My desktop PC is stuck in a boot loop where it attempts to start, fails, and automatically launches the Windows startup repair tool, which then runs for a while before ultimately failing to fix the problem and restarting the cycle. I can't even access the advanced startup options to try a system restore or safe mode. Before I resort to a complete wipe and reinstall from a USB drive, I'm hoping someone has encountered this specific repair loop. What manual steps or command line interventions from the recovery environment have you used successfully to break this cycle and at least regain access to the system to backup critical files? I suspect a recent Windows update or a failing drive might be the culprit.
You're not alone—here's a careful, step-by-step approach to break the repair loop from the Windows Recovery Environment. Start by creating Windows installation media on another PC (USB/DVD) and boot from it. Choose Repair your computer > Troubleshoot > Command Prompt. Then identify which drive Windows is on and assign it a stable letter if needed:
- diskpart
- list disk
- select disk 0
- list vol
- select vol <WindowsVolume>
- assign letter=C
- exit
Next, run a thorough file system check and then repair the boot configuration:
- chkdsk C: /f /r /x
- bootrec /fixmbr
- bootrec /fixboot
- bootrec /scanos
- bootrec /rebuildbcd
If asked to add the Windows installation to the boot list, type Y. If the startup repair continues to cycle, try disabling the automatic repair feature:
- bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No
Then rebuild boot files again and reboot:
- bcdboot C:\Windows /s C:
If you still don’t get a normal boot, you can use the same USB environment to try copying files off the system drive for backup (see reply 2).