HP Envy x360 - Unable to Start Up

[Matthew_067]

HP Envy x360 is stuck on "Preparing Automatic Repair" or just the HP logo accompanied by the spinning circle.

Unable to get past either of these screens. I've tried to update BIOS, but I can't find any option to do this in the Advanced Boot Options menu. All I can see is the version number. Rand diagnostic tests and everything passed.

I'm working on this for a friend of a friend, but I wasn't able to get the whole picture of what led up to this. They only care about some family pictures that were recently imported. I'd like to attempt to get into the laptop and keep everything, but if worst comes to worst, I'd at least like to save the pictures.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

~Matthew

[Max3Aj]

@Matthew_067, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 

Here's a step-by-step guide to recover data and potentially fix the HP Envy x360 stuck on "Preparing Automatic Repair" or the spinning HP logo screen. Since the main concern is recovering family pictures, we'll focus on both data recovery and repair options with minimal risk.

PRIORITY 1: Recover the Pictures (Before Attempting Any Repair)

Option 1: Use a Bootable Linux USB to Access Files

This is the safest way to recover pictures without booting into Windows.

Steps:

Create a Linux USB stick on another PC:

• Download Ubuntu or another Linux distro.
• Use Rufus to create a bootable USB stick.

Insert USB into the HP Envy x360 and boot from it:

• Turn off the laptop.
• Power it on and immediately tap ESC repeatedly, then choose F9 for Boot Device Options.
• Select the USB stick to boot into Linux.

Access the hard drive:

• Once Ubuntu loads (choose “Try Ubuntu”), open Files.
• You should see the internal hard drive listed. Open it and navigate to: 
  /Users/<username>/Pictures
• Copy the important files to an external USB drive or cloud storage.

 If you're only here for the family pictures, you can stop after this.

PRIORITY 2: Attempt to Fix the Boot Issue

After recovering the data, you can try these repair steps:

Step 1: Try Startup Repair from Recovery Environment

If the system occasionally boots to recovery:

• Force shutdown the laptop 3 times during the spinning circle to trigger Automatic Repair.
• When it says "Diagnosing your PC", you may eventually get:

Advanced Options > Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Repair

If that fails:

Step 2: Use a Windows 10/11 Installation USB for Repair

This gives more options than the built-in recovery.

What You’ll Need:

1. Another PC
2. A USB stick (16GB+)
3. Windows Media Creation Tool

Steps:

1. Create a Windows USB installer using the tool.
2. Insert into the HP Envy and boot from USB (press ESC > F9 > select USB).
3. Click "Repair your computer" (bottom left).
4. Navigate to:

Troubleshoot > Advanced Options

 

From here, try the following in order:

• Startup Repair
• System Restore (if available)
• Command Prompt > Run SFC/DISM:

sfc /scannow dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

(If offline, use dism /image:<drive_letter>:/ /cleanup-image /restorehealth)
 

Step 3: Check Disk for Errors

From the same command prompt:

chkdsk c: /f /r

(Replace c: if the OS is on another drive)
 

Step 4: Reinstall Windows (Non-Destructive or Clean)

If nothing works:

• Choose “Keep my files” reinstall (available from recovery).
• Or backup using Linux and do a full clean install. 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support