- Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Loop
- Windows 7 Startup Repair
- Repair Startup Files Windows 10
- Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Loop Windows 7
- Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Software
Startup Repair is designed to fix problems like missing or damaged system files used to load the Windows operating system. It can't detect or fix hardware failures nor does it help against virus attacks and the damage they do. Windows 8 and 10. Users of Windows 8 and 10 can disable startup programs via the Windows Task. I tried the automatic startup repair at first with no success and also tried a previously suggested solution on youtube which involved copying over the files in 'the system32 config' dir. File Explorer process will be stopped and started again. Go to the problematic folder and check out the change in loading time. In case the problem returns, go for the next fix. Fix-3 Disable Windows Search from Startup-Disabling Windows Search from ‘Services‘ of System Configuration window may do the trick. Search for 'System. Windows 10, or any operating system for that matter, can end up giving bugs or crashes over the time and usage due to missing or corrupt files. If you are wondering how to fix this missing files.
Startup Repair is an utility feature of Windows which solves any issues with the startup of Windows. Startup Repair kicks in only when your computer unexpectedly shuts down during the startup due to any faulty hardware or outdated driver issue. But, some Windows 10 users are complaining about an abnormality of the Startup Repair in the forum. According to them, the computer is stuck in an never-ending Startup Repair loop. If you are experiencing the same kind of problem at your end, no need to worry. Just follow these fixes and the problem will be solved easily. But, before going for the main fixes, try out these workarounds which can solve this problem with minimal efforts.
Workarounds–
1. Disconnect and reconnect all your devices-
a. Shut down your computer.
b. Disconnect all the external devices (printers, speakers etc) from your computer.
c. Connect one external device at a time to your computer and keep restarting your computer.
If you notice the computer is working fine without a certain external device, then that device is causing this error.
2. Check if your Windows is updated or not.
If any of these workarounds didn't work out for you, go for these solutions-
NOTE:-
A. To try all these fixes on your device, you need a bootable installation media (or the Windows 10 DVD from which you had installed the Windows 10). If you don't have one, you have to create a bootable installation media. After you have created the bootable installation media for your device, you may proceed to the main solutions.
B. In these fixes, you need to run some commands in Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode. To open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode follow these easy steps-
1. Plug in the installation media you have created (or the Windows 10 installation DVD) and set your language preferences and click on 'Next'.
2. Now, click on 'Repair your computer' on the bottom left corner of the Recovery Environment.
3. In Troubleshooting window, click on 'Advanced options'.
4. In the Advanced options window, click on the 'Command Prompt'.
5. Now, choose a account with Administrative privilege. Enter your account password and click on 'Continue'.
Command Prompt window should be opened in Troubleshooting mode.
Fix-1 Fix booting related issues-
1. Open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode (process is described before), and type these commands one by one and hit Enter after each time to execute them.
Wait for a while as these commands may take some time to be executed.
Close the Troubleshooter window.
Reboot your computer. Check if it is working or not.
If the issue is not yet solved then go for this step-
Open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode as the same way as earlier and type these commands one by one and hit Enter after each time to execute them.
[Important: Replace 'C:' with the drive letter of Windows installation drive on your computer]
Close Command Prompt window in Troubleshooting mode.
Restart your computer. If the issue is still not resolved then go the next fix.
Fix-2 Disable Automatic restart after failure-
1. Plug in the installation media you have created (or the Windows installation disk). Now, set your language preferences and click on 'Next'.
2. Just, click on 'Repair your computer' on the bottom left corner of the Recovery Environment window.
3. In Troubleshoot window, click on 'Advanced options'.
4. In Advanced options window, click on the 'Startup Settings'.
5. In the Startup Settings window, click on 'Restart' in the bottom right corner to restart your computer to safe mode.
6. Now, as your device is rebooting, you will be shown options of Startup Settings. Choose 'Disable automatic restart after failure' option ( Usually comes in option no.9). This will disable the automatic restart after failure.
7. Open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode (process is described before) and type these command in Command Prompt window and hit Enter.
Close Command Prompt.
Reboot your computer. After rebooting, check if the computer is still stuck in the infinite Startup Repair loop.
NOTE-
If you want to resume the Automatic Startup Repair again on your computer, you can do it just by running this command in the Command Prompt window of Troubleshooting mode–
Fix-3 Use Chkdsk to analyze the errors on the hard drives-
1. Open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting window again.
2. Now, copy and paste or type this command in Command Prompt window and hit Enter Peachtree 2011 download. to execute it.
[Important: Replace 'C:' with the drive letter of Windows installation drive on your computer.]
As your hard drive will be checked for any kind of physical or logical damage, this process will take some time.
Close Command Prompt window.
Restart your computer. After rebooting your computer check if your computer is working normally or not.
Rebooting your computer in Safe Mode-
To reboot your computer in Safe Mode follow these steps-
1. Plug in the installation media you have created (or the Windows 10 installation disk). Now, click on 'Next'.
2. Click on 'Repair your computer' on the bottom left corner of the Recovery Environment window.
3. In Troubleshoot window, click on 'Advanced options'.
4. In Advanced options window, click on the 'Startup Settings'.
5. In the Startup Settings window, click on 'Restart' in the bottom right corner to restart your computer to safe mode.
6. Now, as your device is starting up, choose the option no.4 i.e. 'Enable Safe Mode' to boot your computer in Safe Mode.
Once your computer boots up, it will be in Safe Mode (You will able to notice the black background in the Desktop).
Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Loop
Now attempt these fixes-
Fix-4 Uninstall recently installed programs in Safe Mode-
If this problem is happening just after when you have installed a third party application on your computer, or Windows has recently received an upgrade, uninstalling it in Safe Mode can be helpful.
1. Press Windows key+R to launch Run and then type 'appwiz.cpl' and then hit Enter to open Programs and Features window.
2. In Programs and Features window you will able to notice the list of installed applications along with the dates they were installed. Scroll down to find the problematic application, right click on it and then click on 'Uninstall'.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the application from your computer.
If you want to uninstall a recently received Windows Update–
1. In Programs and Features window, click on 'View Installed Updates' on the left pane.
2. Now, in Installed Updates window, you will be able to notice installed updates in 'Microsoft Updates' section. Notice the recent updates (look for the column 'Installed On' ). Now, double click on the most recent update to start the uninstallation process.
3. Now, when you are prompted for assurance, click on 'Yes' to uninstall the update.
Windows will uninstall the updates on your computer.
After the unistallation process is complete, reboot your computer. Your computer should perform normally.
Fix-5 Rollback driver updates in Safe Mode-
If any of the drivers on your computer has received an update, rolling back the driver update may fix this problem.
(NOTE– Display driver is chosen to describe the process. )
1. Boot into the Safe Mode (follow the process mentioned earlier.)
2. Press Windows key+R to launch Run and then type 'devmgmt.msc'. Device Manager window will be opened.
3. In the Device Manager window, scroll down to find 'Display adapters' from the list of installed drivers. Click on it to expand it. Now, in the expanded list of drivers, double click on the graphics driver you are using.Properties window will open.
4. In Properties window, go to the 'Driver' tab. Now, click on 'Roll Back Driver' option. Then, click on 'OK'. Process of rolling back the driver will begin.
5. Choose 'My apps don't work with this driver' if you are asked 'Why are you rolling back?'. Finally, click on 'Yes' to start the rolling back process.
Close Device Manger window.
Reboot your computer. After rebooting your computer, check if it is still stuck in Startup Repair loop.
Fix-6 Perform a System Restore in Windows RE-
Performing System Restore may solve your problem as the System Restore restores your computer to a specified date when this error hadn't happened.
1. Plug in the installation media you have created (or the Windows 10 installation disk). Now, click on 'Next'.
2. Click on 'Repair your computer' on the bottom left corner of the Recovery Environment window.
3. In Troubleshoot window, click on 'Advanced options' to go to the Advanced Options window.
4. Now, within the Advanced options window, click on the 'System Restore' option in the right side of the window.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your computer from a previously saved restore points.
Reboot your computer. After rebooting, your problem should be solved.
Fix-7 Restore Windows Registry with CMD-
Restoring Windows Registry will solve your problem if the problem is happening because of a corrupted registry key.
1. Open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode. In Command Prompt window, copy-paste this command and hit Enter.
[Important: Replace 'C:' with the drive letter of the drive where Windows is installed on your computer]
2. Now, to open the file in Notepad, type this command in Command Prompt and hit Enter.
3. SrtTrail file will be opened in Notepad. Press Ctrl+O and then go to this address 'C:windowssystem32'. Scroll down to find 'cmd'. Right click on 'cmd' and then click on 'Run as administrator' to open Command Prompt with Administrative rights.
4. Now, in Command Prompt, copy-paste or type this command and then hit Enter.
5. Now, you have to create a backup of Software, SAM, Security, System etc.
Copy-paste these commands one by one in Command Prompt and hit Enter after each of them to execute all of them.
6. Once the backup operation is done, the last step is to restore the registry on your computer. Finally, Copy-paste this command in Command Prompt window and hit Enter to execute it.
Once the command is executed, close Command Prompt.
Reboot your computer and after rebooting check if the computer is still in the Startup Repair loop or not.
Fix-8 Set correct value to partition-
1. Open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode, and type 'bcdedit' and hit Enter to check the boot configuration data of your system.
2. Notice the values of the device partition and Operating System partition. Make sure the values are correctly set to the respective drives.
Generally, device partition and OS-device partition should be configured to C: (Assuming that the Windows is installed in C: drive on your computer).
Windows 7 Startup Repair
If you see any kind of exception (if the device partition is set to any different drive), just copy-paste these two commands one by one in Command Prompt window, and press Enter for each time to execute them on your computer.
After setting correct value to the respective partitions, Reboot your computer to save these changes.
After rebooting, check if your problem has solved or not.
Fix- 9 Delete the problematic file from your system-
1. Open Command Prompt in Troubleshooting mode, and type these commands one by one and hit Enter after each of them.
2. After opening the file you should see this type of line-
The file name in bold will be the problematic file on your device which is the root cause Startup Repair loop on your computer. (Ex- for our system, it is filecm.sys which is causing the problem.)
3. To delete the problematic file, you have direct to the location of the file and then you can delete the file. Copy and paste these commands in Command Prompt and press Enter for each of these commands to execute. This process is going to delete the file from your system –
(In the second command, replace 'filecm.sys' with the name of the problematic file on your system.)
[IMPORTANT: Don't delete any other driver except the problematic one]
Restart your computer.
After rebooting your computer, the problem with never ending Startup Repair loop should end and your computer should perform normal.
Fix-9 Reset or Refresh your computer-
If any of the above mentioned solutions didn't work out for you, then the resetting or refreshing your computer is the last available option.
1. Plug in the installation media (or the Windows 10 installation disk). Boot your computer. Now, click on 'Next'.
2. Click on 'Repair your computer' on the bottom left corner of the Recovery Environment window.
1. Click on 'Troubleshoot' and click on 'Reset this PC'.
2. Now, you will have two choices-
a. Refresh your PC– Refreshing your PC will make sure that all the personal file and the settings will remain untouched.
b. Reset your PC– Resetting your PC will delete all of your files and reset all the Settings to the default settings.
Choose any of these options and click on it.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Your computer will be reset/ refreshed.
After the process is complete, the problem of infinite Startup Repair loop should be fixed.
Sambit is a Mechanical Engineer By qualification who loves to write about Windows 10 and solutions to weirdest possible problems.
Get the fix for the infinite Startup Repair loop error for the following Windows versions: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1.
This error prevents you from accessing anything on your computer and presents an endless loop of loading Startup Repair without end.
Contents
- 1 About 'Startup Repair in Infinite Loop'
- 2 Causes of this error
- 4 Fixes for Infinite Loop of Startup Repair on Windows Vista, 7
- 5 Fixes for Automatic Repair Loop in Windows 8
- 6 More Information
About 'Startup Repair in Infinite Loop'
The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.
Symptom 1: Computer attempts to enter Startup Repair continuously
Every time the PC is restarted, before Windows begins to load a message is displayed indicating that 'Windows failed to start,' and offering an option to 'Launch Startup Repair (recommended)' from a variation of the Advanced Boot Options menu as shown below:
Startup Repair will then either fail to load, launch but fail to repair, or run and claim repairs have been executed — however your PC will continue to attempt to endlessly start Startup Repair each boot.
On Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 this is called Automatic Repair:
The Log file path can be different.
Causes of this error
This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:
Cause #1: Damaged or corrupted BCD settings
Bootsector viruses and other malware that targets the bootloader or the booting chain can cause errors in the bootloader settings and state that result in an infinite loop of Startup Repair.
The virus may then block Startup Repair from either launching or carrying out its repairs successfully. A failed Windows Update or Automatic Update can also sometimes leave the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) in an inconsistent or non-working state.
Cause #2: Corrupted boot partition
On Windows 7 and above, Windows by default creates a separate 100 MiB NTFS partition at the start of the drive, reserved for core bootloader files and BCD configuration.
An unsafe shutdown, sudden power loss, hard disk failure, or a blue screen of death during writes to the boot partition can leave your system in an inconsistent state, unable to boot and infinitely cycling into the Startup Repair.
Cause #3: Blue Screen of Death on reboot
It is possible that every other time Windows attempts to boot, a BSOD occurs.
Recent versions of Windows are configured to hide this fact from the user and silently reboot.
(In the experience of the researchers at NeoSmart Technologies, there is almost never a good reason for doing this. Microsoft is hoping that a reboot will fix your PC and so Windows decides to hide the blue screen and reboot, endlessly and in vain.
A much more intelligent solution would be for Windows to keep track of whether or not this blue screen resulted in a silent and automatic reboot last time, and if so, show it so the user can see what's going on.)
A BSOD during boot up will trigger a version of the Advanced Boot Options menu to be shown on next reboot prompting the user to select 'Repair Your Computer,' ultimately causing the endless loop of Startup Repair.
Guaranteed Fix: Use Easy Recovery Essentials
Easy Recovery Essentials is guaranteed to fix the 'endless repair computer loop' error automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and can be downloaded and created on any PC.
- Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows you have installed.
- Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick/drive.
- Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you created.
- Once EasyRE is running, choose the 'Automated Repair' option and click Continue.
Choose 'Automated Repair' in Easy Recovery Essentials
- After EasyRE scans your computer's drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair button to begin.
Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you're trying to repair.
- Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE's repair is fully automated:
Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.
- Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your PC and test the changes.
- The 'endless repair computer loop' error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:
You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here.
Fixes for Infinite Loop of Startup Repair on Windows Vista, 7
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
Fix #1: Run chkdsk on the boot volume
The command line chkdsk tool ships with Windows and can be used to check (and sometimes repair) your drives for filesystem corruption. More information about how chkdsk operates and how it works can be found in our knowledgebase. The following steps will launch the command line option from Startup Repair on the Windows setup disc and use the chkdsk utility.
Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.
- Insert your Windows installation DVD into your PC's CD-ROM drive,
- Fully power down your PC, and make sure it has fully shut off,
- Power up your PC,
- Press any key when you see 'Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.'
- Click the link titled 'Repair your computer' in the bottom-lefthand corner, after first selecting your language and keyboard options.
- Wait for Startup Repair to scan your PC for Windows installations, then select your install from the list it shows:
- Choose 'Command Prompt' from the list of available recovery options to begin:
Once the command prompt is launched, enter the following to use the System File Checker to check your installation for corrupted, invalid, or deleted system files. If the previous page showed that your Windows installation has a drive letter other than C:, make sure to use that below!
chkdsk will begin scanning your drive for problems, fixing them if it is able to, and reporting its progress when done.
Fix #2: Disable Automatic Restart
This option lets you get the exact and complete error message accompanying the Blue Screen of Death by disabling the Automatic Restart option of Windows. Note: this will not fix the boot error you are experiencing in and of itself, but should provide more information that may prove critical in solving the underlying problem.
The option to disable automatic restart on system failure is available from the Advanced Boot Options menu at startup. The instructions below will trigger this behavior, more detailed instructions on disabling automatic restart on system failure are also available in our knowledgebase.
- Restart your computer
- Wait for your BIOS to complete POST (the screen with your manufacturer logo and/or system information)
- Quickly begin tapping F8 repeatedly, until you see the list of boot options
- Choose 'Disable automatic restart on system failure'
- Press Enter and wait for your PC to boot.
Repair Startup Files Windows 10
Fix #3: Manually attempt to rebuild the BCD
Problems booting up Windows can often be traced back to errors in the bootloader installation or configuration. Rebuilding your PC's master boot record (MBR), partition bootsectors, and boot configuration data (BCD) can fix various problems with the BOOTMGR bootloader.
You can rebuild the BCD using bootrec.exe, a tool built found in the Windows Recovery Environment. Follow these steps:
- Insert your Windows installation DVD into your PC's CD-ROM drive,
- Fully power down your PC, and make sure it has fully shut off,
- Power up your PC,
- Press any key when you see 'Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.'
- Click the link titled 'Repair your computer' in the bottom-lefthand corner, after first selecting your language and keyboard options.
- Wait for Startup Repair to scan your PC for Windows installations, then select your install from the list it shows:
- Choose 'Command Prompt' from the list of available recovery options to begin:
- Once the command line has launched, type in the following commands in the Command Prompt and hit Enter after each command:
Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.
BCD not getting rebuilt?
There is an entire entry in our wiki dedicated to advanced manual repair of the bootloader that can also be followed, if necessary.
Fixes for Automatic Repair Loop in Windows 8
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
Fix #1: Boot into Safe Mode
Often booting into Safe Mode and uninstall recently install device drivers or software may fix the Automatic Repair loop error.
To boot into Safe Mode of a Windows 8 or 8.1 system, you need to have the original DVD or USB. If you don't have it, go to Fix with Easy Recovery Essentials.
- Insert the disc and reboot the system
- Press any key to boot from the DVD
- Choose your keyboard layout
- Click Repair your computer at the Install now screen
- Click Troubleshoot
- Click Advanced options
- Click Startup Settings
- Click Restart
- Press F4 to boot into Safe Mode
If booting your system in Safe Mode doesn't solve the error, go to Fix #2: Run bootrec.
Fix #2: Run bootrec
Running the bootrec utility to rebuild the BCD might fix the error. To run bootrec.exe on Windows 8 or 8.1, follow these steps:
- Insert the original Windows 8/8.1 install DVD or USB
If you don't have the installation DVD or USB, go to Fix Automatic Repair Loop with Easy Recovery Essentials.
- Click Repair your computer
- Click Troubleshoot and then Advanced options
- Click Command Prompt
- When Command Prompt loads, type these commands:
- Press Enter after each command
- When the last command –
bootrec /rebuildbcd– finished the process, typeexitand restart your computer
Fix #3: Run chkdsk
The chkdsk utility might fix the Automatic Repair Loop on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 systems
To access it, follow the same steps as the Fix #2: Run bootrec to reach Command Prompt:
- Click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt
- When Command Prompt loads, type these commands:
- Press Enter
Fix #4: System Restore
To access System Restore, follow the same steps as Fix #2: Run bootrec to reach the Advanced Options screen:
- Click Troubleshoot
Troubleshoot in Windows 8 recovery options screen
- Click System Restore
- Follow the wizard instructions to continue the process. Choose a restore point before the date when the Automatic Repair loop error appeared.
Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Loop Windows 7
More Information
Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Software
Linked Entries
Support Links
- Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
It's an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It's available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It's also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.
- The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
- Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
Startup Repair will then either fail to load, launch but fail to repair, or run and claim repairs have been executed — however your PC will continue to attempt to endlessly start Startup Repair each boot.
On Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 this is called Automatic Repair:
The Log file path can be different.
Causes of this error
This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:
Cause #1: Damaged or corrupted BCD settings
Bootsector viruses and other malware that targets the bootloader or the booting chain can cause errors in the bootloader settings and state that result in an infinite loop of Startup Repair.
The virus may then block Startup Repair from either launching or carrying out its repairs successfully. A failed Windows Update or Automatic Update can also sometimes leave the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) in an inconsistent or non-working state.
Cause #2: Corrupted boot partition
On Windows 7 and above, Windows by default creates a separate 100 MiB NTFS partition at the start of the drive, reserved for core bootloader files and BCD configuration.
An unsafe shutdown, sudden power loss, hard disk failure, or a blue screen of death during writes to the boot partition can leave your system in an inconsistent state, unable to boot and infinitely cycling into the Startup Repair.
Cause #3: Blue Screen of Death on reboot
It is possible that every other time Windows attempts to boot, a BSOD occurs.
Recent versions of Windows are configured to hide this fact from the user and silently reboot.
(In the experience of the researchers at NeoSmart Technologies, there is almost never a good reason for doing this. Microsoft is hoping that a reboot will fix your PC and so Windows decides to hide the blue screen and reboot, endlessly and in vain.
A much more intelligent solution would be for Windows to keep track of whether or not this blue screen resulted in a silent and automatic reboot last time, and if so, show it so the user can see what's going on.)
A BSOD during boot up will trigger a version of the Advanced Boot Options menu to be shown on next reboot prompting the user to select 'Repair Your Computer,' ultimately causing the endless loop of Startup Repair.
Guaranteed Fix: Use Easy Recovery Essentials
Easy Recovery Essentials is guaranteed to fix the 'endless repair computer loop' error automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and can be downloaded and created on any PC.
- Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows you have installed.
- Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick/drive.
- Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you created.
- Once EasyRE is running, choose the 'Automated Repair' option and click Continue.
Choose 'Automated Repair' in Easy Recovery Essentials
- After EasyRE scans your computer's drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair button to begin.
Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you're trying to repair.
- Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE's repair is fully automated:
Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.
- Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your PC and test the changes.
- The 'endless repair computer loop' error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:
You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here.
Fixes for Infinite Loop of Startup Repair on Windows Vista, 7
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
Fix #1: Run chkdsk on the boot volume
The command line chkdsk tool ships with Windows and can be used to check (and sometimes repair) your drives for filesystem corruption. More information about how chkdsk operates and how it works can be found in our knowledgebase. The following steps will launch the command line option from Startup Repair on the Windows setup disc and use the chkdsk utility.
Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.
- Insert your Windows installation DVD into your PC's CD-ROM drive,
- Fully power down your PC, and make sure it has fully shut off,
- Power up your PC,
- Press any key when you see 'Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.'
- Click the link titled 'Repair your computer' in the bottom-lefthand corner, after first selecting your language and keyboard options.
- Wait for Startup Repair to scan your PC for Windows installations, then select your install from the list it shows:
- Choose 'Command Prompt' from the list of available recovery options to begin:
Once the command prompt is launched, enter the following to use the System File Checker to check your installation for corrupted, invalid, or deleted system files. If the previous page showed that your Windows installation has a drive letter other than C:, make sure to use that below!
chkdsk will begin scanning your drive for problems, fixing them if it is able to, and reporting its progress when done.
Fix #2: Disable Automatic Restart
This option lets you get the exact and complete error message accompanying the Blue Screen of Death by disabling the Automatic Restart option of Windows. Note: this will not fix the boot error you are experiencing in and of itself, but should provide more information that may prove critical in solving the underlying problem.
The option to disable automatic restart on system failure is available from the Advanced Boot Options menu at startup. The instructions below will trigger this behavior, more detailed instructions on disabling automatic restart on system failure are also available in our knowledgebase.
- Restart your computer
- Wait for your BIOS to complete POST (the screen with your manufacturer logo and/or system information)
- Quickly begin tapping F8 repeatedly, until you see the list of boot options
- Choose 'Disable automatic restart on system failure'
- Press Enter and wait for your PC to boot.
Repair Startup Files Windows 10
Fix #3: Manually attempt to rebuild the BCD
Problems booting up Windows can often be traced back to errors in the bootloader installation or configuration. Rebuilding your PC's master boot record (MBR), partition bootsectors, and boot configuration data (BCD) can fix various problems with the BOOTMGR bootloader.
You can rebuild the BCD using bootrec.exe, a tool built found in the Windows Recovery Environment. Follow these steps:
- Insert your Windows installation DVD into your PC's CD-ROM drive,
- Fully power down your PC, and make sure it has fully shut off,
- Power up your PC,
- Press any key when you see 'Press any key to boot from CD or DVD.'
- Click the link titled 'Repair your computer' in the bottom-lefthand corner, after first selecting your language and keyboard options.
- Wait for Startup Repair to scan your PC for Windows installations, then select your install from the list it shows:
- Choose 'Command Prompt' from the list of available recovery options to begin:
- Once the command line has launched, type in the following commands in the Command Prompt and hit Enter after each command:
Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.
BCD not getting rebuilt?
There is an entire entry in our wiki dedicated to advanced manual repair of the bootloader that can also be followed, if necessary.
Fixes for Automatic Repair Loop in Windows 8
Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.
Fix #1: Boot into Safe Mode
Often booting into Safe Mode and uninstall recently install device drivers or software may fix the Automatic Repair loop error.
To boot into Safe Mode of a Windows 8 or 8.1 system, you need to have the original DVD or USB. If you don't have it, go to Fix with Easy Recovery Essentials.
- Insert the disc and reboot the system
- Press any key to boot from the DVD
- Choose your keyboard layout
- Click Repair your computer at the Install now screen
- Click Troubleshoot
- Click Advanced options
- Click Startup Settings
- Click Restart
- Press F4 to boot into Safe Mode
If booting your system in Safe Mode doesn't solve the error, go to Fix #2: Run bootrec.
Fix #2: Run bootrec
Running the bootrec utility to rebuild the BCD might fix the error. To run bootrec.exe on Windows 8 or 8.1, follow these steps:
- Insert the original Windows 8/8.1 install DVD or USB
If you don't have the installation DVD or USB, go to Fix Automatic Repair Loop with Easy Recovery Essentials.
- Click Repair your computer
- Click Troubleshoot and then Advanced options
- Click Command Prompt
- When Command Prompt loads, type these commands:
- Press Enter after each command
- When the last command –
bootrec /rebuildbcd– finished the process, typeexitand restart your computer
Fix #3: Run chkdsk
The chkdsk utility might fix the Automatic Repair Loop on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 systems
To access it, follow the same steps as the Fix #2: Run bootrec to reach Command Prompt:
- Click Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt
- When Command Prompt loads, type these commands:
- Press Enter
Fix #4: System Restore
To access System Restore, follow the same steps as Fix #2: Run bootrec to reach the Advanced Options screen:
- Click Troubleshoot
Troubleshoot in Windows 8 recovery options screen
- Click System Restore
- Follow the wizard instructions to continue the process. Choose a restore point before the date when the Automatic Repair loop error appeared.
Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Loop Windows 7
More Information
Windows Is Loading Files Startup Repair Software
Linked Entries
Support Links
- Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.
It's an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It's available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It's also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.
- The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
- Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.
Applicable Systems
This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:
- Windows Vista (all editions)
- Windows 7 (all editions)
- Windows 8 (all editions)
- Windows 8.1 (all editions)
- Windows Server 2008 (all editions)
- Windows Server 2012 (all editions)
