Stuck on BIOS loading screen… What can I do to fix this?

Hi! I’m having an issue where my PC gets stuck on the BIOS loading screen. When I turn it on, the BIOS screen shows up, disappears for a second, and then comes back. But instead of showing options like how to enter BIOS or other shortcuts, it just keeps loading. The loading indicator even freezes.

What can I do to fix this? What might be causing it?

I read somewhere that this could be related to needing to reinstall Windows. I’m still on Windows 10. Do I need to reinstall? If so, how can I do it without losing my files?

Sounds like your PC might be stuck in a bootloop. If you want to avoid losing your data, here’s a quick way to check if the BIOS is causing the problem:

Get a blank internal drive, remove your current one, and replace it with the blank drive. Then try installing Windows from a USB. If the installation works, you may just need to reinstall Windows. If it doesn’t, your BIOS could be the issue.

If that happens, boot into the BIOS settings and run the diagnostic checks. Actually, you should probably try this diagnostic step first before anything else.

@Cleo
Thanks so much! I’ll try the diagnostics first. I don’t have an extra internal drive, but there are two SSDs in my PC. One has files, though.

Do you have any other suggestions? There was also a message on the BIOS loading screen that said ‘Preparing Automatic Repair.’ Does that mean it’s repairing the BIOS or the OS?

Also, we downloaded a driver health checker, and the SSD with the OS is at 69% health, while the other storage devices are at 100%. Could this be related to the issue? These numbers were from yesterday, so I haven’t checked again today.

@DolphGabbana
OK, try the diagnostic check first. It should check everything and try to fix what it can. From what you’ve said, it seems like it could be a BIOS issue.

Is it a laptop or a desktop?

Could you let me know the make and model? That will help narrow things down.

@Cleo
Thanks! It’s a desktop with a Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC motherboard.

Do you know how to run a diagnostic on this model? I tried looking for it but couldn’t find anything. All I see are health status, connected devices, a section for tweaks, and the boot sequence.

This sounds like it could be an issue with your Windows install. You can try resetting your BIOS by removing the CMOS battery for 5 minutes, then putting it back. This could fix it if the issue is with the BIOS, but honestly, it seems more likely that you’ll need to reinstall Windows, which will wipe your drive.

@LizCampbell
Thanks for the suggestion! I think I’ve seen something about removing the CMOS battery before. I might really try that.

DolphGabbana said:
@LizCampbell
Thanks for the suggestion! I think I’ve seen something about removing the CMOS battery before. I might really try that.

It’s not too complicated. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it easily. Just look up a video and you should be good.

One more thing to add: there was a moment when I saw ‘Preparing Automatic Repair’ on the screen, but the loading indicator was stuck as well.