start to worry.

A restart usually takes less than five minutes. Between five and 10 minutes isn’t unusual during major updates. Annoying? Absolutely. But it’s still pretty normal. This is because Windows or macOS often decides that the exact moment you restart is the perfect time to install updates, security patches, drivers, or other system fixes. So even if the screen looks frozen, your computer might actually still be working.

But how about more than 15 to 20 minutes? Okay, now we’re entering “it’s worth investigating” territory. Especially if:

• the spinning dots stopped moving,
• the screen hasn’t changed at all,
• or the fans sound like they gave up emotionally.

That’s usually your computer trying to tell you something. Usually this means:

• an app froze during shutdown,
• an update got stuck,
• Windows/macOS crashed mid-restart,
• or the system is trapped trying to close something that refuses to cooperate.

Heavy apps are famous for this, such as Steam games, Adobe programs, AutoCAD, or Chrome with dozens of tabs.

What to do if your computer gets stuck restarting

At this point you usually can’t open Task Manager or the Activity Monitor, settings, or anything useful, so the fixes become more “physical.” So try these in order:

Step 1: Disconnect everything external

This sounds random, but it works surprisingly often because computers can get dramatic too, especially about external devices during shutdowns and restarts. Let’s say, if an external hard drive or USB device stops responding properly, Windows or macOS can sit there waiting forever trying to “safely disconnect” it.

So, basically, removing the device forces the system to react and sometimes instantly snaps it out of the restart loop.

Note: If you’re on a laptop, leave only the charger.

Unplug:

• USB drives
• external hard drives
• dongles
• printers
• controllers
• weird adapters
• literally anything connected to the computer that isn’t necessary

Step 2: Do a hard reset

If unplugging everything didn’t work, it’s time for the classic emergency move. You’re basically forcing the system to stop whatever got stuck so it can start fresh.

And no, contrary to internet horror stories, doing this occasionally will not instantly destroy your files or photos.

 Here’s what to do: Press and hold the physical power button on your computer for about 10 to 15 full seconds. Keep holding until:

• the screen turns black,
• the fans stop,
• and all lights shut off completely.

Leave the computer off for about a minute before turning it back on. If your computer isn’t stuck but instead restarts randomly without warning, the problem may involve overheating, power, RAM, or a driver conflict.

Step 3: If it still gets stuck

If your PC keeps getting stuck on the restarting screen after every reboot, stays on a black screen, or gets stuck in a restart loop, then the issue is probably deeper than a temporary glitch.

If the computer turns back on and immediately freezes again, stays on a black screen, or keeps looping endlessly in the restart mode, then the issue is probably deeper than a temporary glitch.

At that point it could be:

• corrupted system files,
• a failing hard drive,
• broken Windows/macOS updates,
• driver issues,
• or hardware starting to fail.

Sometimes these issues show up as a blue screen instead of an endless restart loop. If that’s happening to you, here’s a breakdown of the most common causes of blue screen of death.

And honestly? That’s when it stops being worth losing your entire afternoon fighting with it alone. If none of these fixes work, the issue may require a deeper diagnosis. The Geeks on Site team can help remotely or on-site, saving you the frustration of trying dozens of random fixes on your own.

✏️ You might like reading: How to Factory Reset Windows 11 PC Without Losing Your Files

How to prevent this from happening again

Once your computer is alive again, there are a few habits that genuinely help avoid future frozen restarts. These tips aren’t glamorous but effective.

For Windows Users

1. Close apps before restarting

A lot of people restart their PC with Chrome open, Spotify running, Photoshop still open, a Word document and other things in the background. Windows then has to force-close everything itself, and sometimes one stubborn app crashes the entire restart process.

So, the recommendation? Take 10 seconds and close stuff manually first.

2. Turn off “Fast startup”

Ironically, Fast Startup sometimes causes slower and glitchier restarts over time. So to disable it, follow this process: Control Panel → System and Security → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Click: “Change settings that are currently unavailable” → After that, uncheck: “Turn on fast startup”

3. Don’t restart right before you need the computer urgently

This one hurts because we all do it, but if Windows says: “Updates are ready to install”, don’t restart two minutes before a Zoom meeting. Of course, if you don’t want to end up wondering why your computer is taking so long to restart.

These small habits can help prevent slow restarts and reduce the chances of Windows getting stuck during the restart process.

For Mac Users

1. Uncheck “Reopen windows when logging back in”

That little checkbox during restart? The one nobody reads? Yeah. That thing can slow down startup because your Mac tries reopening everything exactly the way you left it. So, it’s best to uncheck it before restarting.

2. Force quit frozen apps first

If you see apps labeled as “Not responding” force quit them before restarting, all you need to do is press Cmd + Option + Esc.

3. Eject external drives properly

Macs especially hate improper ejection. So when you drag USB drives or hard disks to the Trash/Eject icon before restarting helps avoid restart freezes later.

🤓 Keep reading: Why Does My Computer Randomly Restart?

Wrapping Up

The truth is, there’s rarely just one reason a computer gets stuck restarting. Sometimes it’s nothing more than updates running in the background. Other times it’s an app refusing to close or even an early sign of hardware trouble.

The good news is that a frozen restart doesn’t automatically mean your computer is dying. In many cases, disconnecting external devices or performing a hard reset is enough to get things working again.

Once everything’s back to normal, keeping your system updated, closing apps before restarting, and avoiding unnecessary clutter can go a long way toward preventing slow restarts and keeping your computer running smoothly.

FAQs