Stuck in 'Preparing Automatic Repair' — Get Back In Without Losing Files
Windows can loop on Automatic Repair for hours and never actually repair anything. Here's the fix, in order, from safest to most drastic.
Part of our IT advice UK hub — plain-English answers from Microsoft-certified engineers.
Symptoms
- 'Preparing Automatic Repair' or 'Diagnosing your PC'
- 'Your PC did not start correctly'
- 'Automatic Repair couldn't repair your PC'
Likely causes
- Boot Configuration Data (BCD) got corrupted mid-update
- A driver or filter is loading before Windows and crashing
- The system reserved / EFI partition is full or damaged
- The disk itself is failing — worth ruling in or out early
Step-by-step fix
- 1
Force it into the Recovery menu
Power the machine on. When you see the Windows logo, hold the power button for 5 seconds to force a hard shutdown. Repeat 3 times. On the 4th boot Windows opens Recovery — Advanced Options.
- 2
Try 'Startup Repair' once
Advanced Options → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair. Give it 30 minutes. If it fixes it, great. If not, come back to this menu — don't run it in a loop.
- 3
Rebuild the boot record from Command Prompt
Advanced options → Command Prompt. Run in order: `bootrec /fixmbr` `bootrec /fixboot` `bootrec /scanos` `bootrec /rebuildbcd` If `/fixboot` returns Access Denied (common on GPT/UEFI), use `bcdboot C:\Windows /s S:` where S: is the EFI partition (find it with `diskpart` → `list vol`).
- 4
Boot into Safe Mode and inspect
Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart → 4 for Safe Mode. If Windows boots here, you have a bad driver. Uninstall recently changed drivers (Device Manager → View → Show hidden devices) and remove the last update from Windows Update history.
- 5
Rule out disk failure
In Command Prompt: `wmic diskdrive get model,status` — anything other than OK is a warning. Also run `chkdsk C: /f` (it'll schedule for next boot). If you have any indication of hardware failure, image the disk before doing anything else.
- 6
In-place upgrade as a soft reinstall
If everything above fails and the drive is healthy, boot to another PC, make a Windows 11 install USB, boot from it, and choose 'Repair your computer' → 'Reset this PC' → 'Keep my files'. Your documents survive; installed apps do not.
Watch out for
- 'Reset this PC → Keep my files' keeps your documents but removes installed apps. Make a note of what you'll need to reinstall before you run it.
- Don't blindly run `chkdsk /r` on a drive you suspect is failing — it can push a marginal drive over the edge. Image first if the data matters.
Frequently asked
Do I need my BitLocker recovery key?▾
If BitLocker is on (most business laptops and many home ones) you'll be prompted for the key when you enter Recovery. Sign into aka.ms/myrecoverykey with the Microsoft account tied to the device — it's stored there automatically. Have it ready before you start.
Still stuck? A UK engineer can jump on remotely.
Fixed fee, secure one-time session, usually within the hour.