Windows 10 freezes every time 5 minutes after startup

Rodo 35

I am running Windows 10 on my PC. Last night when I turned on the PC, it froze approximately 5 minutes after boot up. This has never happened before. By froze, I mean the windows screen looks normal with mouse cursor visible but the keyboard and mouse are not responsive, sound stops, etc. & the hard drive is not running excessively. I can login to Safe mode OK without issues but every time I turn it on in normal mode, it freezes at 5 minutes and 10 seconds +- 10 seconds.

I tried fault-finding the issue (disabled bios settings, startup services, apps, power management) and I eventually discovered that if I turn off the internet connection for the first 6 minutes to get over that initial 5 minutes and 10 seconds mark, that if I turn the WiFi on after that, the computer does not freeze at all.

I assume the issue is related to a Windows system file but I have not been able to find the culprit. Can you help? I thought it might have been iqvw64e.sys but I cannot find that file on the PC. I turned off Memory Integrity setting but this did not help. What is Windows flagging as the issue and checking after 5 minutes when connected to the internet? What can I do to resolve this? Can I roll back to a previous version/update of Windows? Or is there a fix/update for this?

Richard Martie 10 Reputation points

2026-03-22T23:41:04.12+00:00

Mine started doing the same thing on the same day, driving me nuts,
Sin-D 12,265 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-23T04:40:51.68+00:00

Hi Richard Martie,

Thanks for reaching out. Have you tried the steps in my original response below?
Heath Mason 0 Reputation points

2026-05-11T23:15:43.97+00:00

I have spent hours today, uninstalling/reinstalling drivers, software, etc; to no avail. Thank you all so much.
Robert Clark 0 Reputation points

2026-06-18T02:23:14.4033333+00:00

You have to Disable Secure Bootup in Bios. I have a 13 year old Dell XPS8700 and doing this worked perfect. Good enough until Microsoft issues a patch. If they do. Running Windows 10.
Hughrster Noname 0 Reputation points

2026-06-26T09:45:55.5933333+00:00

"until MS issues a patch . . ." Don't hold your breath. MS issued the security patch sometime early March, caused havoc, pretended to issue the advice to disable it, then left us mugs to suffer. If MS could issue the security patch, why could they not issue another to disable the consequences of its blatant customer disregard. Hughrster
Mohsin Wadee 0 Reputation points

2026-09-11T12:23:09.71+00:00

It's also been driving me crazy, however I think I've found the culprit. Since its release I've installed Microsoft PC Manager(I'll refer to it as PCM now), this time I didn't, and it's nearly a month now that my PC has not been freezing. If you let PCM do it's thing it also messes up shortcut menus for 3rd part apps on the Start Menu.

I'm holding thumbs, but I'm now sure it's PCM that's stuffing everything up. And I had the same problem as you - my laptop would freeze 5 minutes after startup. My workaround was to switch off WIfi for 5 minutes then it wouldn't freeze for a day. But the last time it was freezing even with Wifi off, and I had to do a clean Windows install again, this time though I did not install PCM.

AVOID PCM LIKE THE PLAGUE.

Answer recommended by moderator

Rodo 35

Uninstalling the network drivers and then updating them did not help.

I've found a better workaround for now. See this Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/1ryvmsx/windows_freezes_a_few_minutes_after_start_up/

It appears that the PC freezes because of a task which is scheduled to run called Microsoft\Windows\PI\Secure-Boot-Update. I have disabled that task and now the PC does not freeze after 5 minutes and at any other time.

Hopefully there will be a proper fix from Microsoft soon.

Sin-D 12,265 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-29T05:34:30.8566667+00:00

Hi Rodo,

Thanks for sharing the update and the workaround you’ve found.

Please note that the Reddit link you referenced is a third‑party source and does not represent official Microsoft guidance. Use such workarounds with caution, and ensure your system remains up to date. Thanks again for sharing your experience and for your understanding.
Have a good day!
Rodo 35 Reputation points

2026-03-29T11:51:34.48+00:00

Thanks Sin-D, I do understand that the Reddit link is not Microsoft's official guidance but what you told a me to do did not help resolve the freezing. Can you share any information about what the Secure Boot Update does, why it is set to run 5 minutes after startup and why this is causing Windows to freeze? It would be good if Microsoft can investigate this and provide a system update soon so this is fixed properly. Are they working on a fix?
Sin-D 12,265 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-30T04:07:32.42+00:00

Hi Rodo,

Thanks for the clarification. I understand your concern.

At this time, Microsoft hasn’t published detailed public documentation explaining the internal behavior or scheduling of the Secure Boot Update task. To help Microsoft investigate this properly, please submit feedback through Feedback Hub (include logs and note the freeze occurs shortly after startup): Send feedback to Microsoft with the Feedback Hub app. Also make sure the device is fully up to date via Windows Update, as fixes are delivered there when available.

For now, please treat Reddit or similar sources as third‑party community discussion, not official guidance.
JR 0 Reputation points

2026-05-01T20:53:27.4+00:00

This Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/1ryvmsx/windows_freezes_a_few_minutes_after_start_up/ fixed the very same issue I had after the latest windows 10 ESU updates with 2026 certificates. This issue was driving me NUTS ... until I found this thread. I disable this scheduled Microsoft task as mentioned and my freeze issue occurring after 5 mins after booting is totally gone. My laptop is an Alienware 15 R2 with ALL Windows 10, drivers and Alienware software up to date. The very sad news is Dell/Alienware will NOT be providing a Firmware/BIOS update to support the new 2026 certificates. I am hoping Microsoft develops a fix for this problem so perfectly good and working laptops can continue to work without these freezes caused by this scheduled Microsoft task. Thanks for the solution :-)
Gabriel 90 Reputation points

2026-06-14T20:33:11.2166667+00:00

Thank you for posting this link! I have observed what seems to be the same issue on Dell XPS 8910 desktop running Windows 10 on extended support.

The problem started around 9 June 2026, the day of the June 2026 Windows update. The system, which had worked perfectly fine for about a decade, would completely freeze fairly shortly after booting regardless of what one was attempting to do.

I tried running sfc /scannow. The system froze before it completed, and I somehow ended up triggering a secure boot violation on reboot.

The solution described at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5861569/how-to-fix-secure-boot-violation-invalid-signature solved the boot violation issue, but the system kept randomly freezing.

As Dell Support Assist could not find any hardware issue, and as this system had never gotten a Windows reset in about a decade, I tried a clean install of Windows 11 from a USB key.

Windows 11 installed without any issue, but the system kept freezing as it did on Windows 10!

So, at this point I assumed that I was wrong to link my issue to a Windows update and assumed that it was a hardware issue. I started taking RAM modules out even though tests were not reporting any issue, doing a full scan of the disk etc. Nothing helped.

Well... searching of hints of what to do next, I found this post. And so far, so good! I need to monitor the system for a couple of days to totally be sure that the problem is gone, but I am hopeful it is. Thanks!
Hughrster Noname 0 Reputation points

2026-06-15T05:32:54.02+00:00

REdo's solution was obscure to the point of total loss of trust in Microsoft. Finding the update and deleting it was not possible even with MSoft's Support. After 6 tries over about 3 hours, each one was "certain" to fix finding and removing, Support gave up. I mentioned leaving MSoft and going to Linux. SUpport agreed that was the best solution, given the demonstrated failure, adding that Win11 was rubbish, a bundle of uncoordinated apps that left the mugs like me in the sewer up our necks.

I have successfully moved to Linux, blowing some 2 hours. THis is insignificant alongside the 3.5 days trying to get Win11 to function on a new computer before reading REdo's solution and discussing with Support.

Trust is a delicate flower and MSoft that I have been using for over 40 years, abused that trust with its un-repaired secure-boot-update. You can be sure I tell everyone I know still using Windows of my experience.
Robert Clark 0 Reputation points

2026-06-18T02:21:49.0233333+00:00

You have to disable Secure Bootup in Bios. Worked perfect for me.

6 additional answers

Robert P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-06T19:40:13.58+00:00

Another temporary solution that doesn't involve disabling the secure boot update, is to bootup windows offline & then wait 5-10 minutes for it to complete all its indexing & initializing, then plug your router back in. This will give you 12 hours of Windows 10 without freezing. If you are going to need your PC on longer than 12 hours, do a restart in the middle of the day - again do the restart offline with the router off.

In the meantime, I am not holding my breath for a Microsoft fix for this problem. They have known about it since Jan of this year with the Windows 10 ESU's provoking it.

Good luck.
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Paul Child 0 Reputation points

2026-07-20T11:00:36.8+00:00

MS Update KB5099539 includes a Secure Boot update. Trouble is it takes longer than 5 minutes to download and install, so computer locks up before it works.
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Robert P 10 Reputation points

2026-07-20T13:05:31.8066667+00:00

I suggest you try booting up offline, and once Windows is fully done with all its initializing & indexing (takes longer on my HDD) then you can check for updates and do the download & install process. I was able to download & install KB5099539 ok this way. When I do a beginning of the day bootup offline (router is off for this), Windows 10 can't initiate the update process while offline. So once my bootup is complete & I've turned on the router, then I manually check for updates and then the download & install work ok.
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Windows 10 freezes every time 5 minutes after startup

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