PC Stuck on BIOS Screen? Every Fix for Getting Windows to Boot in 2026

A PC stuck displaying the BIOS/UEFI screen cannot find or load Windows. The BIOS screen appears first on every boot — when Windows fails to load, the system either enters BIOS automatically or loops back to it.

Part 1. Check and Fix Boot Order

The most common cause — the wrong drive is first in the boot order:

1. Enter BIOS/UEFI (press F2, F10, Delete, or Esc during startup — varies by manufacturer)
2. Navigate to Boot tab
3. Verify the Windows drive is first in the boot order
4. If USB or optical drive is first: move the Windows drive to top
5. Save and exit (F10 usually)

⚠️ Important: Do not adjust unfamiliar BIOS settings beyond boot order and Secure Boot. Changing settings like memory timing, voltage, or CPU limits without knowledge can cause the system to fail to POST entirely, requiring a CMOS reset.

💡 Tip: If you recently added a new drive or USB drive, it may have taken the top boot priority. Check boot order every time a new storage device is connected — BIOS sometimes reprioritizes automatically.

Part 2. Rebuild Windows Boot Configuration

If boot order is correct but Windows still won't load:

1. Boot from a Windows installation USB
2. Select Repair your computer → Troubleshoot → Advanced Options → Command Prompt
3. Run:

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

4. Restart — Windows should now boot

💡 Tip: If bootrec /scanos shows "Total identified Windows installations: 0", the Windows partition letter may not be assigned correctly. Use diskpart → list vol to identify the Windows partition and assign it a letter before retrying bootrec /rebuildbcd.

Part 3. Fix UEFI Boot on GPT Disks

For modern UEFI systems with GPT disks, use bcdboot instead of bootrec /fixboot:

diskpart
list vol
select vol X   (EFI partition — FAT32, ~100-500 MB)
assign letter=Z
exit
bcdboot C:\Windows /s Z: /f UEFI

Part 4. Common Hardware Causes

🗣️ r/techsupport user: "PC stuck in BIOS loop after adding a second SSD. New SSD was first in boot order — Windows was on the old one. Changed boot order and booted immediately."

🗣️ r/buildapc tip: "After any hardware change, double-check boot order in BIOS before assuming something is broken. New drives always need manual boot order verification."

Part 5. Recover Files If Windows Can't Be Repaired

If bootrec and bcdboot fail and Windows won't start, Ritridata can create a bootable USB on another PC to recover your files before reinstalling Windows.

💡 Tip: When creating a Ritridata bootable USB for crashed system recovery, use a USB drive of at least 8 GB. The bootable environment needs space alongside the recovery software, and a USB that is too small may fail to create properly.

Step 1 — On a working PC, create a Ritridata bootable USB using Crashed System Recovery

Step 2 — Boot the problem PC from the USB and scan the internal drive

Step 3 — Recover files to an external drive before reinstalling Windows

FAQ

Why is my PC stuck on the BIOS screen? Windows failed to load — either the boot order points to the wrong drive, the Windows boot files are corrupted, or hardware changes disrupted the boot configuration. Check boot order in BIOS first.

How do I enter BIOS on my PC? Press the BIOS key immediately after powering on: Delete or F2 (most common), F10 (HP), F1 (Lenovo), Esc (some ASUS). The key is usually shown briefly on screen during POST.

Will rebuilding the BCD delete my files? No — bootrec and bcdboot only modify boot configuration files, not personal data. Your files remain intact on the drive.

PC shows BIOS screen then restarts — what's wrong? This loop indicates Windows is failing to hand off from BIOS to the bootloader. The most likely causes are corrupted boot sector, wrong boot order, or a failing drive. Run bootrec from Windows recovery media.

References

• Microsoft — bootrec
• Microsoft — bcdboot
• r/techsupport — BIOS Boot Order Fix
• r/buildapc — Boot Order After New Drive
• r/Windows10 — Rebuild BCD