Stuck in boot loop

[Lucille4]

Stuck in reboot loop and Preparing Automatic Repair loop.
I read through some similar questions here, I don’t know enough about computers to understand all that I was reading. I tried hard rebooting, System Diagnostics. I cannot get to Safe Mode.

Does this UEFI Boot Order look OK?:

  OS Boot Manager

  USB Flash Drive/USB Hard Disk

  USB CD/DVD ROM Drive

  ! USB Network Adapter

BIOS Revision is F.08 - if that helps anything. Should I revert to previous or update to a newer? I saw such menu option.

Do I just give up and try System Restore?

Thank you,

Lucy

[Max3Aj]

@Lucille4, 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 help resolve the boot loop and “Preparing Automatic Repair” issue on your HP Spectre x360 15-eb1 Convertible Laptop:

Perform a Hard Reset

This clears temporary memory and can resolve many startup issues.

1. Turn off the laptop.
2. Disconnect the AC adapter and all external devices (USB drives, printers, etc.).
3. Press and hold the power button for 15–20 seconds.
4. Reconnect the AC adapter (but not other devices) and try turning it on.

Run HP Hardware Diagnostics

To check for hardware issues:

1. Turn off the laptop.
2. Turn it back on and immediately press Esc repeatedly, then press F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics.
3. Run System Tests (especially Memory and Hard Drive tests).

Check UEFI Boot Order

Your current boot order looks fine:

OS Boot Manager USB Flash Drive/USB Hard Disk USB CD/DVD ROM Drive ! USB Network Adapter

No need to change this unless you're booting from a USB recovery drive.

Try System Restore (if accessible)

If you can reach the Advanced Startup Options:

1. Turn on the laptop and interrupt the boot (hold power button to force shutdown) 3 times to trigger Recovery Mode.
2. Choose Advanced Options > System Restore.
3. Select a restore point before the issue started.

Use HP Recovery or Windows Recovery USB

If System Restore is not accessible:

Use HP Cloud Recovery Tool to create a recovery USB on another PC:
HP Consumer PCs - Using the HP Cloud Recovery Tool in Windows 11 and 10 | HP® Support

Boot from the USB and choose System Recovery or Reset this PC.

BIOS Update?

Your BIOS version is F.08. If the system is unstable, avoid updating BIOS right now. If recovery works and the system stabilizes, then check for BIOS updates via HP Support Assistant or HP Support page - HP Spectre 15-eb1 x360 Convertible Laptop PC IDS Base Model Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Supp...

If none of the above works, you may need to:

• Perform a Reset this PC (with or without keeping files).

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 

[Lucille4]

@Max3Aj, thank you so much for the instructions. 
I am not able to get to Recovery Mode.
I was able to run all the diagnostics and everything passed.

I created a recovery USB using the HP Recovery Tool on another PC.

Now I’m following the instructions to boot the laptop using the recovery USB but hit a snag. I’m getting the Blue Screen with stop code DRIVER_PNP_WATCHDOG.

What are my options now, please?

Thank you.

[Max3Aj]

@Lucille4, Thank you for your response,  

I'm sending a private message to assist you with the next action. 

  

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link. 

  

I hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

  

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[Lucille4]

@Max3Aj, thank you. That's disappointing. I was hoping to resolve it myself. I'm not sure if at this point it's worth to invest into having it repaired if there is no guarantee that it will work. May just have to bite the bullet and buy a new one.