How to fix Acer laptop stuck on loading screen

Imagine this: You're up early, coffee in hand, ready to tackle the day with your trusty Acer™ laptop. You hit the Power button, expecting to jump straight into productivity mode, but instead, you're greeted by the Acer logo—stuck and going nowhere.

But not for long. When your tech fails, Asurion tech care doesn’t. From laptop repairs to expert troubleshooting tips, we’ve got your back every step of the way. Here’s how you can fix an Acer stuck on the loading screen.

Why is my Acer loading screen stuck?

The Acer startup screen serves as a bridge between turning on your laptop and using your computer, allowing your operating system to prepare it for use. If your laptop hangs at this point, it may be due to hardware issues, such as a malfunctioning hard drive or RAM, or software problems, like damaged files or pending system updates.

How to fix an Acer laptop stuck on the loading screen

Here are a few things you can try to get your Acer laptop out of the startup screen.

1. Perform a hard reset

A hard factory reset clears the memory (but not your data) and can solve many issues. Here's how to do it:

1. Turn off your laptop.
2. Disconnect all connected peripherals, like speakers, USB flash drives, and external monitors. If your laptop has a removable battery, remove it as well.
3. Press and hold the Power button for 30 seconds to drain any residual power.
4. Reconnect the power cable (and the battery, if you removed it), and try turning on your laptop again.

2. Run startup repair

Windows includes a built-in tool called Startup Repair that could fix the problem. Here’s how to get to it from the startup screen:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the laptop turns off.
2. Turn on the laptop, but before the Acer logo appears, press and hold the Power button down to force a shutdown again. You’ll repeat this step two more times and force the Windows Automatic Repair tool to appear.
3. Using the arrow keys, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Start up Repair.
4. After the repair process is complete, attempt to restart your computer.

3. Put your laptop in Safe mode

Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers. It can help troubleshoot the problem. Restart in Safe mode and see whether you can get your laptop beyond the loading screen.

If your laptop works in Safe mode, you may need to start removing recently installed apps or programs one at a time, restarting in between to test out whether you removed the problem.

4. Update your software

Updating your software does more than give your system a refresh, it can also correct faulty or outdated

drivers that might cause the laptop to freeze. Your drivers are usually updated when your software is, knocking out two steps at once.

Before you can update your software, go ahead and put your laptop in Safe mode.

Update Windows 11

1. Click the Start menu.
2. Select Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Update Windows 10

1. Click the Start menu.
2. Select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

5. Uninstall recent software updates

On the opposite end of the tech spectrum of issues, a recent update could cause your laptop to be stuck on the start screen. If your software is already up to date and you suspect it to be the problem, you can uninstall it from Safe mode.

Uninstall updates for Windows 11

1. Click the Start menu.
2. Select Settings > Windows update.
3. Select Update history > Uninstall updates. Find the recent software update, then select Uninstall.

Uninstall updates for Windows 10

1. Click the Start menu.
2. Select Settings > Update & Security.
3. Select Windows Update > View update history > Uninstall updates.
4. Right-click the most recent update, then select Uninstall.

6. Perform a system restore

A system restore can return your laptop to its previous state when everything works correctly. Unlike system recovery, this troubleshooting step shouldn’t affect your personal data. But it never hurts to back up your data if you can (you may need to restart your laptop in Safe mode to back up safely).

1. Turn off the laptop.
2. Turn it back on, then immediately press the Alt and F10 keys when the Acer logo appears.
3. Select Troubleshoot > Refresh your PC.
4. Click Next > Just remove my files > Reset.

7. Update BIOS

The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is software on your Acer laptop that checks whether all the hardware is working when you turn it on. If the BIOS is outdated or set up wrong, it can cause your laptop to get stuck on the loading screen because it's having trouble confirming that everything is okay to start Windows.

Carefully follow your laptop manufacturer's instructions to update your BIOS. Typically, this involves downloading and applying the latest firmware from the Acer website. If you’re unsure how to best install that update, you should contact an expert.