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‘Automatic Repair Loop Error’ that happens when Windows 11 tries to start up, fails, and then tries to fix itself by forcefully starting up the automatic repair tool. When Windows can’t fix itself, it restarts and does this over and over again.
Automatic repair loops in Windows 10 don’t have a single cause, and they can be hard to figure out. Most of the time, missing or broken system files are to blame. When this happens, Windows can’t start up or fix itself because it doesn’t have the important files it needs to run.
One of the most common reasons for the error can also be that a device driver is missing. If you just bought new parts for your PC, Windows will need device drivers to be able to use them. A repair loop could happen if the drivers are missing, out of date, or not supported. If the drivers for new hardware aren’t installed correctly, this error can also be caused by them.
Fix: ‘Automatic Repair Loop Error’ Issue on Windows 11/10
Boot in Safe Mode
Let’s say you can’t get into your PC’s settings or troubleshooting options because you set up an automatic repair boot loop, but your PC crashes before you can get in. Then you can try starting up in “safe mode.” Most of the time, the problem you’re having in normal mode won’t happen in safe mode, so it’s best to start your computer in safe mode to fix it.
- Restart your computer while holding the F8 to enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).
- Now click on See advanced repair options and choose Troubleshoot -> Advanced Options -> Startup Settings -> Restart.
- Now, from the following list of options, press F5 to boot your computer in Safe Mode.
Rebuild BCD with Command Prompt
- Restart your computer while pressing the F8 key.
- When you see the WinRE, click on Repair your computer and then Troubleshoot.
- Click on Command Prompt and let it load.
- Now type bootrec /fixmbr and hit Enter.
- Now type bootrec /fixmbr and hit Enter.
- Type bootrec /scanos, hit Enter.
- Now type bootrec /rebuildbcd and press Enter.
Refresh or Reset PC
The official way to get out of the Preparing the Automatic Repair loop, according to Microsoft, is to refresh or reset the PC. Even though it’s a simple solution, it causes data to be lost, which is a big problem. Before you move on to the next steps, we suggest that you back up all of your data.
- In the Preparing Automatic Repair screen, press the power button three times to force shut down the computer. You will see the boot repair screen after 2-3 unsuccessful booting attempts.
- Click Troubleshoot and choose the Refresh PC or Reset PC option.
Reinstall the Graphics Driver
In addition to the firmware, there could be a problem with the graphics drivers on your system. For example, the problem with the automatic repair black screen could be caused by an out-of-date display driver or a problem with the software. Follow these steps to fix the automatic repair black screen in Windows that is caused by a problem with a driver.
- Firstly, boot the computer with Safe mode (follow the steps in Method 1) and go to the Start menu and look for Device Manager to launch it. You can also open the Run prompt and enter the “devmgmt.msc” command to launch Device Manager.
- From the list of the installed drivers, expand the option for Display Drivers. Right-click the installed driver and choose to uninstall it from here.
- Once the driver is uninstalled, you can go to the website of your system or processor to download the relevant driver setup file.
- Launch the setup and follow a simple click-through process to install the display drivers again.
- Besides that, you can also go to the Device Manager and upgrade the installed graphics driver too. You can also disable it first and later enable it to reset the display driver.
Run the System Restore
System Restore is the best way to fix problems like the repair loop that never ends. If you can’t get into Windows 10 because of a problem, you’ll need to boot the computer from a Windows installer DVD or USB drive and follow the steps below:
- Choose your language and other preferences. On the same screen, where you see the Install button, there is a Repair your Computer button on the left-hand side.
- Select the Windows Operating System to repair.
- Choose System Restore on the menu.
- Follow the given instructions and install Windows with point-in-time recovery.
- Restart the computer after the completion of System Restore, and if the process was followed clearly, then you should be no problem opening the Windows.
Check the hardware specification of your computer
If Windows 10 can’t fix the problem with the endless repair loop, the problem might be with the hardware and not the software. Maybe the computer’s RAM can’t load Windows onto the hard drive, or maybe the hard drive (SSD or HDD) can’t handle the large Windows files. Checking the specs of your computer’s hardware can be done in a few different ways.
Disable Early Launch Anti-Malware
Early Launch Anti-malware (ELAM) drivers are the first line of defence against malicious boot-start drivers because they help the Windows kernel decide if they should be initialized or not. This could wrongly label any important boot-start file as harmful, which can cause problems during the boot process. Follow the steps listed below to turn off ELAM:
- In the boot menu, choose to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings.
- From the list of options, choose Disable early launch anti-malware protection.
- Restart the PC to check if the problem is resolved or not.
You can get more help at the Microsoft Support Center.
Causes of ‘Automatic Repair Loop’ Issue on Windows 11/10
More Windows 11/10/8.1/8 computers have the “Preparing Automatic Repair” problem. Most of the time, the Automatic Repair or startup repair loop problem happens right after Windows updates or shuts down unexpectedly.
- Issues with Windows Registry
- BOOTMGR (Windows Boot Manager) file corruption
- Missing or damaged system files
- Issues with the hardware driver (hard drive driver, motherboard driver, graphics driver)
- Other unknown reasons
FAQ
How to fix automatic repair Windows 10 without losing data
- Reboot your PC from the Windows media creation media. …
- On the Windows Setup window, choose “Next”.
- Choose “Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt”.
- Type sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
- Type chkdsk /f /r /x C: and hit Enter.
How do I bypass automatic repair on my computer
- Open the Command Prompt as administrator and run the bcdedit command: .
- To disable automatic repair at Windows 10 startup, execute this command: bcdedit /set {current} recoveryenabled no.