If an Inspiron 16 5640 will not finish starting, loops through repair screens or shows a blue screen, Dell and Windows have recovery tools that work in a clear order, and you rarely need to reinstall at once. First make sure the laptop has power, by connecting the Dell charger and waiting ten minutes, and disconnect external devices such as USB drives and docks, which can interfere with start-up. Do a power drain by holding the power button for fifteen seconds with the charger unplugged, and then restart.
The checks in more detail
If it still fails, press F12 repeatedly at the Dell logo to open the one-time boot menu, where Diagnostics runs Dell's built-in tests of memory and the drive, giving an error code and a service tag that support will ask for. If Windows begins to load and then fails, it should offer the recovery environment after a couple of failed starts, or you can open it by holding the power button to interrupt start-up three times. Choose Troubleshoot, Advanced options.
Startup Repair tries to fix boot problems automatically. System Restore returns Windows to an earlier point if one exists, and Uninstall Updates removes a recent quality or feature update that caused the failure. Startup Settings lets you start in Safe Mode, where you can remove a driver or program that caused the crash. The command prompt option allows disk checks for those who are comfortable with it. If these fail, Dell's SupportAssist OS Recovery, reached from the F12 menu or through the SupportAssist tool,
can repair the operating system or restore it to factory condition, and Windows' Reset this PC reinstalls it, with the option to keep files. Back up first if you can, from Safe Mode with Networking or by connecting the drive to another computer. A BitLocker prompt asks for the recovery key, kept in your Microsoft account. If the BIOS does not see the drive, or diagnostics report a drive failure, contact Dell with the service tag, since the drive may need replacing. Avoid forcing power off repeatedly during repairs.
Differential
Likely causes of “Dell Inspiron 16 5640 is stuck at startup, automatic repair or recovery”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A drained battery or a stuck charge state
What separates it No lights and no response
How to confirm Charge for ten minutes, then drain by holding power for fifteen seconds
- 2
A quality update that failed halfway
What separates it A restart loop or a repair screen
How to confirm Remove the latest update from the recovery menu
- 3
A driver that crashes at start-up
What separates it A blue screen soon after the logo
How to confirm Start Safe Mode and roll the driver back
- 4
A USB stick or dock that changes the boot order
What separates it The Dell logo hangs
How to confirm Unplug everything and pick the drive in the F12 menu
- 5
A corrupt BIOS
What separates it No display at all after a BIOS update
How to confirm Use Control and Escape at power-on for BIOS recovery
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The Dell logo and what follows it
- The ePSA or SupportAssist result code
- Whether the F12 menu appears
- The service tag
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCharge, then drain
ReversiblePower held for fifteen seconds.
Unplug accessories
ReversibleAnd docks.
Tap F12 at the logo
ReversibleTo open the boot and diagnostics menu.
Run the pre-boot diagnostics
ReversibleNote the result code.
Open recovery
ReversibleAfter two failed starts.
Try BIOS recovery
ReversibleWith Control and Escape.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Pre-boot diagnostics
- F12 starts them.
- Service tag
- Support uses it to find parts and warranty.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If ePSA reports a drive or memory fault, contact Dell with the service tag and the result code
- !If BIOS recovery does not start, contact Dell support
- !Copy your files first if the drive is readable
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
What is ePSA?+
Dell's built-in pre-boot hardware test.
How do I recover a corrupt BIOS?+
Hold Control and Escape while powering on.
Where is the service tag?+
On the base and in the BIOS.
Will diagnostics erase my files?+
No.