If you face a situation where after you enter the password of your account and press the Enter key, Windows 11 or Windows 10 freezes at the login screen, then this post may help you. Many users have reported facing this issue, at times, especially after installing Windows Updates or a Feature Update.
Windows 11/10 freezes at Login Screen
If Windows 11 or Windows 10 freezes at the Sign-In or Login Screen, you may try these suggestions:
- Boot to Safe Mode or Advanced Startup options
- Check the status of Credentials Manager Service
- Use Reset This PC option
- Repair Windows via Advanced Startup Options
- Repair Computer using Installation Media.
The only way to figure out the cause is that you have to be observant of when the problem shows up. Also, make sure you keep a bootable USB drive ready, which will help you get into Advanced Boot Troubleshooting. Before you begin, we suggest you power down your PC, start it, and then see if you can log in.
1] Boot to Safe Mode or Advanced Startup options
When you are set to auto-login to Windows 11/10 after the Update, the process to complete may get hampered. You can choose to disable auto-login after the Update by booting into Safe Mode or the Advanced Startup option, and then choosing to disable the auto-login. It will allow you to auto-login.
- Open Windows Settings (Win+I).
- Navigate to Accounts > Sign-in options.
- Toggle off the option that says — Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up my device and reopen my apps after an update or restart.
If you recently installed an Antivirus and this happened, then it would be a good idea to uninstall it. Since you cannot log in the usual way, remove the software.
- Boot using the recovery drive and select Troubleshoot to proceed.
- Navigate to Startup Settings > Restart > Press No 5 key.
- Once the computer boots, log in with an admin account, and uninstall the anti-virus
- Reboot the computer normally, and check if the issue is resolved.
Restart your computer normally, and wait for the update to complete.
Once on your desktop, you may troubleshoot further.
You can also check out these general tips if you cannot log in to Windows.
2] Check the status of Credentials Manager Service
In Safe Mode, Run services.msc and make sure the Credentials Manager Service is set on Automatic. The default is Manual.
Read: Windows stuck at log-in screen after update or upgrade.
3] Run System Restore via Advanced Startup Options
In Safe Mode, access the Advanced Startup Options and see if you can repair the installation.
Read: Cannot log into Windows after Update.
4] Use Reset This PC option
Else in Safe Mode, either Reset This PC, Run Fresh Start, or Rollback to your earlier build, depending on your case.
5] Repair Computer using Installation Media
Here are the steps to repair your computer using the installation media if it’s because of corrupt files.
- Download Windows ISO
- Create Bootable USB or DVD drive
- Boot from the media and choose “Repair your computer.”
- Under Advanced troubleshooting, choose Startup Repair.
When Windows 11/10 freezes at the Login Screen, it’s a tricky situation as there is no direct answer. It could be a corrupt system file, a feature update that went rogue, or a program that is making the login experience terrible.
Read: Windows computer freezes, hangs or crashes randomly
How do you fix a computer that freezes at startup?
If your computer freezes at startup, the first thing you need to do is to remove all the apps from the startup. To do so, open the Task Manager and go to the Startup apps section. Then, choose each app and select the Disable option.
How do I fix a stuck login screen?
To fix a stuck or hung login screen in Windows 11/10, boot into Safe Mode and check the problem from there. Apart from that, you should check the status of the Credential Manager Service and repair Windows via Advanced Startup Options. If nothing works, you need to repair your Windows installation using Installation Media.
