Medium
Operating Systems
✓ Solution Verified by Community (0+ upvotes)
How to fix error error-fail-restart in Windows 11
ERROR_FAIL_RESTART = 352
Fix based on community reports and expert analysis. Last verified: 2026-08-12
· How we verify fixes
| Error Code | error-fail-restart |
|---|---|
| Affected System | Windows 11 (Microsoft) |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Estimated Time | 30 min |
| Requires Admin Rights | ⚠️ Yes |
| Requires Reboot | 🔄 Yes |
Solution Steps
- 1 First, try a manual restart: Press Windows key + X, select 'Shut down or sign out' → 'Restart'. If the system hangs, press and hold the power button for 5-10 seconds to force a shutdown, then turn it back on. This might clear the stuck state.
- 2 Press Windows key + X and select 'Windows Terminal (Admin)'. Run 'sfc /scannow' to check for system file corruption. This is a standard step to ensure system files are healthy.
- 3 Run 'DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth' to repair the system image. This is more thorough and can fix issues that SFC can't.
- 4 Check for pending updates: Press Windows key + I to open Settings, go to 'Windows Update' and click 'Check for updates'. If there are pending updates, install them and restart. Sometimes a failed restart is due to an incomplete update.
- 5 If the error persists, use System Restore: Press Windows key + R, type 'rstrui', and press Enter. Follow the wizard to restore your PC to a point before the issue started. This can undo recent changes that caused the problem.
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