LogonUI.exe is the Windows component that displays the sign-in interface. When it crashes, Windows may loop at the sign-in screen, show a black screen, or refuse to start. There is no single Microsoft fix or universal cause, so use a least-invasive sequence: restart, test Safe Mode, repair Windows with DISM and SFC, then use Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), offline checks, and restore options if normal startup still fails. These steps are designed to preserve your files before you consider a reset or reinstall.
What a LogonUI.exe error means
LogonUI.exe is associated with the Windows logon interface. A message naming it does not identify one specific defect: the underlying problem can be damaged protected system files, a broken component store, a driver or service that loads during startup, a pending update, file-system errors, or a registry problem. Microsoft’s current support guidance treats a LogonUI.exe crash as a broader Windows sign-in or startup failure rather than publishing a dedicated replacement procedure.
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The symptom is not, by itself, proof that the file is malicious. Do not download a copy of LogonUI.exe from a random website or overwrite the system file. The supported approach is to repair Windows components and protected files, then use recovery tools that understand your installed Windows build.
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| What you can reach | Best first action | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Normal sign-in screen | Shift + Power > Restart, then Safe Mode | Separates a basic startup problem from a driver, service, update, or security-software conflict. |
| Safe Mode works, normal startup fails | Clean start with msconfig; review Event Viewer | A nonessential driver or service is more likely than a basic Windows component. |
| Windows will not reach sign-in | WinRE Startup Repair, then offline SFC and CHKDSK | Lets you repair the installation without booting the affected desktop. |
| Failure began immediately after an update | List pending packages in WinRE and consider reverting pending actions | Shows whether an incomplete package is blocking startup. |
| Repeated corruption or storage errors | Back up data from a trusted environment before deeper recovery | Protects personal files before a reset, reinstall, or hardware repair. |
1. Restart, then test Safe Mode
When the sign-in screen is visible
- Save any work you can and select the Power icon on the sign-in screen.
- Hold Shift while selecting Restart. Keep Shift held until Windows opens the recovery menu.
- Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
- When the numbered list appears, select 5 or press F5 for Safe Mode with Networking. If networking is unnecessary, option 4 starts ordinary Safe Mode.
- Sign in with the account password. Microsoft notes that PIN and biometric sign-in methods are unavailable in Safe Mode.
If Safe Mode opens, basic drivers and default startup settings are less likely to be the immediate cause. Think about what changed just before the failure: a graphics, storage, chipset, audio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or USB driver; a new service; a Windows update; or security software. Do not remove several changes at once, because you will lose the ability to identify the trigger.
If Safe Mode also crashes
A failure in Safe Mode points more strongly toward damaged Windows components, a file-system problem, or a recovery-level issue. Skip repeated normal boots and proceed to DISM and SFC if you can open an elevated Command Prompt, or use WinRE when you cannot.
2. Repair the component store with DISM, then run SFC
Use an elevated Command Prompt when Windows is running, or the Command Prompt option in WinRE for offline repair. DISM should run first because it repairs the component source that System File Checker relies on. Microsoft states: “DISM provides the files required to repair your corrupted files. You should run DISM prior to running the System File Checker.”
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- Open Start, type Command Prompt, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Enter
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealthand press Enter. - Wait for DISM to finish. It normally obtains repair files through Windows Update, so the operation can take time and may appear to pause.
- After DISM completes, enter
sfc /scannow. - Let SFC reach 100 percent before closing the window, then restart and test the sign-in screen.
When DISM cannot use Windows Update
If the Windows Update client itself is damaged or unavailable, Microsoft documents using matching installation files as a repair source. The syntax is DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth /Source:<path> /LimitAccess. Replace <path> with a source that matches your Windows edition and build; an arbitrary or mismatched source can fail to repair the component store.
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Read the SFC result correctly
| SFC message | Meaning | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.” | SFC did not detect corruption in protected files. | Continue with startup, driver, service, update, or WinRE diagnostics instead of repeating the same scan. |
| “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.” | The repair completed. | Restart and test Windows normally. |
| “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.” | SFC could not complete in the current environment. | Run SFC in Safe Mode, as Microsoft recommends, or use offline SFC from WinRE. |
| “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.” | Some protected files remain unresolved. | Review the CBS.log details and continue with the appropriate recovery or offline repair path. |
3. Use WinRE Startup Repair when Windows will not boot
Windows Recovery Environment can run repairs without loading the affected desktop. If you can reach the sign-in screen, choose Shift + Restart. If the computer cannot reach that screen, start from legitimate Windows installation media and select the recovery option rather than installing Windows.
- Enter WinRE and choose Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
- Select the Windows installation and provide an administrator credential if requested.
- Allow Startup Repair to analyze startup logs and apply its known automatic fixes.
- Restart when it finishes and test a normal boot.
Microsoft describes Startup Repair as a tool that “automatically fixes many common issues.” Its diagnostic log is located at %windir%System32LogFilesSrtSrttrail.txt. If Startup Repair reports that it could not repair the computer, do not keep rerunning it indefinitely; move to offline SFC, CHKDSK, update rollback, or System Restore based on the symptoms.
4. Run offline SFC and disk checks
Confirm the Windows volume letter first
Drive letters can change in WinRE. The Windows installation that is C: during normal use might appear as D: or another letter in recovery. In Command Prompt, use diskpart, then list volume, or inspect directories with commands such as dir C:Windows until you identify the volume containing the Windows folder. Type exit to leave DiskPart.
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With the correct letter identified, run the documented offline form. The example below assumes Windows is on C:, so substitute your actual letter in both locations:
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SFC /Scannow /OffBootDir=C: /OffWinDir=C:WindowsOffline SFC is useful when the installed system cannot boot far enough to run the online command. Wait for the scan to complete and record its result before restarting.
Check the file system and sectors
From the same WinRE Command Prompt, run:
chkdsk /f /rThe /f switch repairs file-system errors; /r searches for bad sectors and attempts to recover readable information. A large disk can take a long time, especially with /r. Interrupting it can leave the repair incomplete, so use stable power and allow the check to finish.
5. Isolate a driver or service with a clean start
If Safe Mode works but normal startup still crashes, use Microsoft’s selective-startup method. Sign in to Safe Mode, press Windows key + R, type msconfig, and press Enter.
- On the Services tab, select Hide all Microsoft services. This prevents you from disabling core Microsoft services accidentally.
- Select Disable all for the remaining third-party services, then apply the change.
- On the Startup tab, open Task Manager and disable nonessential startup items.
- Restart normally. If LogonUI.exe no longer fails, re-enable services and startup items in small groups, restarting between groups.
- When the offending item is identified, leave that service disabled, update or remove the associated software, and return msconfig to Normal startup after testing.
The problematic service is often third-party. In Safe Mode, open Event Viewer and inspect Windows Logs > System and Windows Logs > Application for events recorded immediately before the sign-in failure. Match timestamps and component names rather than deleting a service based on a single warning.
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6. Handle updates that left startup incomplete
If the LogonUI.exe failure began directly after Windows Update or an interrupted restart, WinRE Command Prompt can show packages that are still pending. First identify the Windows volume letter, then run the command with that letter; this example assumes C:
DISM /image:C: /get-packagesReview the output for packages marked pending. Where appropriate, Microsoft documents reverting pending actions with:
DISM /Image:C: /Cleanup-Image /RevertPendingActionsUse the command only against the actual Windows installation and restart after it completes. A package rollback is not a general substitute for DISM health repair; it is a targeted response to an update-related startup failure.
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7. Use System Restore for registry or recent-change failures
System Restore can return system files, drivers, services, and registry settings to an earlier restore point without intentionally removing personal documents. In WinRE choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore, select a restore point dated before the LogonUI.exe problem, and follow the prompts.
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8. What to do when none of the repairs works
Back up before a reset or reinstall
Repeated corruption, CHKDSK findings, or failed recovery attempts can indicate a storage problem. Before using Reset this PC, reinstalling Windows, or handing the computer to a repair shop, copy important files from WinRE Command Prompt, a bootable trusted environment, or another computer. If the disk is failing, prioritize irreplaceable documents over repeated repair scans.
Use official installation media
When system files remain damaged and Startup Repair, offline SFC, DISM, and System Restore do not restore startup, use official Windows installation media that matches the installed edition and architecture. Choose repair options first if preserving the current installation is important; a clean installation is a last resort because it can remove applications and data.
Quick Recap
Common LogonUI.exe symptoms and the right response
- Black screen immediately before sign-in: reach WinRE with Shift + Restart or installation media, then try Startup Repair and offline checks.
- Sign-in loop after entering a password: test Safe Mode. If Safe Mode works, investigate services, drivers, updates, and security software with a clean start.
- PIN is rejected in Safe Mode: use the account password; PIN and biometric methods are unavailable there.
- Crash started after an update: inspect pending packages in WinRE and consider
/RevertPendingActionswith the correct Windows volume. - SFC cannot complete: retry in Safe Mode or run the offline SFC command from WinRE.
- Startup Repair reports failure: read
Srttrail.txt, then proceed to offline SFC, CHKDSK, clean-start isolation, or System Restore rather than repeatedly launching the same repair.
What not to do
- Do not download LogonUI.exe from an untrusted website.
- Do not overwrite a Windows system file before identifying the Windows build and verifying a legitimate source.
- Do not treat one crash as proof of malware or as proof that a particular driver is guilty.
- Do not run offline commands against a guessed drive letter; confirm the Windows volume first.
- Do not interrupt a long CHKDSK operation unless the disk or hardware is showing signs of imminent failure.
- Do not delete registry hives or rely on an automatically populated RegBack folder on Windows 10 version 1803 and later.
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Final checklist
- Restart and enter Safe Mode with Networking using your password.
- If Safe Mode works, isolate third-party services and startup items with msconfig.
- Run
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth, thensfc /scannow. - If Windows will not boot, use WinRE Startup Repair and check
Srttrail.txt. - Confirm the recovery volume letter, then run offline SFC and
chkdsk /f /r. - For update-related failures, inspect pending packages and consider reverting pending actions.
- Use System Restore for a recent registry or configuration change, and back up data before any reset or reinstall.
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