Hey @HansOdborg ,
FWIW, I ran your exact query through MS copilot and it gave me below:
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When a Dell laptop hangs on the Windows boot logo with the spinning “circle” immediately after uninstalling an endpoint/security agent, the most common causes are:
- a leftover boot‑start driver/service from the endpoint product (Windows tries to load it early in startup and stalls), or
- an underlying file system / OS corruption that only became visible after the uninstall.
Below is a safe, escalation-based way to get it booting again.
-
Hard power reset
- Hold the Power button for ~10–15 seconds to force off.
- Unplug AC, and disconnect all USB devices (docks, external drives, smartcard readers, etc.).
- Power on again.
-
Check hardware quickly with Dell ePSA diagnostics
- Power on → at the Dell logo repeatedly press F12 → choose Diagnostics.\ Dell documents the F12 → Diagnostics flow for the built-in preboot tests. [dell.com]
- If you get any 2000-xxxx error codes, note them—this indicates a hardware issue (SSD, RAM, etc.) and you may be chasing the wrong root cause.
✅ If diagnostics pass and it still hangs, move on to Windows recovery.
2) Get into Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)
WinRE is Microsoft’s recovery environment designed to repair unbootable systems. It can start automatically after repeated failed boots and provides repair tools. [learn.microsoft.com], [support.mi…rosoft.com]
Method A (works even if you can’t log in): “Interrupt boot” 2–3 times
- Power on.
- When you see the Dell/Windows logo and spinning dots, hold Power to force off.
- Repeat 2–3 times until you see Preparing Automatic Repair → Advanced options.
Microsoft notes WinRE can start automatically after consecutive failed boot attempts. [learn.microsoft.com], [support.mi…rosoft.com]
- Power on → tap F12 → if your model offers SupportAssist OS Recovery, you can use it (see section 5).
3) In WinRE: do the repairs in this order
Once in Choose an option:
Step 1 — Run Startup Repair
- Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair\ Startup Repair is specifically intended to diagnose and fix issues preventing Windows from booting. [support.mi…rosoft.com]
Step 2 — Roll back changes (System Restore)
If the uninstall created a restore point (often does), this is the fastest fix:
- Troubleshoot → Advanced options → System Restore\ System Restore can revert system state to a previous point without touching personal files. [support.mi…rosoft.com]
Step 3 — Uninstall Updates (if the stall started after an update)
- Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Uninstall Updates\ This can remove a recently installed quality/feature update that may be interacting badly with drivers. [support.mi…rosoft.com]
Step 4 — Boot Safe Mode and remove leftovers
- Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → press 4/F4 (Safe Mode)\ WinRE’s Startup Settings lets you boot into Safe Mode for troubleshooting. [support.mi…rosoft.com]
In Safe Mode:
- If you can log in, look for the endpoint product’s official cleanup/removal tool (many vendors provide one) and run it.
- Also check Apps & Features to confirm it’s fully removed.
If you tell me which endpoint product (e.g., “Endpoint Central”, “Defender for Endpoint”, “CrowdStrike”, “SentinelOne”, “Sophos”, etc.), I can point you to the exact vendor removal steps.
4) WinRE Command Prompt repairs (if Startup Repair/Restore don’t work)
Go to: Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Command Prompt.\ (If BitLocker is enabled, WinRE may ask for the recovery key.) [support.mi…rosoft.com]
A) Identify the Windows drive letter (often not C: in WinRE)
Run:
diskpart
list vol
exit
Look for the volume that contains the Windows folder.
B) Repair system files / image (offline)
Microsoft documents using DISM to repair Windows images (online/offline) and notes SFC can repair protected files. [learn.microsoft.com]
Try (replace D: with your Windows volume from DiskPart):
sfc /scannow /offbootdir=D:\ /offwindir=D:\Windows
dism /Image=D:\ /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
``
C) Check disk for file-system problems
chkdsk 😧 /f
Then reboot.
5) If WinRE won’t fix it: Use Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery
On many Dell models, SupportAssist OS Recovery can launch when Windows won’t boot and offers tools to repair, backup files, or restore/reset the OS. [dell.com]
- Power on → F12 → select SupportAssist OS Recovery (if present)
- Start with Repair options first (least destructive)
- If needed, use Backup before any reset/reinstall (SupportAssist OS Recovery supports file backup and restore paths). [dell.com]
What I need from you (so I can tailor the fastest fix)
- Which “Endpoint” product was uninstalled? (exact name/vendor)
- Windows version: Windows 10 or 11?
- Does it hang before sign-in, and can you reach WinRE?
- Is BitLocker enabled (does it prompt for a recovery key)?
If you reply with the endpoint product name + whether you can reach WinRE, I’ll give you the exact next 3 steps (and vendor-specific cleanup if applicable).
Best,
Andy
"Have a great day and if its not, change it"
