Windows 10 Preparing Automatic Repair

[Lilyn]

Windows 10 is looping Preparing Automatic Repair and will not boot. How do I get out of the loop and load Windows?

[DavidPK]

Hi,

Shutdown the notebook. 

Tap away at the esc key as you start the notebook to enter the Start-up Menu.  Select the Diagnostic Menu option ( f2 ) and run the tests on the Hard Drive and Memory.

Post back with the results, including any failure codes that may be generated.

Regards,

DP-K

[Lilyn]

TY 4 reply. I did all the testing on the F2 Diagnostics. All passed, short and long DST. BUT on the Hard Disk Test it froze at 1%, always, at 2!hrs 42 mins 2 secs.

[Lilyn]

TY 4 reply. I did all the testing on the F2 Diagnostics. All passed, short and long DST. BUT on the Hard Disk Test it froze at 1%, always, at 2!hrs 42 mins 2 secs.
Also, initially, when the problem started, Windows 10 stopcodes, first time said NMI hardware failure, then next stopcodes: Corruption. I then went into Wimdows 7 "DOS" screen And backed up personal files and saved on USB stick(3.97 G).

[Lilyn]

2 hrs 41 mins 2 secs correction

[DavidPK]

Hi,

If the HDD test is failing to complete, it usually means the drive is failing and will need to be replaced.

Your notebook is listed as coming with a 640Gb Hard Drive, but you can just as easily install a 750Gb HDD. The drive on the following link is an example that would be fine for your notebook.

750Gb Hard Drive.

The procedure to replace the Hard Drive starts on Page 70 of your Maintenance & Service Guide.

As for reinstalling the operating system on the new drive, you can just perform a clean installation of 10 - as the machine has been previously upgraded to 10, a hardware profile ( Digital Entitlement ) will have been recorded by the activation servers.

As long as the previous installation of Windows 10 had activated Ok after the upgrade, you can just create your own installation media and perform a clean installation as detailed in the guide on the following link.  Note: At the activation screen, select 'I don't have a Product key' - Windows will activate automatically once the installation has completed.

http://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

Regards,

DP-K

[Lilyn]

TY for the reply and specific info. Have an OK work day!

[DavidPK · Accepted solution]

You're welcome

All the best,

DP-K

[Lilyn]

DavidPK, I like your solution except once I get the hard drive replaced, I will try to load Windows 7 because I think I made the mistake of upgrading to Windows 10 on the HP. I managed to bring up HP recovery screen to do a factory restore and got as far as copy files and froze. Also "missing boot manager". This HP will be my other computer. This is a good learning experience.

[DavidPK]

Hi,

Another option, as you had previously upgraded to Windows 10, would be to try a clean install of this OS as detailed in the guide below.

http://www.howtogeek.com/224342/how-to-clean-install-windows-10/

Regards,

DP-K