"Preparing Automatic Repair"

[skizee]

every time I turn on my desktop a message "Preparing Automatic Repair" comes up. I reset to a earlier date and can get into the internet, turn off, when turning on same message comes up and must reset to earlier date.

What needs to be done?

Thank you

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @skizee 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thanks for sharing the details and for already trying a system restore—that’s a great first step. I understand how frustrating it must be to see “Preparing Automatic Repair” every time you power on. 

Let’s work through this together and bring back that smooth, reliable startup experience.

Here’s a focused set of steps to help resolve the issue:

1. Run Startup Repair from Recovery Environment

Since the automatic repair loop persists, let’s manually trigger a deeper repair:

• Hold the power button to force shutdown when the logo appears.
• Repeat this 2–3 times until you see “Preparing Automatic Repair” followed by “Diagnosing your PC”.
• When the Recovery screen appears:
  • Select Advanced options > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair.
  • Let it complete and restart.

 

2. Check Disk for Errors

Corrupted sectors can trigger this loop. Let’s scan and fix them:

• Boot into Advanced options again.
• Choose Command Prompt.
• Type the following and press Enter:
  chkdsk C: /f /r
• Type Y if prompted to schedule on next restart.
• Restart the PC and let the scan complete—it may take time, but it’s worth it.

 

3. Disable Automatic Repair Temporarily

This helps identify if the repair loop is masking a deeper issue:

• In Command Prompt, type:
  bcdedit /set {default} recoveryenabled No
• Restart and observe if Windows boots normally.

 

4. Run System File Checker

To repair any damaged system files:

• Open Command Prompt from Advanced options.
• Type:
  sfc /scannow
• Let it complete and restart.

 

5. Check for Startup Programs or Drivers

If you can boot after a restore:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
• Go to Startup tab and disable non-essential items.
• Also, update drivers via Device Manager, especially display and storage controllers.

 

6. Create a New Restore Point After Fix

Once stable:

• Type Create a restore point in Start menu.
• Under System Protection, click Create and name it something like “Stable Boot”.

Optional: HP Diagnostic Tools

If you'd like to run a hardware scan:

• Visit: https://support.hp.com/in-en/help/diagnostics
• Choose “Component Tests” and run Hard Drive and Memory tests.

Let’s see how your system responds after these steps. If the issue persists, we can explore deeper boot configuration fixes or safe mode diagnostics.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye