How to Fix the Automatic Repair Loop in Windows 8.1

13 Possible Solutions for Fixing "Automatic Repair Screen" Loop

Patrick, try some of these. My sons laptop was an HP, not Toshiba. Since the issue was with MS 8.1, it may not matter what hardware you run. I took a look at Toshiba support, that site sucks. I thought HP and MS were pitiful, Toshiba takes the prize. I gave ya' 13 magic tricks. Hope one works. Please let me know and also which one. It took me some time to create this dialogue. Thanks.

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1.  BIOS reboot. I had trouble finding all the syntax, but got it to work after some time.  A day later, it went back to the loop. Try it anyhow.

do a selective boot up with bios

get cmd to open and check

bootrec /fixMBR

bootrec /Fixboot

bootrec /rebuildBCD

and also

chkdsk /r c:

chkdsk /r d:

chkdsk /r e:

chkdsk /r f:

then let repair go thowe again and should be stoped

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2.  Installation disc creation. This is for when/if you scrub your hard drive (C or D). You'll need a WIN 8.0 disc in order to get back to the starting line. You will lose all of your personal files/pics, etc but keep your other items. The information you are burning is large. More than some discs can handle. Buy the disc w/ the most space, at least 6gb.  I think the download is like 4gb.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

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3. On/off method. Funny enough, this worked about 3-4 times, but not for long. Worth a try. Easy & quick and if it DOES work, you lose NONE of your data.  What I did was keep laptop open long enough to make a complete backup of my sons data, so I can paste it back in when I get it fixed.

1. Power off unit
2. Power on and rapidly tap F11 for about 15 seconds
3. Select system recovery
4. Backup data (optional)

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MY OVERALL SOLUTION WINNER ----

4.  Very similar to #3. above. But it includes the "advanced options & troubleshoot" commands. I used this as well. When you get to the "troubleshoot" command, click it. There will be like 6 options for you. Read them CAREFULLY.  I selected the command that wiped my drive. No worries, I have a complete back up.

1. Hold the Power Button for 5 seconds or until the computer completely shuts off.
2. Press the Power Button to turn the computer on.
3. As soon as you see the rotating loading circle, press and hold the Power Button until the computer shuts off.
4. Repeat this process 2 or 3 times until you see the Preparing Automatic Repair screen.
5. Let the computer boot to the Automatic Repair screen.
6. Click Advanced Options, and then select Troubleshoot.

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5.  BIOS recovery #2. Similar but more detailed than #1 above.  This is for HP, but all PC's are pretty much the same. You may wish to use another PC to pull this up for Toshiba machines and print off.

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02693833

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6.  Toshiba specific solution. Looked on line for Toshiba based resolution. Came up with this one. The writer is terrible w/ English, but you'll get the idea.

if you are using window 8 in your laptop then

just restart your laptop and hold the "F12" numeric key..you get option HDD recovery just enter in HDD recovery

then it showing popup for format laptop just click on the yes ..you get a next option and your laptop is getting restart.

in case both option is not working then u have install a new OS.

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7.  Here is a Toshiba specific support forum. It has a lotta' stuff on it, but a lot of it could be valuable to you when you (if you) scrub your hard drive(s).

http://boardreader.com/fp/Laptops\_Toshiba\_Forums\_9281627/System\_Recovery\_and\_Recovery\_Media\_19391287.html

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8. I did not try this, but it was on the list. Who knows?

With the lap top plugged turn it on

right away you press the escape key a few times

go through the options to run a hard drive test.

press f2

click component tests.

click hard drive.

click extensive test

results:

Hard drive smart check passed

Hard drive DST check failed

This indicates the hard drive is no longer goood and needs to be replaced

Tech support will have UPS ship an empty box to you and you send your equipment back to them and they will fix it.

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9.  I did try this, worked. Then I shut it down for the night. Opened it next day, back to square one. Try it anyhow, what the hell?

One thing you can try is take the battery out, unplug the AC adapter, press the power button 10 times, and on the 11th time hold the power button down for like 30 seconds. Let go of the power button and plug the AC adapter into the wall and into the laptop (leave the battery out still) and see if you can turn it on

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10.  I did not try this one either.

Turn off the computer, turn on the computer and hit f8, use the option to enter safe mode. Can you enter safe mode? If so, then clcik on the Orb and type System Restore, and restore back to before the problem.

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11.  This was advice posted from a paid service that someone copied and pasted to about 20 forum boards. Also it is very educational, on the whole, even if it doesn't solve your issue(s). I bolded important stuff that I felt was required to read. Obviously, the guy hates Microsoft & WIN 8 now.

In short, you have to start from scratch and re-install windows, programs/software and load your **files!\[\](file:///C:/Users/TIM~1.HEY/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png)** back onto the machine from your backup. (make sure you setup your computer to automatically create restore points as your restore point files can be exported before you wipe your computer and start installing everything again)

All work will be lost since your latest backup. All programs and settings will have to be re-installed and setup. From your computer failing to complete 'Automatic Repair' to be up and running again as before this will easily take you a whole day. As a business!\[\](file:///C:/Users/TIM~1.HEY/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png) this has lost us many days work and cost a large amount in IT services amounting to £1000's.

As far as we can see this is a problem with the majority of windows 8 **PC's!\[\](file:///C:/Users/TIM~1.HEY/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png)**. Our IT technician has said the same, it is very common. We have 5 windows 8/8.1 pc's in the office and this has happened to 4 out of 5. On one of the machines this has happened 4 times. 

If I had the choice when buying a personal machine I would hold off for as long as possible until there is no other option but to change to windows 8. The benefits of windows 8 simply do not outweigh this huge negative that is very likely to happen to your machine.

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12.  Battery removal trick. I did this as well. Worked. Not for long. But I did keep it on overnight.  Once I turned it off and back on: same old ****.

Remove the power adapter and battery. 

Try a hard reset as follows:

1. Remove the battery and unplug the DC power adapter.
2. Press and hold the power button for more than fifteen seconds.
3. Plug in the DC power adapter (leave the battery out for now)
4. Press the power button

If it starts up, you can go ahead and install the battery.

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13. "Reset" your PC. I used this and it worked along with the other solution, above.  There is a difference between "reset" and "refresh". Reset = lose a lot of data. Refresh = lose very little.  I couldn't get my PC to work w/ refresh, so I had to reset.

NOTE: Following these steps should only be used if you are attempting to use the "Refresh your PC" or "Reset your PC" options in Windows RE because your system is in a non-bootable state.

1. After Automatic Repair fails to repair your PC, select "Advanced options" and then "Troubleshoot".
2. Select "Advanced options" and then select "Command Prompt".
3. If prompted, enter in the password for the user name.
4. At the Command Prompt, go to the \windows\system32\config folder by typing the following command: cd %windir%\system32\config.
5. Rename the System and Software registry hives to System.001 and Software.001 by using the following commands:

ren system system.001ren software software.001

NOTE: Renaming the Software hive will not allow you to use the "Refresh your PC" option. If you want to use the "Refresh your PC" option, only rename the System hive. If the Software hive is also corrupt, you may not be able to use the "Refresh your PC" option. 6. Type "exit" without the quotes to exit the Command Prompt and reboot the PC back to the Automatic Repair screen. 7. After selecting "Advanced options" and then "Troubleshoot", select either "Refresh your PC" or "Reset your PC".

Let's face it: this is a G-ddam* witch hunt guys.

I scoured the net/Google for hours/days to find a fix for my son's HP Pavillion (5 months old). I hit "F" + everything for hours. I turned on/off unit for 30 min at a time, over 3 days. I removed battery, powered up, hit on/off, plugged it in without battery.

I had moderate success enough to keep it running for 45 min while I quickly downloaded a back-up onto my external drive. I ended up wiping the whole "C" drive and starting from scratch. I re-installed WIN 8, which killed me, because that was the cause of it all in the beginning.  I did NOT install WIN 8.1. Never will. Hell will freeze over before Bill Gates bites me twice in one lifetime.  After my re-creation of the unit and the re-deployment of my boys apps/files, it's back to normal... for now.  

I called HP, waited 45 min, asked them about what to do in order to either prevent or prepare for another attack like this. In true HP fashion they said that there is no known preventative measure.  She said, "you probably just have to play it day by day and back-up your drives more frequently".  So much for help-desk. I know it's not only HP units. When I called MS, earlier in the process, they gave me some rapid-fire tech speak and lead me to a dead webpage where I was to find the golden ticket.

The only people that benefited from this --- Best Buy Geek Squad and other PC shops. A huge cash cow for them. Easy fix on their end. Pop out the drives, hardwire them into external drive/cloud, save, wipe unit, re install everything. 1 hr or less. $120+.  Maybe MS owns Best Buy and MS was having bad quarter. They deploy this bug via 8.1, then cash in on repair revenue at Best Buy for a year.

trheyer

This is not working. I have being twee weeks trying to repair it but nothing at all. No one of this 3 solutions  is workings

Lucky I have another computer with Ubuntu. A really good OS. For daily things I can go on. Pity I have to used windows for a few programs.

Is there another solution?

Do you have another pc? If so I can help...

Nothing helped