As Windows boots, a blue login screen with a “Welcome” message and a spinning circle of dots appears. Sometimes, this blue screen behaves like an inconsiderate guest, staying longer than it should. Or the system freezes here and refuses to complete the booting process. Wondering how to fix the issue?

Windows Desktop Manager is responsible for handling display animations for Windows, and this includes the blue “Welcome” screen. If it can’t initialize, a corrupt driver or file or an incompatible software is likely to blame. Read on to find out how to solve the “Windows 11 stuck on Welcome Screen” issue.

Before you start troubleshooting…

Check your Wi-Fi connection. Some users were able to fix the issue when they temporarily disabled their Wi-Fi. We recommend you give this a try before proceeding with the troubleshooting methods given below.

Method 1 – Disable Credentials Manager

Think of the Credentials Manager as a digital vault that protects sensitive information. Disabling it can help fix the “Windows stuck on welcome screen” issue.

To disable Credentials Manager, you need to boot Windows in the Safe Mode. As only essential files and drivers are loaded in Safe Mode, it provides an ideal environment for troubleshooting errors.

Here’s what you need to do to disable Credentials Manager:

• Reboot your system several times. When it gets to the point where a pop-up message stating, “Preparing Automatic Repair” appears, then select Advanced options

• Click Troubleshoot

• Select Advanced Options
• Click Startup Settings

• Click the Restart button

• Select the type of Safe Mode you want to boot with when your computer restarts

• Once Windows loads in Safe Mode, press Win + R keys to launch the Run dialog box
• Type services.msc and hit Enter

• Double click Credentials Manager in the right-side pane to view its properties

• Select Disabled in the Startup type drop-down menu

• Click the Apply button and then click OK

Restart Windows normally and check if the issue is fixed

Method 2 – Check if Windows is up to date

The next step is to ensure there are no pending updates. Perform these steps to check for updates in Windows 11:

• Type settings in the Search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• Click Windows Update in the left-side pane

• Click Check for updates

If you find any update, install it.

Method 3 – Run SFC (and DISM)

System File Checker (SFC) is a built-in tools in Windows that scans and repair corrupt system files. DISM, a command line utility tool, fixes issues with Windows images and other problems that SFC cannot fix.

To run SFC and DISM, perform the following steps:

• Type command prompt in the Search bar in the taskbar, right-click Command Prompt in the search results, and select Run as administrator

• Type sfc /scannow in Command Prompt and hit Enter. Wait for the SFC utility to complete the scan
• Next, type DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth in Command Prompt and hit Enter. Wait for the scan to complete

• Exit Command Prompt

Method 4 – Disable Fast Startup

Fast startup is exactly what it sounds like: a pre-installed feature in Windows that starts your computer in less time. While a useful feature, sometimes it can hold back Windows Desktop Manager from initializing properly.

If the previous three steps have not worked for you, we recommend you try disabling Fast Startup.

• Press Win + R keys to launch Run dialog box
• Type powercfg.cpl and hit Enter

• Click Choose what the power button does in the left-side pane

• Click Change settings that are currently unavailable

• Disable Turn on fast startup (recommended) in the Shutdown settings

• Click Save Changes and restart Windows

Method 5 – Update device drivers

Outdated device drivers can cause various problems. If none of the above steps have worked for you, we recommend updating device drivers. The easiest way to do this is by using an advanced third-party tool. We recommend you give Driver Updater a try. It is fast, reliable, and accurate.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download