Causes and solutions for Windows 10 and 11 PCs suddenly crashing or restarting repeatedly

This time, we will explain what happens when your PC suddenly shuts off or restarts repeatedly on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

If your PC crashes while creating a document or using an application, it can cause data loss or malfunctions, so you need to take action as soon as possible.

In this article, we will introduce the causes of your PC suddenly shutting down, how to check for it, and solutions, so please use this as a reference.

How to investigate the cause of Windows 10, 11 PC suddenly crashing or restarting repeatedly

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes or restarts repeatedly, you need to first investigate the condition and cause.

Research methods include the following:

• event viewer
• Check CPU temperature with Core Temp, Speccy

event viewer

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes or restarts repeatedly, checking the situation in Event Viewer may help resolve the issue.

[How to check the cause with Event Viewer: For Windows 10]

1. Select "Start (Windows mark)"
2. Select "Windows Administrative Tools"
3. Select "Event Viewer"
4. Select "System" in "Windows Logs"
5. Check the "Level" item
6. If there is a part that is displayed as "critical", please check it as it may be the cause of the problem.

[How to check the cause with Event Viewer: For Windows 11]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "All apps"
3. Select "Windows Tools"
4. Select "Event Viewer"
5. Select "System" in "Windows Logs"
6. Check the "Level" item
7. If there is a part that is displayed as "critical", please check it as it may be the cause of the problem.

Check CPU temperature with Core Temp, Speccy

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes or restarts repeatedly, you may be able to understand the status by checking the CPU temperature with Core Temp or Speccy.

In addition, in order to use Core Temp and Speccy, you need to install each tool from the following.

Core Temp

Speccy

[How to check CPU temperature with Core Temp]

1. During installation, click the 32 or 64 bit link from the "More downloads..." display to install the portable version.
2. If you need Japanese translation, right-click "Japanese" → Save as file
3. Unzip "Core Temp"
4. Create a folder named "Languages" within the folder containing "Core Temp.exe"
5. Copy the language file "ja-JP.lng" into "Languages"
6. After installation, start
7. When you start it up, the temperature will be displayed at the bottom.

[How to check CPU temperature with Speccy]

1. During installation, select the language if necessary
2. After installation, start
3. Check the temperature displayed in the "Summary" section.

Typically, the CPU temperature is around 40 degrees under low load, and around 60-80 degrees under high load.

However, if the temperature is far from normal even though you are not doing anything, there may be a problem with the CPU cooler or dust may have accumulated inside the PC.

Causes and solutions for Windows 10 and 11 PC to suddenly crash

The following are the reasons why a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly shuts down.

• If thermal runaway occurs
• Abnormalities around the power supply
• Windows 10, 11 system related
• Hardware related

We will also introduce solutions to these problems along with their causes.

If thermal runaway occurs

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, it may be experiencing thermal runaway.

Thermal runaway is caused by a stoppage of operation that occurs when too much heat builds up inside the PC.

By taking appropriate measures early on, you can prevent main unit failure and the secondary damage that accompanies it.

If thermal runaway is suspected to be occurring, the following solutions are effective.

• Cleaning the CPU fan
• Change power options

Cleaning the CPU fan

If you suspect that your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC is overheating, you may want to check whether dust has accumulated on the CPU fan.

If dust or dirt has accumulated, clean it as follows to remove the cause of the problem.

[How to clean the CPU fan]

1. Turn off your PC and unplug all cords.
2. Remove dust using a vacuum cleaner, etc.
3. If it is very dirty, open the PC and remove the dust.

Change power options

If you suspect your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC is experiencing thermal runaway, changing the power options may resolve the issue.

[How to change power options]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Windows System Tools"
3. Select "Control Panel"
4. Select "System and Security"
5. Select "Power Options"
6. Select “Change plan settings” to the right of “Balance (recommended)”
7. Select "Change advanced power settings"
8. Select "Processor Power Management"
9. Set "Maximum Processor Status" to 99% or below

Abnormalities around the power supply

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly shuts down, there may be something wrong with the power supply.

In that case, the following solutions may work:

• Battery replacement (laptop)
• Insufficient power in the power supply unit (desktop computer)

Battery replacement (laptop)

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC (laptop) suddenly crashes, there may be a problem with the battery.

In that case, battery replacement is effective.

For example, if you notice that the battery is draining quickly, it may be a good idea to replace the battery.

Insufficient power in the power supply unit (desktop computer)

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC (desktop computer) suddenly crashes, there may be a lack of power in the power supply unit.

A power supply unit is a part that supplies electricity.

If the processing exceeds the capacity of the power supply unit, the PC may suddenly shut down.

In such cases, it is effective to replace the power supply unit or remove the source of the load (such as a high-performance graphics card).

Windows 10, 11 system related

If your PC crashes on Windows 10 or Windows 11, there may be a system-related problem.

• System file problems
• fast startup
• hybrid sleep

System file problems

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, there may be a problem with the system files.

A good way to check for these problems is to use the System Checker tool that comes with Windows.

[How to use the system checker tool]

1. Right click "Start"
2. Select "Windows PowerShell (Administrator)"
3. Type "sfc /scannow"

Another method is to run "chkdsk". chkdsk is a program that checks drives for errors that can be run from a command prompt.

However, depending on the options, chkdsk overwrites data during the process of repairing file system errors and places a high load on the hard disk. Also, since problematic data may be deleted, you should be very careful when running it, such as making backups.

[How to run chkdsk]

1. Type "cmd" in the taskbar
2. Select "Command Prompt"
3. Type "chkdsk", insert a half-width space, and enter the relevant drive (such as "c:") (at this time, you can also insert a half-width space and specify the repair option described below. "/f" "/r" "/b" *Repair options increase in load and take time in the order listed.Basically, it is better to use "/f".)
4. If no options are specified, just press the Enter key to run in read mode (only checks are performed, so it can be executed safely in a relatively short time).
5. If you specify an option, pressing Enter will prompt you for confirmation, so press 'Y' and then Enter.

Turn off fast startup

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, turning off fast startup may solve the problem.

[How to turn off fast startup]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Windows System Tools"
3. Select "Control Panel"
4. Select "Change what the power buttons do" under "Power Options"
5. Select "Change settings that are currently unavailable"
6. Uncheck Enable Fast Startup

Turn off hybrid sleep

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, turning off hybrid sleep may solve the problem.

Hybrid sleep is a function that allows data to be saved to the hard disk even in a power-saving state, unlike normal sleep, which erases the data stored during sleep when the battery runs out.

However, this can also cause problems with your PC.

[How to turn off hybrid sleep]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Settings (gear mark)"
3. Select "System"
4. Select "Power & Sleep"
5. Select "Additional power settings"
6. Select “Change plan settings”
7. Select "Change advanced power settings"
8. Select "Sleep"
9. Turn off the "Allow hybrid sleep" setting

Hardware related

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, there may be a hardware-related problem.

• BIOS (UEFI)
• Memory related
• Peripheral equipment

Update BIOS (UEFI)

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, updating the BIOS (UEFI) may solve the problem.

BIOS is a program that performs operations such as starting the OS.

Therefore, please make a backup and be extremely careful when updating.

The BIOS update procedure differs depending on the manufacturer, so please check and try it.

Memory related

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, there may be a memory-related problem.

For example, the memory may not have been installed properly, or the memory may not be compatible with the memory installed during expansion.

To check if there is a memory-related problem, try running Windows Memory Diagnostics by following the steps below.

[How to use Windows memory diagnosis]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Windows Administrative Tools"
3. Select "Windows Memory Diagnostic"
4. Select "Restart now and check for problems (recommended)"

Remove all peripherals

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, disconnecting all peripheral devices may solve the problem.

Try disconnecting your mouse, keyboard, and other devices if they are connected.

Causes and solutions for Windows 10 and 11 PCs suddenly crashing or restarting repeatedly

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes or restarts repeatedly, the following problems may be possible.

• There is a hard disk failure
• When starting a specific application
• If the cause is Windows Update

There is a hard disk failure

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes or restarts repeatedly, there may be a hard disk failure.

If there is a physical failure in the hard disk, replacing it is effective.

Instead of replacing the hard disk with a hard disk, one way is to replace it with an SSD, which is considered less likely to break.

When starting a specific application

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes or restarts repeatedly, it may be running a specific application.

It's a good idea to check if there are any problems with specific applications, and update or uninstall them if necessary.

If the cause is Windows Update

If your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC suddenly crashes, Windows Update may be the cause.

When Windows Update runs automatically, your PC may restart automatically.

If you are having trouble restarting your computer suddenly to update while working, you may be able to resolve the issue by pausing the update by following the steps below.

[How to pause Windows Update]

1. Select "Start"
2. Select "Settings"
3. Select "Update & Security"
4. Select "Windows Update"
5. Select "Pause updates for 7 days"

Summary of causes and solutions for Windows 10 and 11 PCs suddenly crashing and restarting repeatedly

This time, we explained the problems with Windows 10 and Windows 11, such as the PC suddenly turning off or restarting repeatedly.

Start with simple solutions like checking your PC's temperature using a tool or cleaning the fan.

When using other repair tools, it is a good idea to back up your data to avoid data loss.