Stuck in Repair loop

[Castor Fist]

Windows wont load PC just goes right into repair then cant repair. Tried to restore but tells me I need to enable system protection. Where do I do this?

 

[Regedit32]

Hi Castor,

Welcome to the Forum.


If you are unable to boot to the Desktop it may not be possible to enable System Protection just yet; unless you can get into Safe mode.

From the Desktop you can get there two ways:

Option 1

• Press your Windows key + S to give focus to the search field
• Type create a restore point into the search field then press Enter key
• In the System Properties window now open select the System Protection tab
• In the middle pane, left-click once on the partition you want system protection for so it is highlighted
• Now click the Configure button
• In the next screen check the radio button next to Turn on system protection
• Click the Apply button then click OK

Option 2

• Press your Windows key + S to give focus to the search field
• Type control panel in the search field then press Enter key
• In the System Properties window now open select the System Protection tab
• In the middle pane, left-click once on the partition you want system protection for so it is highlighted
• Now click the Configure button
• In the next screen check the radio button next to Turn on system protection
• Click the Apply button then click OK

Note: When system protection is turned off any restore points that were created prior to turning off System Protection are automatically deleted.

What you may be able to do instead is to tap your Enter key as the repair loop begins to get to the Repair screen where you have the option to click Advanced button then on the screen that loads, select:

• Troubleshoot
• Advanced
• Startup
• Now on the restart select option 4 to start Safe Mode and while there:
  • Press Windows key + R to open run dialog
  • In the run dialog type msconfig and click OK
  • Select the Boot tab
  • Remove check next to Safe boot then close that window
  • Now Click Start and select shutdown
  • Once the computer has shutdown properly, try to turn it on again to see whether the loop has stopped.

 

[Castor Fist]

I cant get to desktop and when I try to go to safe mode I hit the F4 and it just starts the PC repair loop again. If I try restore it tells me I have to enable system protection. I just want to stop this loop. There is no way to get to the Windows desktop from Command prompt I guess? I tried to reset pc and it just comes back with There is a problem resetting. This is as bad as Autodesk software when you get an error it will tell you, you cant do something 50 different ways but never tells you why. I appreciate your helping none the less

 

[Regedit32]

You may be able to end the loop from the command prompt by typing the following command:

dism /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

Press Enter key after typing the above command

Now type Exit then press Enter key again

Restart the computer

 

[Castor Fist]

I just get errors from this too

 

[Regedit32]

do you have an ISO burned to DVD then?

You can boot from that and use the Recovery files there.

 

[JW09I4]

I missed that you had tried to reset the PC... If it failed in the middle of the reset, it's likely you will need to reinstall Windows
as there was corruption during the reset, causing the reset to fail. If the below does not work, prior to reinstalling Windows,
use robocopy to copy your user folder [and any other custom files saved in other locations] to a separate storage device as
you'll want to format the system partition prior to reinstalling.​

@Castor Fist I'm assuming from "PC just goes right into repair then cant repair" that it's attempting automatic startup repair?

• If so, there should be additional options you can select, as you'll want to enter into the Command Prompt mode of WinRE.
  • I can't recall what the name of the option(s) are displayed when Startup Repair cannot auto repair the issue, but there should be an additional option that screen, such as Troubleshoot, possibly an option named Advanced, however whatever the names, there will eventually be an option for Command Prompt.

Once you get to the command terminal issue the following:

• bootrec /fixmbr
• bootrec /fixboot
• bootrec /rebuildbcd
  • If any Windows installations are found, answer Yes, then close the terminal and select Continue to Windows

If bootrec doesn't fix it, you can try an offline DISM repair of the WinSxS folder, however you will need a Windows installer USB with the specific version of Windows currently installed (likely 1703 or 1709). You'll boot from the installer USB, then once it's booted to the installer, press SHIFT+F12 (or it might be F10), of which will launch a command terminal. Issue:

• DISM /Image:C:\Windows /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:esd:Z:\Sources\Install.esd:1 /LimitAccess
  • Where C:\ is the partition Windows is installed to (it will likely be a different letter in WinPE)
  • Where Z:\ is the Windows Installer USB
  • Where :1 is the index of the version of Windows you have installed
    • To garnish the index you'll need, issue: DISM /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:Z:\Sources\Install.esd

• You may need to mount the install.esd, and if you do so, change the path above to: /Source:<Path to Mount Dir>/Windows/WinSxS

 

[Bill Shannon]

Windows wont load PC just goes right into repair then cant repair. Tried to restore but tells me I need to enable system protection. Where do I do this?

try reconfiguring your ram drop it down a notch and see if that helps you do it in the bios.

 

[JW09I4]

try reconfiguring your ram drop it down a notch and see if that helps you do it in the bios.

What's your thought process on that (as that makes zero sense for the issue being experienced)?

 

[RichardG]

I had this after a windows update recently, blue screen and a repair option that didn't work. Tried everything with the help of someone who runs a PC repair company but ended up re-installing windows and then spending a week re-installing other apps and accounts. Very frustrating! I have since disabled the windows update service - wuauserv to prevent further windows updates. Does mean you don't get new features and bug fixes but as previous windows updates have broken my bluetooth and my sound drivers I feel that having a PC that works is far better than one you have to spend ages fixing all the time. As long as you have a decent anti-virus software I recon this is an acceptable solution.

 

[JW09I4]

...ended up re-installing windows and then spending a week re-installing other apps and accounts. Very frustrating!

This is why it's recommended to take a WIM of the system once all applications are installed, and the system is customized the way you want it.

• DISM /Capture-Image /ImageFile:Z:\Base.wim /CaptureDir:C:\ /Name:"Windows 10 Base Image" /Description:"Fully Customized Install, 2017.12.07 @1230" /Compress:Max /NoRpFix /CheckIntegrity /Verify

I have since disabled the windows update service - wuauserv to prevent further windows updates... As long as you have a decent anti-virus software I recon this is an acceptable solution.

This is the worst possible decision someone could make, and rather than explain why (as it will come across as condescending), please utilize your search engine of choice to learn why this is something that should never be done.

...previous windows updates have broken my bluetooth and my sound drivers

Windows Update will only install WHQL drivers whitelisted by the manufacturer of your PC, so it's unlikely Windows Update caused whatever issues you were experiencing. However, If you performed a clean install and allowed Windows Update to run prior to installing CPU related drivers (Chipset, IMEI, etc.), then issues will be experienced since those drivers must be installed prior to any other drivers, software, or updates.

• For example, if your bluetooth card was from Broadcom, it was a known issue for more than a year (likely longer, but I stopped checking to see if Broadcom had fixed their mistake) that Broadcom reused incompatable sys files from it's Windows 8 driver packages, of which would cause repeatable BSODs.
• Driver issues are almost always the fault of the vendor, not Windows.

 

[Bill Shannon]

try reconfiguring your ram drop it down a notch and see if that helps you do it in the bios.

It happened to mine took me 3 months to find the problem some MB's won't run at max ram spec so you need to drop back a setting. if that doesn't fix it you can just reset the clock timing to where it is now no big deal to try. if you find my previous post you will find the error codes I'm going to bed now cya.

 

[RichardG]

Have to dissagree.. Windows updates are a nightmare. My experience (and the experience of others) has not been good and I really want to use my pc not repair it. MIcrosoft need ro do a far far better job on testing updates or give them to manufactures, HP in my case to test and then distribute.

 

[JW09I4]

It happened to mine took me 3 months to find the problem some MB's won't run at max ram spec so you need to drop back a setting. if that doesn't fix it you can just reset the clock timing to where it is now no big deal to try.

You're assuming the user applied an XMP or overclocked their RAM, of which @Castor Fist never mentioned, so it's likely they did not.

• Regardless of what issue was originally at play, the current issue is a Reset failed mid-process, of which has likely left the OS in an unrecoverable state.
• If RAM was an issue, it would not prevent the Windows Bootloader from booting Windows, but would likely occur either during POST or after the OS has been booted into... what Windows would not do is boot itself into Startup Repair (unless the hypothesized [non-existent] RAM issue prevented the Windows Bootloader from handing off to the OS twice in a row).

Have to dissagree.. Windows updates are a nightmare. My experience (and the experience of others) has not been good and I really want to use my pc not repair it. MIcrosoft need ro do a far far better job on testing updates or give them to manufactures, HP in my case to test and then distribute.

This has zero to do with your previous post of simply turning off Windows Update altogether and believing your antivirus will magically keep your PC secure from bugs and exploits... You do realize whenever exploits are patched they immediately show exactly how to exploit a system that is not patched right? This is why Microsoft patches all supported OSes on Patch Tuesdays at the same time.

Additionally, as to drivers, since Windows Update will only install the latest OEM whitelisted WHQL driver, it's not likely that driver is the cause of issues since it's the exact same driver the OEM has listed as the most recent, and is no different than going to the OEM's site and downloading the driver for installation.

 

[RichardG]

As it happens yes I do understand the security issues and have been an IT professional for over 10 years. However do you have a solution that does not mean I have to spend ages fixing my PC after an update?

Also it was definitely the windows updates that caused the driver issues. As other users have also discovered from posts on this forum. Well the solution is each case after a lot of digging was to delete the driver and let it re-install itself so I suppose it could be a setting somewhere rather than the driver.

 

[JW09I4]

However do you have a solution that does not mean I have to spend ages fixing my PC after an update?

Review each update prior to installing, as most will not cause issues to 99% of users. This is what businesses do and is why Microsoft allowed Pro and Enterprise editions the capability to choose when and what updates to install... however, home editions do not have this capability.

Also it was definitely the windows updates that caused the driver issues... Well the solution in each case... was to delete the driver and let it re-install itself so I suppose it could be a setting somewhere rather than the driver.

If uninstalling and reinstalling the driver solved the issue, Windows Update installing the driver was not the cause of the issue. Again, Windows Update will only install OEM whitelisted WHQL drivers, of which are the exact same driver the OEM makes available on their website.

• For example, I have an Alienware 18 and it reached it's EOL support ~2013. Dell has released one driver update for the integrated graphics (Intel HD4600) on 7/29/16, however Intel has continued to push out updates for the HD4600 drivers. Even if I install the updated drivers from Intel, if I then go into Device Manager, open the display adapter properties, and check for a driver update, Windows will downgrade the driver to the latest OEM whitelisted WHQL driver, which is from 7/29/16, even though the most recent driver from Intel is from 11/6/17

Microsoft gets a lot of flak for broken updates or updates that cause major, or minor, issues on a user's PC... but it's not often any take a step back and ponder why this is: Microsoft has to design bug fixes that will work as intended across hundreds of millions of different hardware configurations, so issues with bug fixes and patches are bound to happen. The only way one could legitimately level a reasonable complaint is if/when millions of devices are affected.