Windows Gets Stuck on Preparing Automatic Repair

Applies to: Windows 8, 8.1, 10, and 11. This guide covers situations where Windows gets stuck on the blue “Preparing Automatic Repair” screen, loops back to the same screen repeatedly after attempting to restart, or reaches the Automatic Repair screen and then displays the message “Automatic Repair couldn’t repair your PC.” It does not apply to Windows 7, which uses a different recovery system.

Important: Do not turn your PC off and on repeatedly while it is stuck on the Preparing Automatic Repair screen. Each forced shutdown during this phase carries a small risk of making the underlying problem worse, particularly if the issue involves a corrupted Windows file or a failing hard drive. Give the screen at least 15 to 20 minutes to complete on its own before taking any action — it can appear frozen while still working in the background. If after 20 minutes there is genuinely no progress, then proceed with the steps in this guide.

What is happening?

When Windows detects that it did not start up correctly — perhaps because it was shut down unexpectedly, experienced a crash, or encountered a damaged file — it automatically launches a built-in recovery tool called Automatic Repair. This tool runs before Windows loads and attempts to identify and fix whatever prevented the normal startup. In many cases it works silently and Windows simply starts up normally on the next attempt. However, if Windows cannot fix the problem on its own, the repair process gets stuck in a loop — repeatedly trying and failing to repair itself, cycling between the blue screen, a loading spinner, and sometimes a black screen, without ever reaching the Windows desktop. This is a known and solvable problem in the vast majority of cases, and it does not automatically mean your files are lost or that Windows needs to be reinstalled.

Common Causes of Windows Getting Stuck on Preparing Automatic Repair:

The PC was shut down or lost power unexpectedly while Windows was writing to the drive
A Windows Update did not complete successfully and left system files in a damaged state
A recently installed driver or software made a change that Windows cannot recover from
Corruption in the Boot Configuration Data — the file that tells Windows how to start up
Corruption in critical Windows system files
A failing or damaged hard drive or SSD causing read errors during the startup process
A recently connected or disconnected piece of hardware that changed how Windows initialises
A virus or malware that modified or deleted startup files

Act ASAP — Do These First

Before attempting any repairs, try these steps first. They are quick, carry no risk, and resolve a significant number of Automatic Repair loops without any further intervention.

1

Wait — give it time. Leave the PC on the Preparing Automatic Repair screen for a full 15 to 20 minutes without touching it. It can appear completely frozen while still running diagnostic processes in the background. Many cases resolve themselves if given enough time.
2

Disconnect all non-essential devices. Turn the PC off, then unplug everything that is not required for basic startup — USB drives, external hard drives, SD cards, printers, scanners, extra monitors, and any other peripherals. Leave only the keyboard, mouse, and main monitor connected. Then turn the PC back on and see if Windows starts normally. External devices can interfere with the boot process and trigger the repair loop.
3

Perform a hard reset. Hold the power button until the PC shuts off completely. Wait 30 seconds. For laptops with a removable battery, remove it, hold the power button for 15 seconds, then reinsert the battery. Power the PC back on. This clears residual electrical state from the system and occasionally allows Windows to start normally on the next attempt.
4

Access the Advanced Startup Options menu. If Windows loops back to the Automatic Repair screen on restart, you need to access the recovery environment. When the PC is starting up, watch for the Windows logo to appear, then immediately hold the power button to force a shutdown. Do this twice in a row. On the third startup attempt, Windows should automatically present the Advanced Startup Options screen — a blue menu with options including Troubleshoot, Continue, and Turn off your PC. This is your gateway to all the repair tools described in the steps below.

Do NOT Do This

Do NOT turn the PC off and on rapidly and repeatedly — this increases the risk of further corruption and does not help resolve the underlying problem.
Do NOT choose Reset this PC or reinstall Windows as a first step — these options can result in the loss of your files and installed programs, and they are rarely necessary. Work through the repair steps in this guide before considering a reset.
Do NOT assume your files are gone — the Automatic Repair loop is a Windows startup problem, not a data loss event. Your files are almost always still intact on the drive even when Windows cannot start.
Do NOT attempt repairs if your hard drive is making unusual clicking or grinding sounds — this indicates a hardware fault that requires professional attention before any software repair is attempted.
Do NOT skip steps or jump ahead — the repair steps in this guide are arranged from least to most invasive. Working through them in order gives you the best chance of resolving the problem without affecting your files.

Step by Step — Full Diagnosis

All of the following steps are accessed through the Advanced Startup Options menu described in Act ASAP Step 4 above. From that menu, select Troubleshoot to begin.

1

Use System Restore to return Windows to a point before the problem began.
From the Advanced Startup Options menu, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Restore. Windows will present a list of restore points — snapshots of your system configuration saved automatically before updates, driver installations, and other significant changes. Select the most recent restore point from before the problem started and follow the on-screen instructions to apply it. System Restore does not affect your personal files — it only reverses changes to Windows settings, drivers, and system files. This is the safest and most effective first repair option and resolves a large proportion of Automatic Repair loops caused by a bad update or driver change.
2

Run Startup Repair.
From the Advanced Startup Options menu, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. This tool scans for and repairs problems with the files Windows needs to start up — including the boot configuration, the bootloader, and related system files. Select your Windows account if prompted, enter your password if required, and allow the repair to run to completion. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to over half an hour. Do not interrupt it. Once finished, the PC will restart and attempt to boot normally.
3

Rebuild the Boot Configuration Data using Command Prompt.
If Startup Repair did not resolve the issue, the Boot Configuration Data — the file that tells Windows how to load — may be corrupted. This can be rebuilt manually. From the Advanced Startup Options menu, go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt window, type each of the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each and waiting for each to complete before typing the next:

bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /scanos
bootrec /rebuildbcd

If the bootrec /fixboot command returns an “Access is denied” message, type the following command first and then repeat the sequence:

bootsect /nt60 sys /mbr

Once all commands have completed, type exit and press Enter to close the Command Prompt. Restart the PC and check whether Windows loads normally.
4

Run a System File Check using Command Prompt.
Corrupted Windows system files are a common cause of the Automatic Repair loop. The System File Checker scans all protected Windows files and replaces any that are damaged with a correct version. From the Advanced Startup Options Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=C:\ /offwindir=C:\Windows

This version of the command is used when running from outside Windows. Allow it to complete fully — it may take 20 to 30 minutes. Once finished, restart the PC and test whether Windows loads normally.
5

Run a disk health check using Command Prompt.
If Windows is still not starting, a fault on the hard drive or SSD may be preventing recovery. From the Advanced Startup Options Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

chkdsk C: /f /r /x

This scans the Windows drive for errors and bad sectors and attempts to repair them. This process can take a considerable amount of time — sometimes several hours on a large or heavily used drive. Allow it to complete without interruption. Once finished, restart and check whether Windows loads. If chkdsk reports a large number of bad sectors, the drive may be failing and professional advice is recommended.
6

Disable Automatic Repair to break the loop and boot into Windows.
In some cases, Windows gets caught in the Automatic Repair loop not because of a serious fault, but because the repair tool itself is preventing startup. Temporarily disabling it can allow Windows to start normally so that repairs can be made from within the operating system. From the Advanced Startup Options Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter:

bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No

Restart the PC. If Windows starts successfully, run a full Windows Update, check for driver issues in Device Manager, and then re-enable the recovery tool by opening Command Prompt as administrator from within Windows and typing:

bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled Yes
7

Use System Image Recovery if you have a backup image.
If you previously created a full system image backup of your Windows installation, you can restore it from the Advanced Startup Options menu by going to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > System Image Recovery. This restores your entire Windows installation to the state it was in when the image was created. Any changes made after the image was taken — including files saved after that date — will not be included in the restored version. If you do not have a system image, skip this step.
8

Reset Windows while keeping your files — as a last resort.
If none of the above steps have resolved the problem, Windows can be reset to a clean state while preserving your personal files. From the Advanced Startup Options menu, go to Troubleshoot > Reset this PC > Keep my files. This reinstalls Windows and removes installed programs and settings, but retains the files stored in your user folders such as Documents, Pictures, and Desktop. Read the on-screen information carefully before proceeding. This process takes a significant amount of time and the PC must remain powered on throughout. This option is only recommended after all other steps have been attempted without success.

Tip: If you need to access or back up your files before attempting any repairs, the Advanced Startup Options Command Prompt can be used to copy files to a USB drive. Connect a USB drive, open the Command Prompt from Advanced options, and use the copy command to move important files to the USB drive before running any repair tools. For example: copy C:\Users\YourName\Documents\importantfile.docx E:\ — where E is the drive letter of your USB drive. This ensures your files are safe regardless of the outcome of the repair process.

How to Know the Emergency is Over

The Automatic Repair emergency is resolved when you see all of the following:

Windows starts up and reaches the login screen or desktop without displaying the Automatic Repair screen
The PC completes startup in a normal amount of time without hanging or looping
You can log in and access your files, programs, and settings as normal
No error messages appear during or immediately after startup
Windows does not return to the Automatic Repair screen on the next restart

Once Windows is running again, take the following steps before resuming normal use. Run Windows Update to make sure all system files are current. Check Device Manager for any drivers showing a warning. Run a full scan using Windows Defender — built into Windows — to rule out malware as the original cause. And back up your important files to an external drive or another location as soon as possible, so that a future incident does not put your data at risk.

If the Problem Persists

If Windows is still stuck in the Automatic Repair loop after working through every step in this guide — including the Boot Configuration rebuild, System File Check, disk check, and the Reset option — the problem has moved beyond what software tools can resolve on their own.

The hard drive or SSD may be failing. If the chkdsk scan in Step 5 reported a large number of bad sectors, or if any of the repair commands returned errors about being unable to read or write to the drive, the storage device inside your PC may be failing. In this case, the priority shifts from repairing Windows to recovering your data before the drive deteriorates further. A qualified technician can connect the drive to another system to assess its condition and recover files before they are lost.

A clean Windows installation may be necessary. If the drive is confirmed to be healthy but Windows cannot be repaired by any of the methods above, a clean installation of Windows will resolve the problem. This erases Windows and installs it fresh. Your personal files can be preserved if they are backed up first, but all installed programs will need to be reinstalled. A technician can assist with this process if you are not comfortable doing it yourself.

Continue troubleshooting on PCGuideHub.org. If the problem started after a Blue Screen or a sudden crash, visit the Blue Screen or Boot Loop — First Steps guide in this section for additional diagnosis steps that may identify the root cause. If you suspect a hardware fault is involved, visit the relevant hardware pages in the PCGuideHub.org troubleshooting section for further guidance.

The Automatic Repair loop is one of the most intimidating things a PC can do — a screen that will not go away and a computer that will not start. But in the vast majority of cases, the steps in this guide will get Windows running again without any loss of files. If you have reached this point, the situation calls for a technician — but it is rarely as serious as it looks.